Support for innovation and entrepreneurship

The weak dynamic of startup emergence is strongly linked to the significant lack of support and financing mechanisms.

Number of incubators / accelerators all sectors combined as a proportion of the population
incubators and accelerators per million inhabitants: 2015
Source : UNDATA, Roland Berger
Number of startups created compared to the number of incubators / accelerators
of start-ups created / incubators and accelerators; 2000 to 2015
Source : ONU, Banque Mondiale, Roland Berger

  • The continent is experiencing significant growth in the supply of co-working spaces, a trend mainly driven by Egypt and South Africa with nearly 60% of the supply.

Main challenges faced by incubators and accelerators in Africa :

Insufficient geographical coverage,

or even a total lack of presence in some countries, which prevents many project leaders from accessing their services (concentration in large urban centres).
Low resource skills

to effectively support generally immature startups by providing them with the necessary means to survive and develop.
Lack of public support :

the success of incubation programs depends largely on existing government policies, which do not provide sufficient support for these organizations.
Sustainability of funding:

often initiated by private actors, most programmes in Africa lack visibility and financial strength, limiting their impact.
Source : UNDATA, Roland Berger