African Ecosystem Report Highlights Incremental Progress Across the Continent's Knowledge Economies

ATF
The State of Play publication by the African Technology Foundation provides a continental, regional, and industry specific look at the evolution of technology ecosystems on the African continent.
21 September 2017
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African Technology Foundation (San Francisco)

PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES — Silicon Valley based African Technology Foundation (ATF) and Managing Partner of the Liberalizing Innovation Opportunity Nations (LIONS@FRICA) partnership, is pleased to announce the official launch of the State of Play report.

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The report provides a continental, regional, and industry specific look at the evolution of technology ecosystems on the African continent. Beginning with an overview of the general growth trends within the continent, the report highlights the youthful population and the bias towards innovation and entrepreneurship, and sets the stage for a deep-dive into the key technology and innovation activities that are driving the continent forward.

Several perspectives are presented within the report to identify key catalysts for growth, and explore industry specific opportunities for development across the continent’s main geographic regions. The publication also utilizes first experience testimonials and op-ed pieces from key stakeholders along the technology and innovation value chain to highlight a number of relevant opportunities.

The regional summaries in the report allow for the diversities of Africa’s major regions to come to the fore. Overview summaries and country specific analyses are presented to offer specific insights to the major opportunities across the continent. At the national level, the report also presents the policies and environments that foster or hinder the growth of technology and innovation.

Finally, the report presents the Silicon Valley ecosystem through the lens of direct African engagements, and examines the critical success factors of the Silicon Valley ecosystem as compared to innovation ecosystems in Africa. The report celebrates the incremental success of African startups in Silicon Valley, and highlights a variety of stakeholders that have successfully engaged the investor networks in Silicon Valley.

“This publication represents an aggregation of data and research from a variety of sources. It provides a regional and sectorial assessment of the leading entrepreneurial ecosystems on the continent, as well as industry perspectives offered through a selected network of specialists that have authored sector specific essays as contributors,” said Stephen Ozoigbo, CEO, ATF. “We are grateful to all our staff, researchers, sector specialists and partners that have contributed to this report. We also thank our wonderful group of sector specialists, who authored the opinion pieces within the report, and joined the movement to highlight the immense opportunities on the continent.”

Harry Hare, Executive Director of DEMO Africa commented -“It has been said in some quarters that Africa cannot innovate itself out of its own problems. A statement that attracted both praise and criticism in equal measure.It is a known fact that Africa faces many challenges, but my view is that all these challenges provide entrepreneurial greenfield opportunities that the continent’s technologists and innovators are now exploring more than ever before, and investors are taking note. This report highlights some of these opportunities and celebrates a number of uniquely African innovations.”

The report is free to download and will be presented to global audiences across a variety of events and summits over the next few months. Under ATF’s leadership, LIONS@FRICA will also be convening a number of technology salons in Silicon Valley to discuss the key outcomes of the report and support the implementation of key recommendations.

To download a copy of the report, please visit www.africa.co/stateofplay. You can also follow LIONS@FRICA on Twitter @lionsafrica.

For media requests and interviews, contact: aliesha@thea25n.com or call 1 (818)-660-5676.

About LIONS@FRICA
A public-private partnership launched by the U.S. Department of State aimed to enhance and deepen the startup and innovation ecosystems of targeted fast growing African economies through investment in Capacity-building, access to Capital, enhanced Connectivity to global markets, and Credibility, by raising awareness of Africa’s innovation potential.

About African Technology Foundation (ATF)
The African Technology Foundation (ATF) exists to globalize African technologies and introduce global technologies to the African ecosystem. To achieve this, we support a broad range of initiatives around key economic sectors, and we are committed to providing African technology startups and enterprises with the necessary knowledge and resources that empower them to raise the economic profiles of their communities, municipalities and countries.

Aliesha Balde
African Technology Foundation
(818)660-5676 | Email

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