The ecosystem of African startups is very active, which is an opportunity to relaunch the economy of East Africa, but there is a need for specific skills and investment.
Despite the presence of excellent elements such as incubators, accelerators, coworking spaces, fab labs, maker spaces, the African ecological ecosystem is still in its infancy precisely because it still lacks the connections that allow innovation to become a social process.
The financial situation is not entirely solid, investors and venture capital are white flies and startups survive thanks to the disbursement of small, non-repayable loans from the government or NGOs. But concrete help also comes from Italy, which is making its presence felt through the Tech Garage association with the not-for-profit project, Startup Africa roadtrip.
The project provides training courses for startups and business projects in East African countries, creating a network of contacts between local business ecosystems with the Italian one and involving professionals and organizations. The project was first presented in Uganda, then moved to Kenya and returned to Uganda this year, where the following prizes were awarded:
The first prize was awarded to a women’s project HerHealth behind which a team of entrepreneurs and enthusiasts created a screening test tool for women living in rural areas, to check for any urinary infections. Based on the results, the test assesses whether or not a doctor’s consultation is necessary.
The second prize was awarded to Gorilla Conservation Coffee, a social startup that supports the marketing of coffee by farmers in Uganda, who live near the Bwindi National Park, to protect from the danger of extinction are the last examples of gorillas left.
Finally, the third prize went to Zembo, which offers a new model of electric motorcycles at affordable prices for taxi drivers motorcyclists in Uganda, being Kampala among the most polluted cities in the world.
It is in the capital of Uganda that the exploit of innovation takes place. The capital hosts 16 tech hubs and a well-known university, Mekerere, where an Italian group, composed of experts in the startup scene, has created a tech week dedicated to startuppers and aspiring local entrepreneurs.
Selected Ugandan teams had the opportunity to access free training sessions. Kampala has established itself as one of the leading cities in the wave of innovation that is spreading new business models throughout East Africa from nearby Kenya. There is talk of a Silicon Savannah, with capital in Nairobi, Kenya.
To sum up, it is easy to deduce that East Africa is one of those countries with great potential: low average age, good universities, an ongoing construction of basic technological infrastructure, institutional interest in the issue of business creation. Kenya also has one of the fastest growing economies in sub-Saharan Africa and has outlined a specific plan to become a high-income country by 2030. There are about 50 million inhabitants, young and educated, the numerous industries and commercial ties with neighboring countries make this country an excellent base for foreign companies looking for an access point to the region. This is a good reason to hope.