What’s Ailing Start-up Tech Firms in Africa?
By Anzetse Were, Senior Economist and Green Finance Advisor at FSD Kenya
Recently headlines in Africa have been filled with African tech companies announcing that they are closing, filing for bankruptcy, entering into administration, implementing massive lay-offs and/or substantially cutting back their operations. Most of these companies were once regarded as a new dawn of entrepreneurship from the continent and examples of African companies that would not only become leaders in Africa, but also global leaders providing innovation solutions to global challenges.
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Le « made in Africa » fait son grand retour parmi les priorités des décideurs en Afrique. Ainsi de l’Agenda 2063 de l’Union africaine (UA), qui vise à transformer les économies du continent pour créer une croissance partagée, des emplois décents et des opportunités économiques pour tous. Pourtant il faudra bien davantage que des rêves ambitieux d’industrialisation pour que ce label et cet objectif prennent corps.
The manufacturing sector has traditionally been seen as an engine for development due to its high propensity for productivity gains. Worryingly, recent evidence suggests that this has not been the case in Africa.
Industrialisation is a key driver of sustainable development. It creates jobs, adds value and promotes trade through greater integration into global value chains. At the same time, entrepreneurship and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are critical to every economy by creating jobs and innovative goods, promoting a competitive environment and economic growth, and facilitating income distribution. The South African government recognises the need for entrepreneurship and SMEs’ engagement with industrialisation efforts to address some of the key socio-economic challenges in the country, particularly poverty, inequality and unemployment. However, South African entrepreneurs 
