Africa has 54 countries and more than 1.5 billion people.
Worldometer
Africa’s 1.5 billion people and 54 countries present great market opportunities for entrepreneurs to capitalize on growing economies and ensure environmental sustainability, increase food production, and establish cross-border partnerships. Forward-looking entrepreneurs of all ages have taken up these opportunities and have emerged as some of the world’s most innovative African startups in 2024, which aim to promote sustainable development.
These African startups are making waves in the finance, technology, health, education, and agriculture industries. From MPESA in Kenya to Jumia in Nigeria and iSchool in Egypt, they are changing the way Africans access critical services and infrastructure.
These innovative African startups have won several awards, including the Africa Tech Awards, Vivatech, and Global Startup Awards, and have received significant funding to enhance their impact.
In this article, you’ll discover 25 of the most innovative African startups, their unique value propositions, and their potential impacts on the continent.
African Startups That Are Embracing Innovation
Here are the exceptional African startups in 2024 categorized by industry;
Innovative African Fintech Startups
Flash | Egypt
Flash is approved by the Central Bank of Egypt, ensuring that all transactions are safe and secure. As the name suggests, paying your bills using this innovative Egyptian fintech happens fast. Unlike traditional e-payment solutions, Flash is built to save you time spent on mundane, confusing steps. It has a financial analytics dashboard that tells users whether they are overspending or within the average when compared to other users paying similar bills. Users can also track their income and expenditure, giving them more control over their finances.
Lidya | Nigeria
Small businesses in Nigeria need help accessing loan products. That is where Lidya comes in. Founded in 2016, Lidya is unlocking credit opportunities for Nigerian startups. Entrepreneurs can create accounts on Lidya and apply for loans of $500 to $50000. Their unique offering is fast loan processing and competitive interest rates. Lidya has received funding from several investors to enhance its impact in Nigeria. For example, in 2021, Lidya raised $8.3M with the support of Alitheia Capital, Bamboo Capital Partners, and Accion Venture Lab.
African E-commerce Startups
Takealot | South Africa
Takealot is a South African e-commerce startup owned by Naspers company. It is known for its excellent service and wide product range. Nasper’s goal is to offer fashion products, books, cameras, wearables, and computers under a robust logistics network. It is South Africa’s top-ranking e-commerce provider and has dominated the country’s online shopping market for more than a decade. They are not just the largest but the simplest and most customer-centric online shopping startup in Africa.
African Health Startups
Cure Bionics | Tunisia
Cure Bionics is pushing the boundaries of prosthetic technology with its commitment to improving the lives of individuals with limb loss through innovative and accessible solutions. They make 3D-printed, multi-grip, and customizable bionic arms for people with limb impairments at an affordable cost. The company applies highly advanced technology, such as bionic control systems, which use sensors and intuitive control mechanisms to allow for more natural and precise movement. The results are a significant improvement in the functionality and comfort of prosthetic limbs. The company also offers interactive and immersive tools such as Virtual Reality and gamification to offer therapeutic solutions to its patients.
Yodawy | Egypt
Since 2018, Yodawy has stood as the most innovative healthcare platform-building software in Egypt, making patients’ access to medication easy and affordable. Yodawy leverages technology to bring together healthcare players, manage a vast network of pharmacies, improve complex supply chain operations, and utilize data to overcome stockouts. Every month, Yodawy reviews its patients’ chronic prescriptions and ensures they get medications before running out of their monthly care program. Yodawy offers a world-class healthcare experience to Egyptians of all income levels.
MyDawa | Kenya
MyDawa is an online pharmacy founded in 2015 and owned by Neil O’Leary. It is a Kenyan startup designed to connect patients to drug stores. The platform offers medicines and health and wellness solutions and does not charge users any service fees, transaction, or delivery costs. This enables consumers to get drugs at affordable prices while eliminating the challenges faced in the pharmaceutical supply chain. MyDawa is the first fully licensed and regulated e-pharmacy in Kenya. Therefore, all their consumer products and consultants are genuine and high quality.
Innovative African Tech Startups
DevisionX | Egypt
Mahmoud Abdelaziz, Founder and CEO at DevisionX
Africa’s Innovative Transport and Logistics Startups
Chargel | Senegal
Chargel was started by two Senegalese brothers – Alioune and Moustapha Ndoye – in 2021. It is Africa’s leading digital freight network, which means it’s particularly helpful in the logistics industry. In 2023, Chargel raised over $2.5 million in seed funding to enhance fleet management and profitability of truck owners. Their intelligent platform brings shippers and carriers together, facilitating the seamless flow of goods. Shippers can easily find available trucks to move their goods, while carriers discover new lucrative business opportunities to make profits. The company’s biggest commitment is to provide excellent logistics from beginning to end.
Kobo360 | Nigeria
Source: TechCrunch
Kobo360 is Africa’s innovation leader in integrated logistics solutions and truck brokerage services. Kobo360 connects Nigerian truck owners with businesses in need of transportation services. Its main aim is to optimize supply chains and reduce logistics costs. The company aggregates end-to-end haulage operations to help cargo owners, truck owners, drivers, and cargo recipients achieve an efficient supply chain with minimal friction. Kobo360 uses big data and technology to reduce supply chain risks, logistics bottlenecks, manufacturing waste, low turn-around, and loss of goods.
Lori Systems | Kenya
Many entrepreneurs in Kenya use the Lori Systems. It is a digital platform for cargo transportation, offering solutions for fleet management, route optimization, and real-time tracking. Cargo owners can use Lori Systems to connect with more than 20,000 trusted truckers who can move cargo safely across Africa. Their platforms combine technology and customer service to guarantee affordable transport rates, cargo safety, and reliability. Also, all of Lori’s systems innovations aim to lower the cost per kilometre of transportation to benefit shippers while supporting transporters. Most importantly, Lori Systems ensures that goods are delivered to their destination on time, allowing sustainable business operations across the country.
African Real Estate Startups
HouseME | South Africa
The co-founder and CEO of HouseME is Ben Shaw. He revealed to Enterprise Africa how this innovative African startup began. Shaw revealed that HouseME was created to solve the numerous engagement challenges that landlords and tenants always face. With HouseME, landlords and tenants are always connected through a digital platform that offers virtual tours, lease agreements, and online payments. This property tech startup has taken the South African residential rental market by storm. The founders have an ambitious plan to expand internationally once they’ve conquered the local market.
African Clean Energy and Environmental Startups
Wetility | South Africa
Utility helps South Africans in remote areas and other marginalized areas afford power. The startup’s CEO is Vincent Maposa. Wetility offers free extra solar panels, allowing South Africans to slash their electricity bills by up to 65%. The Wetility hardware series comes in three systems – PACE, RISE, and LIFT. Although these systems are connected to the grid, they can also function independently during outages. They’ve got an all-in-one beast bundle of Tier 1 solar panels, lithium-ion battery storage, and a hybrid inverter. Their innovative smart geyser control and surge protection can drive savings and protect African homes from grid fluctuations. In addition, Wetility gives users a grace period of 36 months to clear their bills.
Nuru | The Democratic Republic of Congo
Source:
Nuru was first established under the name Kivu Green Energy in August 2015. However, they changed the name to Nuru in September 2019 to reflect its expansion beyond the Kivu region into other parts of the DRC. Nuru is a Swahili word meaning “light.” It is an innovative African startup dedicated to enhancing clean energy connectivity in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Nuru deployed Congo’s first solar-based mini-grid in 2017 and has a 1.3MW solar hybrid site in Goma, which is the largest off-grid mini-grid in sub-Saharan Africa. Another solar hybrid site is in Beni, and two are located in Tadu and Faradje.
Innovative Education Startups in Africa
iSchool | Egypt
Source: ischooltech.com
The education sector in Africa has also seen significant innovation from startups such as iSchool, uLesson, and Eneza Education. Muhammad Gawish founded iSchool, an online school for learning coding and artificial intelligence. At iSchool, children from 6 to 17 years old are learning coding and artificial intelligence using accredited curriculums.
uLesson | Nigeria
uLesson is an online learning app for secondary school students in Nigeria. Learners can discover engaging quizzes like NECO, JAMB, BECE, and tests and exams for junior and senior secondary. uLesson offers powerful educational solutions that can be used separately or together. Learners can choose between a monthly, annual, or lifetime commitment to learning. uLesson offers an interesting and gamified learning experience with a vast collection of animated videos from leading instructors on a wide range of academic topics.
Conclusion
Innovative African startups are attracting billions of dollars in funding. uLesson, HouseME, and Nuru, are some of the startups revolutionizing industries and creating new opportunities for Africans. They are not only driven by profit but also by a desire to promote sustainable development in Africa.
Africa’s youthful population and the increasing digital connectivity are propelling this growth even more, with Kenya, Nigeria, and Egypt producing some of the most innovative startups in 2024.
Which startup should we feature next? Feel free to comment below.
