Africa has the highest number of female entrepreneurs in the world! In countries like Uganda and Botswana, more women are starting their businesses than elsewhere. The African women in business are leading quite a business revolution. Experts say women will control $28 trillion in global spending power in the next few years, and that’s a lot of money in terms of purchasing power! But even with all this power, women still get paid 30% less than men doing the same job. which is not a good sign if we want an equal future.
What Is The Glass Ceiling?
The glass ceiling is an invisible wall that stops women from reaching the top of their jobs, even when they work hard. For African women, this wall is even tougher to break. Almost 8 out of 10 African women in business have felt this invisible wall blocking their way. Digital entrepreneurship is the answer to this problem. Well, this is what is happening in Africa right now. African women are using the internet to start companies where the usual roadblocks don’t exist. It’s cheaper and faster, and they can operate their businesses in any part of the world!
The Digital Pivot: How African Women Are Leading The Charge
Technology is transforming Africa’s economic landscape, and women are at the forefront. In fact, out of every ten people who run their own business in Africa, almost 6 of them are women! Their hard work helps grow Africa’s economy in a big way. Experts say that if women were paid the same as men, Africa’s economy could get a $14.5 billion boost!
One big reason for this change is that more people in Africa are learning how to use phones, apps, and the internet. Back in 2017, only about 2 out of 10 people knew how to use digital tools. However, with the African Union’s Digital Transformation Strategy, the goal is to ensure that every African is digitally literate by 2030.
A star of this story is Kenya’s M-Pesa. The mobile money platform that allows financial transactions without a bank account. Since its 2007 launch, it has increased Kenya’s GDP by 2%, showing how financial technology (FinTech) can uplift economies. Digital solutions like M-Pesa reduce the barriers to entry for women-led small and medium enterprises (SMEs), offering a pathway to financial independence.
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Trailblazers In Digital Entrepreneurship
Meet the fierce African women in business rewriting the rules. These bold innovators are using digital tools to shake up industries, break barriers, and inspire a new generation of dreamers and doers. Here’s how they’re making waves:
- Carmelle Cadet – Founder, EmTech
- Imagine a world where banks are faster, smarter, and fairer. That’s exactly what Carmelle Cadet is creating with her company, EmTech. By using futuristic tech like blockchain and open banking, she’s helping central banks in Africa upgrade their systems. Her partnership with the Central Bank of Ghana is proof that big change is possible when you think outside the box.
- Nelly Chatue Diop – Founder, Ejara
- Ever wanted to grow your money without a bank? With her app, people can invest in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum straight from their phones. And here’s the twist — users can also save for their future and earn interest on their money. Backed by $3 million in funding, she’s giving ordinary Africans the power to control their financial destiny.
- Sara Menker – Founder, Gro Intelligence
- What if you could predict food shortages before they happen? Sara Menker made that possible with Gro Intelligence. Her company uses AI to analyze mountains of data — 650 trillion data points, to be exact! This information helps world leaders predict food supply issues, fight hunger, and protect the planet.
- Jihan Abass – Founder, Lami (formerly Griffin)
- Lami is a 100% digital car insurance platform, the first of its kind in Kenya. Jihan’s goal is to make affordable insurance accessible to more people, particularly underserved populations. Her work in InsurTech is transforming how Kenyans interact with insurance, making it simpler, faster, and more transparent. Buying car insurance can be a headache — but not with Lami. It is Kenya’s first fully digital car insurance platform: no more paperwork or endless phone calls. With a few clicks, people can get affordable insurance in minutes.
They’re proof that with vision and courage, you can break down barriers and build something that lasts.
Also, read: How Angola Cables Is Powering Africa’s Digital Expansion.
Challenges In Digital Entrepreneurship
Yet, for every success story, some challenges impede women from being part of digital entrepreneurship. One of them is the legal restrictions in many countries, which deprive women of their financial autonomy. In 2021, six countries in sub-Saharan Africa had laws which required a woman to get her husband’s permission to open a bank account. Those outdated provisions are what the activists aim to nullify, but progress toward that goal is quite slow.
While digital access is another challenge, it plagues around a third of the working income of most households in low-income African countries. In addition, it presents gender proportions, with 165 million women owning fewer cells than men worldwide and 250 million more men using the internet than women. This gender gap in digital access keeps millions of African women from entering the digital entrepreneurship industry.
What Needs To Change?
While Africa’s digital revolution has opened doors for many women, it’s clear that more needs to be done. Stakeholders — from governments to corporations to NGOs — need to step up to bridge the gender divide. Here’s how:
- Digital Literacy: Teaching to code, design apps, or build websites from a young age. Teaching them ICT skills early on would create a new generation of fearless female entrepreneurs.
- Access to Digital Devices: Provide affordable access to smartphones, tablets, and laptops.
- Legal Reforms: Repeal discriminatory financial laws that restrict women’s access to bank accounts and loans.
- Funding & Grants: Launch grants, loans, and equity-free funding programs to support women-led digital ventures.
The Road Ahead
Africa’s Agenda 2063 sees the future of this continent as a global powerhouse. African women in business are at the heart of this vision. African women innovate and drive sustainable development through EdTech, FinTech, HealthTech, and AgriTech. As African women embrace digital entrepreneurship, their stories are a reminder of that one irrefutable truth: that if opportunity does not come knocking, one should create it.at one irrefutable truth: that if opportunity does not come knocking, one should create it.
