Growth and investment in the African tech scene has seen rapid acceleration in recent years. Nigeria is becoming known for innovative tech start-ups and is a hub and hub for some of the biggest tech companies in African content such as Flutterwave, Paystack and Konga. Nigeria has a vibrant tech ecosystem.
Lagos in particular has gained global recognition as a thriving technology hub, often referred to as the ‘Silicon Lagoon’ that fosters innovation and entrepreneurship.
This fertile ground for everything, technology has produced an excellent crop of leaders who are worthy of recognition.
Here’s a list of some of Africa’s most influential tech entrepreneurs who have broken ground in the industry and what they’ve done to rise to fame.
- Try Masiyiwa: Strive is known for pioneering mobile telecommunications in Africa through Econet Wireless Zimbabwe. He was instrumental in introducing mobile telephony to Zimbabwe and other African countries, addressing communication challenges and promoting economic development. He is a Zimbabwean billionaire and philanthropist known for working at the intersection of technology and transformative change.
- Rebecca Enonchong, FREng: Rebecca is known for her personalized leadership in delivering enterprise application solutions through AppsTech. Her company has developed and implemented advanced business software solutions that empower African businesses with efficient and scalable technology tools.
- Iyinoluwa Aboyeji: Iyinoluwa is influential for co-founding Andela and Future Africa, supporting tech talent development and startups. The company identifies, trains and connects African software developers with global companies, while Future Africa invests in and nurtures the next generation of African entrepreneurs.
- Mitchell Elegbe: Mitchell Elegbe is the founder of Interswitch Group, a pioneer in Nigerian fintech. The company introduced innovative payment processing solutions and financial services, transforming the way transactions are conducted in Africa.
- Ashish Thakkar: Ashish Thakkar is influential for his business ventures in many fields with Mara Group. The group supports various ventures and start-ups and is known for its commitment to promoting business opportunities and growth in the region.
- Chris Folayan: Chris is the founder of Mall for Africa which is revolutionizing cross-border e-commerce in Africa. The company enables Africans to shop online from over 250 retailers in the US and UK and offers a seamless and secure platform for international shopping.
- Jason Njoku: Jason is a Nigerian-British social entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of IrokoTV, an online platform that provides free and paid Nigerian movies on demand. He is also the founder of IROKO Partners, a Nigerian online entertainment media distribution company offering online media products.
- Tayo Oviosu: Tayo is the founder and CEO of Paga, a mobile phone service based in Lagos. Paga was launched in Nigeria in April 2009. It has gained significant recognition for its contribution to African Innovation and is part of the growing return of African Innovators to the continent. In addition to the success of his Fintech startup, he co-founded Kairos Angels, an angel investment club. 9
- Omar Cisse: Omar is a Senegalese entrepreneur and investor, focused on fintech and highly committed to promoting the development of the African business landscape. He serves as the CEO and founder of InTouch, a fintech startup based in Dakar. In addition, he is the co-founder of InTouch, a fintech startup based in Dakar. He is also the co-founder of Teranga Capital, an investment fund designed to provide vital support to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Senegal. Known for his exceptional strategic acumen and deep knowledge of financial technology, he is highly regarded for his instrumental role in empowering Senegalese SMEs in their entrepreneurial pursuits.
- Eric Thimba: Eric is the founder of Mookh Africa – a tech company focused on building platforms that help African creatives make money. He is also the founder of The Ideas Company, an African ideas think tank, and the Ujuaji Podcast – a platform that aims to provide thought leadership to young Africans through provoking debate. The ultimate goal of these discussions is to inspire youth-led ideas and solutions to build a better Africa.