Economic history shows that no major technology ecosystem - African ecosystems included - has emerged without substantial initial public investment. From a methodological standpoint, investments ranging from $100k to $500k were classified as pre-seed investments, reflecting typical cheque sizes at this stage in Africa. In key markets such as Kenya and Tanzania, grants represent 50% and 74% of total pre-seed funding respectively. Public capital is necessary… but must be rigorously managedIf public funding is essential, its governance must be equally disciplined. In Africa, the pre-seed stage in particular requires patient capital structures, such as evergreen funds, exemplified by Digital Africa’s Fuzé fund.

Source: The North Africa Journal January 12, 2026 13:33 UTC