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Tech in Africa # TIA:EAST Tech In Africa February 2016 Unlocking Business Potential in Frontier Markets From Uber to M-KOPA, Index Ventures to Savannah Fund, what is it about East Africa’s burgeoning tech sector that has companies and investors big and small excited about the region? About this report This report was compiled from speaking to leading sector experts and innovators active on the ground in East Africa. It is a qualitative analysis designed to highlight their insights and perspectives on the trends and challenges that will drive East Africa’s tech sector over the coming years. Who we spoke to I-DEV’s Africa Team spent time with over 30 of the leading actors and innovators from across East Africa’s tech scene– including VCs, global tech companies, entrepreneurs, angels, strategists, incubators and pundits– to paint a real and raw picture of the rapidly emerging technology space in the region. What we learned What we found was an ecosystem at the tipping point, brimming with activity and opportunity, and giving rise to what could be Africa’s most dynamic innovation hub. While it may be slightly behind Nigeria in maturity, the East African tech scene, led by Kenya, is catching up fast. It is about learning on-the-go, developing locally-driven strategies to address challenges, and rapidly piecing together the core building blocks needed to scale. Special Thanks To: I-DEV’s team interviewed over 30 of the leading thinkers, innovators and investors across East Africa’s tech sector, including: Elizabeth Rossiello Kamau Gachigi Nikhil Patel Mbugua Njihia BitPesa Gearbox mi-Fone Safaricom Innovation Board Valentine Njoroge Investment Team Louis Otieno Mbwana Alliy Centum Foundation Index Ventures Microsoft Savannah Fund Tom Jackson Sabrina Dorma Audrey Chang Marcello Schermer Disrupt Africa Jumia Moringa School Seedstars World Zoe Cohen Frannie Leautier Aaron Fu Peter Njonjo Echo Mobile Mkoba Nest Nairobi Twiga Foods Ranjith Cherickel Katie Sarro Ory Okolloh Alastair Curtis icolo.io MEST / Meltwater Omidyar Network Uber We’d also like to thank the additional parties we’ve spoken to about tech in Africa at 88MPH, Acción Venture Labs, Eleos Foundation, Eneza Education, Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Digital Matatus Project team, Gro Intelligence, InVenture, Lynk, M-KOPA, Mookh, Novastar Ventures, OkHi, PesaPal, Sendy, SimbaPay, Sproxil, Tugende, VC4Africa and Zege Technologies, as well as David Kuria from Skyline Design in Nairobi for designing our cover. About I-DEV International: I-DEV International is a management strategy and investment advisory firm that specializes in helping to grow and scale businesses in emerging markets. Over the past decade, I-DEV has worked with 250+ SMEs and helped raised over $50M in financing for growth-stage companies across Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and Asia. With global headquarters in San Francisco and regional offices in Nairobi and Lima, I-DEV links Silicon Valley and the global tech industry with burgeoning tech hubs across the emerging markets. I-DEV connects the two through an exchange on knowledge, trends and opportunities, while also engaging both local and foreign investors. Beyond technology and e-commerce/m-commerce, I-DEV has advised the clean energy/clean tech, agriculture, apparel, and consumer retail sectors on global connectivity, strategy and investment. # TIA:EAST Table of Contents M-Commerce is Enabling the Tech Designed for Regional Scale Ecosystem Page 13 1 Page 1 5 Tech for SMEs will Drive Growth Africa’s Take on Big Data 2 Page 5 6 Page 15 A Growing Consumer Class Demands A Rise in Tech Investments More Than Online Shopping Page 17 3 Page 8 7 Transition from Brain Drain to Challenges on the Horizon Brain Gain Page 20 4 Page 11 8 Whenever I bring investors to Africa, the first thing they say when they get off the plane is ‘Holy shit, there’s nothing here’ and then they either get back on the plane and go home, or they crack a smile and roll up their sleeves.” – Jorn Lyseggen, Founder & CEO of Meltwater Group Photo: Courtesy of Gearbox Mobile Phone Penetration Rates in East African Countries1 Kenya 90% Of adults in Kenya use M-Commerce is Enabling 85% M-PESA3 the Ecosystem Tanzania Uganda 67% M-commerce is driving East Africa 52% $25B to get online, formalize systems Ethiopia Or the equivalent of 1 42% of Kenya’s GDP and collaborate across boundaries. 34% is transacted through M-PESA each year3 M-PESA, M-PESA, M-PESA…Seems like you can’t expanding data coverage led to remarkably high Kenya is a sign– a giant billboard announcing have a conversation about tech in East Africa (or and rapid smartphone use with 58% of Kenyans that the Kenyan tech sector is “open for business,” the continent) without M-PESA being mentioned. switching over by 2014.3 Further, smartphone but big or small, you have to adapt to survive. Here’s why M-PESA is not just hype and why the penetration is expected to grow exponentially true impact of m-commerce in the region is just across the country and throughout the region However, the real impact and value of reaching a critical tipping point. over the next 5 years. m-commerce goes far beyond apps, online shopping and social media. It is less focused on Mobile payments, or m-commerce, is a critical Uber is a high profile example; its growth and driving consumer sales through B2C solutions; enabling technology platform. The growth increasing adoption since launching in Nairobi instead, m-commerce is playing a more of mobile penetration and m-commerce– a year ago is evidence of a rapidly evolving fundamental role in changing the business especially in East Africa– has similarities to trends m-commerce landscape. While its success ecosystem in ways you wouldn’t expect, observed in the US and Europe with the rise and was initially fueled by a large expat following, disrupting traditional industry across the region expansion of the internet and e-commerce, only month-over-month growth today is driven by in a big way. Because of its success with M-PESA, it is happening much faster. For example, by Kenyans. Because most Kenyans don’t have or Safaricom, a telco that doesn’t have a single bank 2014, less than 7 years after it was invented, 90% don’t use credit cards, M-PESA integration into branch, has become the largest de facto banking of adults in Kenya use M-PESA regularly with 42% the Uber app– a first for the transportation giant institution in the country, leaving all major banks of the value of Kenya’s GDP transacted via the worldwide– was critical and one of the key factors scrambling to catch up. app.2 Additionally, falling cell phone prices and driving market penetration. Uber’s success in 1. Data from Communications Authority for each country 2. GSMA “The Mobile Economy Sub-Saharan Africa, 2014” 3. Safaricom 2015 Annual Report 1 Smartphone penetration in Just as with the US dot.com boom, we cannot Sub-Saharan Africa is growing exponentially1 begin to predict the impact that mobile 2020 penetration and m-commerce will have on all aspects of life and business in Africa, from transportation to entertainment.” 2013 40% – Jason Spindler, Managing Director of I-DEV International est. 5% Equity Bank has launched its own telco and Amazon, as well as business tools like Salesforce mobile commerce platform, Equitel, to compete. and Dropbox. As consumers rich and poor, The Kenyan government has approached Uber businesses big and small, the formal and the about using its data on traffic flows to improve informal all become more and more m-savvy, road design and infrastructure– a sign of broad the m-commerce ecosystem will evolve and acceptance of m-commerce and key players’ B2C-focused businesses like Mookh, Africa’s future role in building big data resources to first Facebook integrated payment processor, strengthen local systems. Financial services, will emerge along with an influx of B2B-focused agriculture and agri-business, energy and power, solutions like Twiga, an app-based distribution 1 in 5 healthcare and education are just a few of the platform for vendors, and Echo Mobile, which sectors already primed for massive disruptive uses SMS for field data collection, coupon sharing, Mobile accounts in change and innovation, with the biggest product registration and more. These solutions, Sub-Saharan Africa opportunities likely lying at the B2B rather than along with pay-as-you-go energy systems (such were connected to the B2C level. as M-KOPA) and appliances, remote commodities mobile money at the and pricing data, weather forecasts, tablet and 1 end of 2014 When the internet hit the main stream we mobile-based learning and SMS maternity tips saw the development of both consumer are only the beginning. facing companies like Netflix, Facebook and 1. GSMA “The Mobile Economy Sub-Saharan Africa, 2014” 2. Mobile Ecosystem Forum “Global Consumer Insights Series on Mobile Money” 2014 2 Mobile and smartphone penetration in Sub-Saharan Africa is booming, mirroring the fast rise of the Internet during the early days of the US dot.com revolution. By 2020, the number of 518M est. Sub-Saharan Africa will have... Sub-Saharan Africans with Mobile Subscribers smartphones will exceed the entire projected US population by est. over 30%1 75% Of mobile subscriptions in 3G/4G by 20202 201M 200M est. Internet Subscribers Mobile Subscribers 6% Annual growth in unique mobile 480M est. subscribers from 2015 to 20201 Smartphone Users 20x est. 25M Growth in mobile data traffic 2 24M Smartphone Users between 2013 and 2019 Internet Subscribers 1995 2005 2010 2020 USA Africa This creates large-scale opportunities for East Africa.
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