Africa

ACT represents startups and small tech companies across or working in Africa, providing insight and advocacy to shape a policy environment that reflects how technology is built and used in practice. ACT works with our members across or working in Africa to understand the realities of operating a startup or small tech company and advocating for change in Africa.

We support a vibrant and growing community of founders, innovators, and funders dedicated to supporting each other and building a stronger small technology community.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a key element of innovation and competitiveness in the app economy. While many small developers have used AI and machine learning for years to look for bugs and to manipulate data, today the implementation models of AI are changing almost daily. Startups and small tech companies are at the forefront of this new AI revolution. As the regulatory landscape evolves, it is crucial to strike a balance between fostering innovation and protecting consumers and businesses from demonstrated harms. Policies must be crafted in a way that supports the diverse needs of the app economy, particularly the startups and small tech companies that rely on AI to compete and thrive in a dynamic market.

Funding and Taxes

Small teams need cross-border market access and predictable routes to funding and liquidity. Uncertainty around data flows, localisation, and merger review increases risk, tightens capital, and makes it harder for startups to scale and reinvest. For startups, scaleups, and small businesses, tax policy is not an abstraction. It is the difference between surviving a few bad quarters or shutting down, between hiring a fifth engineer or plateauting at four, and between scaling into a federal contract or staying stuck in bootstrap mode. Innovation first tax policy can make the difference between nurturing a vibrant local startup ecosystem, and forcing entrepreneurs to seek more fertile shores.

Online Marketplaces & Competition

Curated Online Marketplaces (COMs), such as app stores, help small teams reach users. But policies like the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) which mandate broad access requirements can weaken security, raise fraud risk, and create disruptive implementation churn that hits small developers first. Startups and small tech companies leverage COMs, including app stores, cloud platforms, and e-commerce hubs, to reach customers efficiently. Startups and small companies rely on the economics of trust – the long-term accretion of consumer confidence won by well-managed marketplaces – to sell products and services to customers that otherwise would be suspicious of young companies.

Policy priorities

Current policy focus in Africa

Recent

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