There are over 300 tech hubs in Africa and counting [infographic] [update]

Update: Following publication of the article, the GSMA pointed out its research shows there are closer to 300 tech hubs in Africa. [infographic

Africa is becoming a place for innovation in the startup tech sector, which is in part due to the boost from tech hubs and incubators around the continent.

According to research from The World Bank, as of June 2016 there were 173 tech hubs and incubators in Africa, with 32 of those being in South Africa. This is an increase of 56 tech hubs since the September 2015 version of the research.

As thorough as the report is, it does miss a few places, such as NGM and the Barclays fintech accelerator. Several hubs have also popped up since then, such French Tech and the University of Johannesburg’s own incubator. There have even been hubs launched outside of the standard tech scene, such as one for food.

Read more: Are Africa’s innovation hubs helping innovators realise their full potential?

While accelerators and incubators may have their detractors, quite a few prominent SA startups have come from these institutions, such as Domestly (Bandwidth Barn), Peach Payments (Barclays), and PayFast (Grindstone).

The 2015 Ventureburn Startup Survey found that 6% out of just under 200 polled respondents were working out of an incubator or VC office.

Click here for the original GSMA infographic (pictured below). Click here for the World Bank infographic.

there-are-over-170-tech-hubs-in-africa-and-counting-infographic-3

Feature image: Ben Jeffreys via Flickr.

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