Top 8 African cities with the most developed startup ecosystems

According to data from the report, the results in Africa and the Middle East region were less positive, as the number of cities representing the region decreased to 57, compared to 74 cities last year. Africa, however, managed to get one city, Lagos, into the global top 100, making it the only African city ever to reach this rank.

Below are the top 8 African cities with the most developed startup ecosystems according to StartupBlink

According to the report, Lagos has jumped 41 places to 81st globally and is the first African city to break into the top 100. Lagos is ranked 24th globally in the Foodtech industry and 43rd in eCommerce & Retail. Lagos’ achievement in Foodtech should be celebrated because Lagos is the only African city to reach the top 30 for the 11 industries.

2. Cape Town, South Africa

1st nationally, Cape Town has decreased by two spots to 147th globally but has moved up to the 2nd highest ranked city in Africa at the expense of Nairobi.

3. Johannesburg, South Africa

Although decreasing six spots to 158th globally, Johannesburg ranks 2nd nationally and is climbing to 3rd position in Africa, also profiting from Nairobi’s decline.

The only ranked city in the top 1000, Egypt’s capital of Cairo, has seen a jump of 20 spots to rank 160th globally and 4th in Africa, with a slight lead over Nairobi (5th) and a small gap from Johannesburg (3rd). Alexandria dropped out of the global top 1000 this year, leaving Cairo as the only ranked city in Egypt. Cairo is ranked 89th in the Transportation industry.

The city of Nairobi is out of the global top 150 and has decreased 27 spots to 163rd, but still ranks 1st in Eastern Africa. Nairobi, which ranked 1st in Africa in 2020, has lost three positions to rank 5th in Africa, now preceded by Lagos and Capetown, Johannesburg, and Cairo.

Accra, the only city from Ghana to make the global top 1000, has lost 15 positions to rank 296th, still in the top 300. Accra is ranked 6th in Africa and 2nd in Western Africa

Casablanca has maintained its growth momentum from 2021 and improved by another 39 spots to 325th globally. Casablanca is now 7th in Africa and 2nd in Northern Africa, displacing Tunis.

The only ranked city in Rwanda is Kigali, which decreased 130 spots to rank 395th. Kigali ranks 8th in Africa and 2nd in Eastern Africa, where it has a reasonable gap from its closest contenders, Kampala and Addis Ababa.