Exploring how African entrepreneurs are bridging infrastructure gaps with innovative, scalable solutions.
August 14, 2025
It rarely starts with roads or wires. It begins with a need: light in the dark, a signal in silence, a package that never arrives. And when old systems fall short, a new generation of African entrepreneurs begins to build.
Africa stands at a pivotal crossroads. Despite a fast-growing population and vibrant innovation ecosystem, the continent still faces deep infrastructure gaps, especially in energy, logistics, and digital connectivity. Over 600 million Africans still live without electricity. Supply chain inefficiencies add up to 20–30% to operational costs. The internet reaches only 38% of the population.
Yet where challenges loom largest, opportunities grow fastest.
A wave of tech-enabled startups is stepping in. From solar grids powering off-grid communities, to tech-driven logistics platforms streamlining last-mile delivery, to mobile infrastructure connecting underserved areas, African entrepreneurs aren’t waiting for legacy systems. They’re building new ones.
In this edition of IN THE VALLEY, we explore how these startups are reimagining infrastructure, creating scalable, bottom-up solutions for power, logistics, and connectivity across the continent.
Turning Power Deficits into Scalable Markets
Energy is not just a utility; it is the engine of development. Africa is home to nearly 20% of the world’s population but accounts for less than 5% of global electricity use. Of the 685 million people worldwide living without access to electricity, 590 million (86%) live in Africa, where access to electricity remains a distant goal.
Average electricity consumption is just 621 kWh per capita, ten times lower than Europe’s. In 2024, the continent added only 2.4 – 2.5 GW of solar capacity, when at least double that is needed annually to meet rising demand.
Without reliable power, small businesses can’t digitize, and health and education systems remain fragile. But these gaps are also billion-dollar opportunities for innovators. We have to stop talking and get onto action.
Founders Fuelling the Energy Shift
- Arnergy: The company delivers PAYG (pay-as-you-go) solar-plus-storage systems for Nigeria’s unreliable grid, targeting SMEs. Backed by Norfund, it raised $18 million in Series B to scale 12,000+ systems with modular design and last-mile energy access.
- Nuru: Built the first commercial solar mini-grid in Goma, combining solar, storage, and distribution for dense urban zones. Backed by US DFC among others, it aims to power over 10 million people by 2030.
- d.light: A global leader in PAYG solar systems with over 200 million users worldwide with mobile-financed solar home systems. Its model bundles energy, finance, and distribution, unlocking scalable access for off-grid households across Africa and Asia.
Subtle Networks Shifting Trade Tides
Africa’s freight costs remain among the world’s highest, a legacy of fragmented transport networks, low road coverage, and slow customs processes.
Only 43% of roads are paved, and major trade corridors still rely on outdated infrastructure. Yet momentum is shifting: container traffic in ports like Abidjan has surged over 88% in just three years, driven by rising intra-African trade and the promise of AfCFTA unlocking $140 billion in annual trade by 2035.
Though legacy inefficiencies persist, tech-enabled infrastructure is accelerating change, laying the foundation for a faster, more connected African logistics landscape.
Startups Turning Roadblocks into Runways
- Yobante Express: Active in 12+ countries and part of Silverbacks’ portfolio, the company uses a tech-enabled relay network of buses, shops, and private vehicles for low-cost, cross-border last-mile delivery.
- Trella: Founded in Egypt, this other Silverbacks Holdings portfolio company connects shippers with carriers through a digital freight platform. Trella raised over $42 million from investors like Maersk and Algebra Ventures, offering FTL services, fuel management, and analytics to boost cross-border logistics amid Africa’s rising trade and export ambitions.
Wired for Tomorrow: Africa’s Digital Awakening
While progress has been made, Africa remains the world’s least virtually connected region. As of 2024, only 38% of the population had internet access, well below the global average of 68%. Broadband penetration is inconsistent, speeds remain low, and mobile data costs remain prohibitively high: in many countries, a 2GB mobile data plan costs over 5% of monthly income, more than double the UN’s 2% affordability target.
But change is coming. By 2027, $3.5 billion in investment is projected for new data centres across the continent, while subsea cable initiatives like Google’s Equiano and Meta’s 2Africa expand bandwidth and lower latency, complemented by expanding fibre networks and internet exchange points.
Startups Driving Digital Connectivity
- Fibertime: Provides PAYG fiber in underserved areas like Kayamandi, with uncapped 100 Mbps for as little as R5/day. Backed by development investors, it’s scaling across peri-urban regions with a micropayment-first model.
- BRCK: Offer free public Wi-Fi via Moja in exchange for ad views. With 1,500+ nodes across East and Southern Africa, it pioneered ad-supported connectivity for low-income communities.
- Tizeti: Uses solar-powered towers and fixed wireless broadband to slash urban connectivity costs, bundling Tizeti, bundles internet, infrastructure, and streaming across West Africa.
Silverbacks Signal
Africa’s infrastructure challenges, roads, power, housing, or ports, are well-documented. But what’s often missed is how technology is changing the playbook. While the continent’s infrastructure gap is estimated at over $170 billion annually, startups aren’t waiting for bulldozers. They’re building digital scaffolding around broken systems.
From logistics to mobility to clean energy, a new generation of companies is emerging that doesn’t fight but works with the reality on the ground. New-age tech companies solving these challenges aren’t just plugging holes; they’re building the pipes for future growth. At Silverbacks, we’re watching closely to back the winners driving this transformation.
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