Hey hey, Angela here 👋🏽
Hope your week’s off to a strong start.
If you’ve been following what’s happening across Africa’s tech ecosystem lately, you’ve probably noticed two things:
SaaS is having a moment — and this time, investors are paying attention.
Francophone Africa is quietly building the financial rails for the entire continent.
This week’s Smarter SaaS Playbook breaks down both — what’s driving the momentum, what founders are doing differently, and what lessons you can apply in your own growth journey.
Let’s dive in 👇🏽
Playbook #1: The Infrastructure-First Revolution in Francophone Africa
Expanding across Africa isn’t for the faint of heart.
Fifty-four countries. Forty-one currencies. Dozens of banking systems.
It’s messy — but in Francophone Africa, founders are turning that chaos into opportunity.
While Nigeria and Kenya steal the headlines, something remarkable is unfolding to the west:
fewer deals, yes, but deeper conviction.
Instead of chasing hype, founders are building the plumbing — the infrastructure that makes digital finance work.
Here’s what’s happening:
PayTic (Morocco) raised $4M to automate reconciliation, chargebacks, and compliance — the unsexy backbone of fintech operations.
REasy (Cameroon) raised $1.8M to connect mobile money to global rails like Alipay, bridging Africa and Asia’s payment ecosystems.
Cauridor (Côte d’Ivoire) is building a regional payment grid to connect banks and merchants seamlessly across borders.
This isn’t just fintech. It’s financial architecture.
And behind it is a bigger story — one about inclusion and ownership.
Gozem, Africa’s Super App, lets drivers own vehicles through in-app financing.
BEE Mobility & Financing (Cameroon) helps informal workers access smartphones and motorbikes using alternative credit scoring.
Meanwhile, super apps like ORA Technologies are bundling payments, mobility, lending, and e-commerce — creating a digital lifestyle in one app.
Key takeaway :
The next big opportunity in African tech won’t come from building another “app.”
It’ll come from solving infrastructure problems — the systems that make everything else possible.
If you’re building in SaaS, ask yourself:
What’s the “infrastructure” layer in your category?
What could you build that enables others to grow — not just you?
That’s the mindset powering Francophone Africa’s rise.
Playbook #2: Why African SaaS is Finally Having Its Moment
Something big is happening in African SaaS — and the world is starting to notice.
Five years ago, SaaS barely registered in VC conversations. Fintech ruled the decks.
But now, SaaS founders are quietly redefining what digital transformation looks like across the continent.
And investors are following the signal.
According to Shizune.co, the continent’s most active SaaS backers are:
LoftyInc Capital, Launch Africa Ventures, and Ventures Platform Fund — consistently backing early-stage software startups solving real business problems.
Microtraction, spotting sharp operators early and giving them both capital and mentorship.
Global players like Partech, Tencent, and SOSV, who are deepening their bets in African SaaS.
But here’s what’s more interesting than the capital: the conviction.
These aren’t companies copying Western SaaS models.
They’re building from Africa, for the world.
Think about that shift.
Founders aren’t just optimizing for local adoption anymore — they’re building category-defining platforms that could serve any global market once product-market fit is nailed down locally.
Key takeaway :
The strongest African SaaS companies are data-driven, localized, and deeply customer-obsessed.
They win by solving pain points others overlook — not by chasing the next buzzword.
When you focus on depth over hype, investors take notice.
Because conviction attracts capital faster than trends ever will.
What This Means for You
If you’re building or scaling SaaS in Africa, here’s your action plan for the month:
Start with systems, not features.
What process or infrastructure layer could your product make 10x more efficient?Localize for impact.
African SaaS success is about designing for the messy realities of African business environments.Track conviction metrics.
Retention, engagement, and stickiness matter more than vanity growth.
Remember: the road to $1M ARR isn’t about scale first — it’s about retention first.
Upcoming Event:
“Scaling Smart: Operational Excellence & Exit Readiness in African SaaS”
Featuring Anthony Ndolo, Founder & CEO of SmartBeba
He’ll share hard-won lessons on achieving sustainable speed — growing while improving efficiency. He’ll unpack how operational excellence creates freedom, not bureaucracy, and how true exit-readiness starts long before an investor call or acquisition offer.
Join the live session to learn what most founders get wrong about growth and retention.
Reserve your spot → limited seats available
Stay Plugged In
If you enjoyed this newsletter:
Follow my LinkedIn profile for founder stories that unpack real lessons behind African SaaS success.
Follow the Smarter SaaS Growth LinkedIn page for ecosystem updates, community events, and insights from across the continent.
And subscribe to my weekly LinkedIn newsletter, where I break down the frameworks behind the top SaaS growth stories every week.
Building a SaaS company in Africa isn’t easy. But you’re not meant to do it alone.
Every week, this playbook will bring you real stories, sharp insights, and practical advice — so you can build smarter, not harder.
Talk soon,
Angela
Founder, Smarter SaaS Growth