African Startups Secure $187 Million in August 2025, Led by South Africa’s Mega Deal
Africa’s startup scene showed remarkable resilience in August 2025, attracting $187.6 million in fresh funding despite a slowdown in global venture capital. According to new data from Nairametrics Research, 39 African startups closed deals during the month, underscoring investor confidence in the continent’s innovation ecosystem even as three companies kept their funding amounts undisclosed.
The report highlights that South Africa dominated the fundraising landscape, accounting for more than half of all disclosed inflows. Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, Ghana and Rwanda also pulled in significant rounds, proving that interest in African tech remains geographically diverse. The top 10 startups alone raised over $167 million, pointing to a strong appetite for larger, more mature ventures.
Southern Africa led with $93.3 million, almost entirely due to a landmark acquisition of fintech company Ikhokha by Nedbank, illustrating how a single mega-deal can tilt the scale. Eastern Africa followed with $29.4 million spread across four startups in healthcare, telecom, services, and logistics — with Kenya hosting three of these deals and cementing its status as East Africa’s innovation hub.
West Africa attracted $25 million, spearheaded by Nigeria’s Koolboks ($11 million) and Chowdeck ($9 million), while Ghana’s Complete Farmer added $5 million. Northern Africa, represented solely by Egypt, secured $19.4 million through Breadfast ($10 million) and ValU ($9.4 million), demonstrating the continued draw of fintech and food-tech despite economic headwinds.
Among the notable August raises is Kenya’s Poa Internet, which obtained $4 million in debt funding from Finnfund. As Kenya’s fourth-largest internet service provider with over 238,000 subscribers, Poa is doubling down on underserved urban markets. These success stories show how African entrepreneurs continue to deliver solutions and attract global capital — even in a challenging funding climate.
source: nairametrics