Botswana Tech Fund is making a bold move into one of Africa’s most overlooked startup regions, betting that Southern Africa could produce the continent’s next wave of billion-dollar tech companies.
For years, African venture capital has remained heavily concentrated in four markets—Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa. In 2025, those countries attracted more than 80% of all venture capital deployed across the continent for the seventh straight year. South Africa alone captured 19% of total funding and nearly a third of all African equity deals.
That dominance has left cities such as Gaborone, Lusaka, Windhoek, Maputo, Luanda, and Harare with little access to serious startup capital. As a result, many founders in those regions often relocate, seek South African investors, or structure exits through Johannesburg.
Now, Botswana Tech Fund wants to reverse that trend.
The new fund, anchored in Botswana and domiciled in Guernsey, has secured £10 million ($13.5 million) in committed capital, with an initial first close of £5 million ($6.7 million). It is backed by British billionaire Stephen Lansdown, co-founder of Hargreaves Lansdown, who has maintained investment ties with Botswana since 2007.
The fund operates in partnership with Launch Africa, one of the continent’s most active seed-stage venture capital firms, which has invested in more than 130 startups.
Its leadership team includes UK technology investor Martin Davis and Florence Bavanandan, Launch Africa’s head of platform and operations. Together, they plan to channel capital into markets many investors continue to ignore.
Unlike traditional African VC funds that focus on Lagos, Nairobi, Cairo, and Cape Town, Botswana Tech Fund is targeting what it describes as the region’s “digital gap.” That includes countries with growing young populations, rising smartphone adoption, and expanding demand for digital services—but limited startup funding.
The investment strategy has three parts. First, the fund plans a pre-seed accelerator that will write £100,000 cheques to around 100 Southern African startups over five years. Second, it will make larger growth-stage investments ranging from £500,000 to £2 million. Third, it will buy secondary stakes in maturing startups across bigger African markets.
That model gives the fund early access to emerging founders while also allowing it to participate in more mature businesses across the continent.
According to the fund’s founders, digitisation remains one of Africa’s biggest economic opportunities. They believe countries such as Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, Mozambique, Angola, and Zimbabwe could leap forward if local entrepreneurs receive the right funding and infrastructure support.
They also argue that stronger startup ecosystems could reduce economic migration by creating jobs and wealth at home. Instead of leaving for Europe or larger African cities, young talent could build companies locally.
The founders say software creates equal opportunity because geography matters less in a digital economy. That means the next global tech giant could emerge from Southern Africa just as easily as Silicon Valley or Lagos.
Their biggest concern is not talent, but capital. Without funding, promising founders may never get the chance to scale transformative businesses. Botswana Tech Fund wants to close that gap before the rest of the market catches on.
As global investors search for new growth markets, Southern Africa may soon become one of the continent’s most important startup frontiers and Botswana Tech Fund wants to be first in line.
