At a Glance
- African investors channel billions into sports, media, and tech ventures across emerging markets.
- Helios, Silverbacks, and EchoVC lead Africa’s growing creative and digital investment landscape.
- Local capital and global expertise power Africa’s next phase of innovation and storytelling.
Africa’s tech, sports, and media sectors are becoming some of the continent’s fastest-growing investment frontiers.
From Lagos to Nairobi, investors are pouring capital into digital platforms, streaming services, gaming, and creative studios, industries driving Africa’s next economic leap. A new generation of African investors is reshaping how the continent tells its stories, builds value, and competes globally.
The same trend is unfolding across the entertainment and media landscape. Nigeria’s entertainment and media market, for example, is expected to reach $5.8 billion by 2029, growing more than 7 percent annually.
These figures go beyond consumer demand; they point to a rising wave of investment interest. Capital is pouring into arenas, streaming platforms, gaming, and creative studios, spaces where Africa’s youth, digital access, and fandom intersect.
Amid this growth, a new class of investors is shaping the future of how Africa tells its stories and builds its creative wealth.
They combine financial insight with a deep connection to culture, innovation, and community. They aren’t just chasing returns; they’re building legacies in media, sports, and technology.
Shore Africa profiles 10 leading figures, among them Temitope Lawani, Ibrahim Sagna, and Yinka Adegoke, who are redefining what African investment looks like in the digital age.
1. Temitope Lawani
Company: Helios Investment Partners
Temitope “Tope” Lawani, co-founder and managing partner of Helios Investment Partners, leads one of Africa’s most influential private equity firms. Founded in 2004, Helios has built deep credibility across sectors from telecoms to fintech. Recently, the firm secured a $50 million commitment from the International Finance Corporation and Proparco to launch a dedicated sports and entertainment platform. The initiative aims to develop live events, media rights, and infrastructure across the continent, marking a new step for private equity in Africa’s creative economy.
2. Ibrahim Sagna
Company: Silverbacks Holdings
Ibrahim Sagna, executive chairman of Silverbacks Holdings, has more than two decades in global finance, including senior roles at Afreximbank and the Africa Finance Corporation. Based in Mauritius, his firm invests across sports, technology, and media. Silverbacks has achieved exits of up to 29 times on Nigerian fintech LemFi and five times on Omniretail, delivering returns above 80 percent in some markets. Its 14 core investments, valued at more than $10 billion, include sports franchises such as Nigeria’s AWFC and South Africa’s NERGii, reflecting Sagna’s belief that African sports can rival fintech in investment potential.
3. Eghosa Omoigui
Company: EchoVC Partners
Eghosa Omoigui, founder of EchoVC Partners, runs one of Africa’s most connected early-stage venture funds. With roots in Silicon Valley and experience at Intel Capital, Omoigui has backed firms such as Lifebank, Migo, and Cars45. His fund invests between $100,000 and $5 million, focusing on startups in Nigeria, Kenya, and emerging digital economies. EchoVC’s work illustrates how small, early bets can grow into platforms shaping Africa’s media and content future.
4. Kola Aina
Company: Ventures Platform
Kola Aina’s Ventures Platform is one of Nigeria’s most respected early-stage funds, known for spotting Paystack before its sale to Stripe. The firm has invested in more than 70 startups, typically up to $1 million per round. Aina’s disciplined approach shows how focused local capital can fuel Africa’s creative and tech industries side by side.
5. Iyinoluwa “E” Aboyeji
Company: Future Africa
As co-founder of Andela and Flutterwave, Iyinoluwa Aboyeji helped shape Africa’s modern startup scene. His current venture, Future Africa, backs founders in mobility, healthtech, fintech, and climate solutions. With more than 100 investments, Aboyeji’s fund channels local talent and global ambition, showing how Africans are financing their own creative and digital future.
6. Ashish J. Thakkar
Company: Mara Group
Ashish Thakkar launched Mara Group in 1996 and built it into a diversified pan-African enterprise. In 2024, he introduced a $250 million fund for African startups, extending his reach into creative and digital sectors. Thakkar’s model reflects how diversified African companies can help scale innovation and cultural ventures.
7. Rebecca Enonchong
Company: AppsTech & Angel Investor
Rebecca Enonchong, founder of enterprise software firm AppsTech, is one of Africa’s most influential angel investors. Active in Cameroon, Nigeria, and Kenya, she combines capital with mentorship and advocacy, helping bridge African entrepreneurs with global investors in media and technology.
8. Njeri Rionge
Company: Ignite Consulting & Wananchi Group
Kenyan entrepreneur Njeri Rionge co-founded Wananchi Group, East Africa’s leading pay-TV and broadband provider. Now through Ignite Consulting, she mentors and funds startups across tech and media. Her focus on local content and distribution platforms underscores how African markets can build sustainable homegrown media.
9. Strive Masiyiwa
Company: Econet Group / Kwesé Media
Zimbabwe’s Strive Masiyiwa, founder of Econet Group, was among the first to push African-owned content distribution through Kwesé Media. Though the venture faced challenges, it opened doors for regional broadcasters and digital creators. Masiyiwa’s continued focus on telecoms, fintech, and media underscores his belief that Africans deserve access to their own stories on global-quality platforms.
10. Yinka Adegoke
Company: Rest of World / Media Investor
Yinka Adegoke, Africa editor at Rest of World, blends journalism and investment in supporting African storytelling ventures. Through advisory and funding roles, he’s helping build media startups and data-driven creative platforms. His work highlights a generation committed to making African stories both sustainable and globally visible.
