Accra is emerging as one of West Africa’s most promising start-up cities, but progress in infrastructure, talent depth and business agility will determine whether it can compete with continental leaders such as Lagos, Nairobi and Cape Town, according to new findings from Multipolitan’s The Startup Friendly Cities Index 2026.
Released by Multipolitan, the platform for borderless living, the Index evaluates global cities using a two-stage framework that measures national venture maturity alongside city-level performance across key pillars, including start-up activity, digital connectivity, talent, quality of life and business agility.
“Accra is a city with rising founder energy, growing digital adoption and strong political stability, while noting that it has yet to reach the scale and investment intensity of Africa’s most established tech ecosystems,” said Paul David, Partner for Africa at Multipolitan.
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Multipolitan’s research suggests that Accra’s expanding entrepreneurial community and increasing consumer adoption of digital products position the city as a credible launchpad for West African start-ups.
However, compared with Lagos’ founder density, Nairobi’s engineering depth and Cape Town’s infrastructure advantage, Accra continues to face constraints around advanced technical skills, enterprise-grade digital reliability and investor participation.
Accra is entering a defining phase as a start-up city. Its stability and quality of life are now part of a stronger global story, and that narrative draws founders and investors,” said Nicholas Michael, Group Head of Market Development at Multipolitan.
While broadband access is improving, inconsistent uptime and limited high-capacity infrastructure still require many founders to plan around connectivity gaps.
Skills shortages persist in areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and deep tech engineering, limiting the city’s ability to scale globally competitive products at speed.
Despite these constraints, Accra’s quality of life is a real advantage. Its safety, cultural vibrancy, and ease of living continue to draw founders who want a more stable base to build from.
More founders are choosing cities that reduce daily friction: straightforward business setup, clearer rules, dependable digital services, and predictable operating conditions. Accra may not yet have the venture gravity of legacy hubs, but it can compound these strengths into a defensible edge.
For investors, the implication is simple: in a world where talent is increasingly mobile and more professionals can work location-independently, founder migration is being driven as much by operational leverage as by access to capital.
The Index suggests Accra has a credible shot at becoming West Africa’s stable tech capital. The outcome will depend less on headline valuations and more on whether infrastructure, policy, and talent development can keep pace with the city’s entrepreneurial momentum.
About Multipolitan
Multipolitan is the platform for borderless living. Headquartered in Singapore, Multipolitan builds freedom infrastructure for globally mobile individuals by combining a product-led immigration platform with a mobility app that makes it simple to live, work, and thrive anywhere.
