I think it's an opportunity, but not for expanding to the West - I don't know how many ideas that can "make it" in Africa are readily translatable.
Rather, since isn't even on investment radar at the moment, as a local startup you can expand across the continent and have a big head start on foreign companies that try to enter the market when you're already established (viz. QQ, Taobao, Baidu in China), if the African market starts heating up.
Whether your startup will be an internet startup or not, is probably the question.
In nominal terms, the GDP and number of people on the African continent is roughly equivalent to India (numbers from Wikipedia), though it is true that it is spread across numerous countries.
I find it hard to believe that it will not become the "next frontier" at some point, if nations across the continent start electing technocrats.
Rather, since isn't even on investment radar at the moment, as a local startup you can expand across the continent and have a big head start on foreign companies that try to enter the market when you're already established (viz. QQ, Taobao, Baidu in China), if the African market starts heating up.
Whether your startup will be an internet startup or not, is probably the question.
In nominal terms, the GDP and number of people on the African continent is roughly equivalent to India (numbers from Wikipedia), though it is true that it is spread across numerous countries.
I find it hard to believe that it will not become the "next frontier" at some point, if nations across the continent start electing technocrats.