Technology hubs across Africa provide space, community and connections rather than capital, and the value is almost entirely in who else is there. A hub with active founders further along than you, and relationships with corporates and funders, is worth paying for. One that is essentially a rented desk with a name is not.
The distinction between the three things people call a hub matters when choosing.
Hub, incubator and accelerator are different
A hub is primarily space and community, usually with events and some support, and you generally pay for it. An incubator runs a structured programme over a longer period. An accelerator is short and intensive, often taking equity.
Know which you are joining. Paying a monthly fee for space and community is reasonable; giving up equity for the same thing is not.
The value is the other people
Founders a year or two ahead of you answer questions faster than any programme, and hubs concentrate them. That informal knowledge, about which suppliers deliver, which funders actually fund, what a reasonable contract looks like, is the real product.
Visit before committing and speak to people working there, ideally on a normal day rather than at an event.
Introductions are what you cannot get alone
Corporates take meetings through a hub they know that they would decline cold. Where a hub has genuine relationships with funders and corporate innovation teams, that access is difficult to replicate independently.
Ask specifically what introductions have been made for members recently. A hub that cannot name any is selling desks.
What it does not replace
Hubs do not provide customers, and a business that is not selling will not start because it moved desk. They also do not remove the compliance floor: registration with current annual returns at the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission and tax compliance are still what funders and corporates check.
Publicly supported incubation and free business diagnostics are available through the Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency, which is worth comparing against a paid hub before committing.
Frequently asked questions
What does a technology hub provide?
Space, community, events and introductions, rather than capital. The value is largely in who else is there.
How is a hub different from an accelerator?
A hub is mainly space and community that you pay for. An accelerator is a short intensive programme, often taking equity.
How do I judge a hub before joining?
Visit on a normal working day, speak to members, and ask what introductions have actually been made recently.
Should I give up equity to join one?
Not for space and community. Equity is appropriate only for programmes bringing genuine networks and customers.
What does a hub not solve?
Selling. A business without customers does not gain them by changing desk, and compliance requirements are unchanged.
Further reading
Originally published in March 2018. Updated September 2026 to explain what technology hubs offer founders rather than reporting hub counts.
