In the rapidly evolving world of African healthcare, the entrepreneurial spirit is gaining momentum.
From Lagos to Nairobi, Kigali to Accra, we’re witnessing a new generation of African healthcare entrepreneurs striving and passionate about addressing persistent challenges—namely, inadequate infrastructure, limited access, fragmented systems, and overburdened workforces.
But passion alone is not enough!
Too often, healthcare startups in Africa burn out before they light a spark.
The idea may be noble, but the foundation is shaky.
The few that survive have managed to understand how to navigate the rough terrain of Africa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
A critical step before building any venture—especially in a fragile health system like Africa’s—is asking the right questions EARLY!
Here are four non-negotiable questions every healthcare entrepreneur must ask before launching—not just to build something, but to build something that works, lasts, and scales across the continent.
1. Are You Niched Down Enough?
The African healthcare landscape is vast—and messy.
It’s tempting to want to “fix everything” or chase buzzwords like “AI in health,” “universal health access,” or “telemedicine for all.”
But real traction often comes from going small before going big.
Niching down means clarity: Who exactly are you serving? What exact problem are you solving? Is it rural midwives who need better patient record systems? Or urban Gen Z patients avoiding clinics due to long wait times? Be very specific!
As Dr. Ola Brown, founder of Flying Doctors Healthcare Investment Company, said in her 2023 Lagos Business School talk, “A startup should focus on a very specific problem that people care about and are willing to pay for. That’s how to build value—and avoid mission creep.”
Tip: Use frameworks like the Jobs to be Done (JTBD) theory to define the specific “job” your product helps a healthcare professional, provider, patient or client accomplish. This narrows your solution and improves product-market fit.
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— Harvard Business School.
“The jobs to be done theory (sometimes shortened to JTBD) was first introduced by Harvard Business School Professor Clayton Christensen.In the online course Disruptive Strategy, Christensen explains that people “hire” different products or services to do “jobs” they need to be done. Approaching the market with this lens is essential to understanding customer motivations and why some products succeed while others fail. Additionally, identifying new or emerging customer jobs to be done is a key piece of disruption innovation strategy, another area of focus in Christensen’s work.”
2. Who Else is Already Doing This—And What Can I Learn from Them?
Many African founders shy away from researching competitors—either due to fear, arrogance, or an underestimation of what’s already out there. But competition is not the enemy; ignorance is!
Is your idea truly unique? Or are 10 others already in the space—and doing it better? Or, more interestingly, has anyone tried to do it and failed?
Researching competition reveals:
- What’s working and what’s not.
- The gaps you can fill.
- Potential partners or collaborators.
- Investor interest and market dynamics.
Take, for instance, the rise of digital health platforms in Kenya. M-TIBA, a mobile health wallet, has succeeded by tapping into mobile money culture and health financing pain points.
If you plan to launch another health wallet in East Africa, understanding M-TIBA’s model isn’t optional—it’s strategic.
Thought leader insight: In his book Zero to One, Peter Thiel writes: “Competition means no profits for anybody, no meaningful differentiation, and a struggle for survival.” Aim instead to find your own blue ocean—or a way to differentiate or improve or serve a different sub-population.
3. Is the Market Big Enough—And Can It Sustain My Idea Long-Term?
Many ventures collapse not because the product failed but because the market couldn’t support it.
Healthcare needs in Africa are massive, but market viability requires more than need. It requires:
- Purchasing power.
- Willingness to pay.
- Infrastructure support.
- Policy and regulatory alignment.
Ask yourself:
- How many users can I realistically reach in 12 months?
- What will they pay? If not them, who pays – government, donors, insurers?
- Is this a one-off need or recurring?
- How long is the sales cycle?
Case in point: Mental health is a growing need, but monetizing mental health services in Nigeria or Zambia still faces stigma, cultural barriers, and low out-of-pocket spending. Are you ready to tackle these systemic issues—or do you have a workaround in place?
A 2023 McKinsey report on African healthtech highlighted that only ventures that solve for both affordability and distribution can scale. Not all ideas need a billion-dollar market—but they must have clear paths to revenue and sustainability.
4. What Will It Truly Take To Get To My Goal?
This is the soul-searching part. Beyond the business plan, do you know what you need—capital, talent, technology, time, partners—to reach your destination?
Ask:
- What resources do I need in the next 6 months, 1 year, 3 years?
- Do I have the right team? Am I the right founder? Who are my co-founders?
- What regulatory approvals are required?
- What partnerships must I build—hospitals, ministries, funders?
One common African pitfall: overestimating speed and underestimating complexity.
In many countries, public-private partnerships are crucial for scaling, but establishing trust with ministries of health takes time.
Similarly, fundraising in African healthtech remains tough—unless your value proposition is clear, culturally rooted, and has real impact.
Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda and a champion of health innovation, once noted:
“In Africa, innovation must be grounded in our realities. Technology must adapt to us, not the other way around.”
That adaptation requires more than just good technology—it takes patience, resilience, and in-depth ecosystem knowledge.
Final Thought: Clarity Is The Real MVP!
Before you write a line of code or pitch an investor, do your homework.
Go deep in your niche.
Research your landscape.
Understand your market.
Map your journey.
As an African healthcare entrepreneur, your idea may one day save lives, improve systems, or transform care.
But even the most potent ideas need clarity and readiness.
So pause. Ask the hard questions. And launch not just with passion—but with precision.
The Future Of Healthcare In Africa Belongs To African Healthcare Entrepreneurs And Innovators
The future belongs to those who are dedicated to solving complex problems on the continent.
They are not just spectators or consumers. They are also actively involved in one way or the other in improving healthcare delivery and practice.
Are you an African health entrepreneur building something bold? Or are you preparing to start building? Join our growing community of healthcare leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs.
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