South Africa Captures 18% of African Blockchain Funding
While blockchain accounts for 3.2% of total VC funding globally, it commands a much stronger 7.4% share in Africa, more than double, underscoring the continent’s strategic embrace of the technology and its alignment with local needs. Africa also led all regions in blockchain deal growth, with a 15% year-on-year increase, reflecting strong early-stage momentum, founder resilience, and rising investor confidence despite capital constraints.
Blockchain technology is uniquely suited to solving niche African problems,” said Jarryd Kennedy, Head of Investments at CV VC Africa. “African founders are showing the world how blockchain addresses real-world challenges like data sovereignty, efficient remittances, provable identity, inaccessible credit, and verifiable land ownership. As more success stories surface, investor confidence continues to rise.”
Blockchain ventures worldwide grew 6% in deal count and 14% in funding
Africa’s share of global blockchain deal count rose to 2.3% (up from 2.1%), while its share of global blockchain funding declined to 1% (down from 1.8%).
Blockchain captured 7.4% share of all VC funding (up from 7%) and accounted for 12.7% of all deals (up from 7.3%
The median blockchain deal size in Africa hit $2.8mmillion, double the median across all sectors ($1.4m), despite total capital deployed dropping 36% to $122.5 million
Nigeria leads with 33% deal count, Kenya secures 13% of Africa’s blockchain deals. South Africa captures 18% of the total funding, while Pan-African startups attract 28.4% of all funding, reflecting the rise of scalable, cross-border platforms.
Seed rounds dominated, attracting 33.9% of all blockchain funding, showing strong early-stage momentum.
Centralized Blockchain Financial Services received the largest share of funding, accounting for 40.5% of total funding.
“Africa isn’t testing blockchain, it’s embedding it where it matters most for the future of humanity,” said George Maina, CEO of Shamba Records. “In agriculture, we’re blending regenerative wisdom with blockchain transparency.”
The CV VC African Blockchain Report reveals a shift: blockchain in Africa is no longer only confined to digital assets and finance. It is now a vital technology layer for the advancement of other essential sectors, such as agriculture, which employs over 60% of Africa’s workforce. Here, blockchain is securing land ownership, powering rural energy, and verifying farmers’ climate action, but its most immediate impact is in transforming Africa’s food supply system.
Blockchain is solving the continent’s double-digit billion food export loss caused by poor supply chain traceability. By recording farmer identities and crop data history onchain, it helps meet strict new EU import rules, such as the €7.5 billion demand for proof of zero deforestation and ethical sourcing by 2025. Blockchain brings transparency, liquidity, and global market access to farmers with just a mobile connection. Farmers are rewarded for climate-positive action, using blockchain-verified carbon tracking, which can earn a smallholder an extra $300 per year, enough to send two children to school. With global food brands chasing ESG targets, Africa is poised to tap into the billion-dollar green food market.
Regulatory Awakening and the Opportunity Gap
Seven African nations now have clear digital asset regulations. Another 35 are exploring frameworks, shifting from risk aversion to innovation enablement. Yet Africa still captured just 1% of global blockchain funding in 2024.
“This isn’t just an investment gap, it’s an opportunity gap,” said Mathias Ruch, CEO, CV VC. “Africa isn’t underperforming. Global capital is under-participating.”
Africa will be home to 25% of the world’s population by 2050, it has 65% of global arable land, and 9 of the world’s 20 fastest-growing economies. With the leapfrogging infrastructure of mobile and blockchain, African blockchain founders are not following. They are forging.
“This report highlights a continent in motion,” said Rob Downes, Head of Digital Assets, Absa CIB. “African innovators are solving deeply rooted challenges with blockchain, from trade bottlenecks to agricultural transformation. Absa is pleased to be an active contributor and believes blockchain will be central to Africa’s digital economic leap.”
The CV VC African Blockchain Report, published in association with Absa Group, doesn’t just present data. It signals transformative economic innovators to global investors, developers, and policymakers.
