Spokesman Report
Islamabad: The 4th African Startup Conference, held under the High Patronage of the President of the Republic, H.E Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, in Algiers from December 6-8, 2025, under the theme “Proud of Africa’s Entrepreneurs,” provided an opportunity for Algeria to reaffirm its continental leadership in the digital economy and its support for innovation and young African entrepreneurs.
Ministers, representatives of startups, and innovative project owners from across the continent discussed a range of topics, including the development of technologies and communications infrastructure, the expansion of startups, and the African innovation ecosystem, all with the aim of developing Africa’s digital economy.
The conference culminated in the adoption by African ministers responsible for startups, entrepreneurship, and innovation of the “Algiers Declaration,” in which they expressed their commitment to supporting continental startups in expanding their activities into regional and international markets and enhancing their access to funding sources. They emphasized the shared will to support innovation and entrepreneurship and to empower startups to achieve success and sustainable growth for the continent. This prominent event was organized by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, Startups, and Micro-Enterprises, and the public accelerator “Algeria Venture,” with the participation of more than 35 ministerial delegations, over 200 exhibitors from Africa and beyond, and more than 300 international experts. The conference was attended by over 150 investors, as well as a significant number of project holders, incubators, and entrepreneurs from the African diaspora.
Algeria: A Leading Destination for Innovation and Economic Integration in Our Continent:
In his opening address to the conference, Prime Minister Sifi Gharib highlighted the importance of this continental event, which he described as “the largest platform bringing together innovative youth” and a “renewed opportunity to exchange experiences and promote entrepreneurship in Africa.” He noted that the conference’s theme “clearly reflects the capabilities of our youth, who transform challenges into opportunities and aspirations into a knowledge-based and innovative economic reality.” He emphasized “the importance of empowering our emerging companies to expand continentally and build a unified African technology market, thereby attracting greater investment and showcasing African leaders capable of competing regionally and internationally.”
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune added, “The convening of this conference just three months after Algeria hosted the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF 2025) underscores our deep commitment to serving Africa and reflects our desire for Algeria to be a leading destination for innovation and economic integration on our continent.”
The continental event, launched by Algeria in 2022, featured several parallel activities and specialized sessions on research and innovation, content creation, financial technology, and artificial intelligence, in addition to an exhibition showcasing the innovative capabilities of young Africans. The conference was also marked by the adoption, by African ministers responsible for the knowledge economy and startups, of the fourth “Algiers Declaration” on startup development. In this declaration, they affirmed their commitment to supporting continental startups in expanding their operations into regional and international markets and enhancing their access to funding sources, praising the vision of the President of the Republic, which champions innovation, economic integration, and African youth.
– Special attention was given to the contribution of the diaspora in promoting entrepreneurship:
The conference, with Rwanda as the guest of honor, also culminated in the ratification of the tax framework for startups, innovation, and research and development on the continent, aiming to create supportive environments for startups. Furthermore, the African ministers responsible for the communications and information technology sector, under the auspices of the African Telecommunications Union, adopted the Algiers Declaration on “Fair, Secure, and Responsible Digital Platforms in Africa.” The conference provided an opportunity to highlight Algeria’s efforts in the knowledge economy. In recent years, Algeria has worked to build a comprehensive system to support startups, enabling the growth of over 13,000 startups through a flexible legal framework, an incentive-based tax system, an open environment for innovation, and significant investments in technological and research infrastructure. The goal is to reach 20,000 startups by the end of 2029. During the conference, the Minister of Environment and Quality of Life, Kaouthar Krikou, announced the launch of an Algerian-African training program for young people across the continent in the field of ecology, aimed at encouraging their engagement in environmental entrepreneurship. This initiative is being undertaken in collaboration with the Ministry of Knowledge Economy.
Representatives of numerous African startups participating in the exhibition held alongside the conference emphasized Algeria’s pioneering role in developing the startup ecosystem on the continent in recent years, both through the initiation of this conference and the launch of the African Startup Fund. The conference provided an open space for Algerian startups to compete and showcase their innovative projects in various fields, such as agriculture, the environment, computer science, and the internet. The presentations focused on the advanced solutions offered by Algerian startups, reflecting the vitality of the startup ecosystem in Algeria and its ability to meet the needs of the local and regional market.
– Building a Unified African Technology Market:
The continental meeting featured presentations of Algerian social media platform projects developed by Algerian startups. These platforms offer alternative interactive spaces that respect the specific needs of Algerian users and support local content, while also promoting innovation in digital technology. The role of Algerians living abroad in advancing the national startup ecosystem and the knowledge economy was also emphasized, highlighting their significant contribution to the development of the first national strategy in artificial intelligence. The importance of strengthening communication and cooperation between Algerian talents both within the country and abroad was also underscored.
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune concluded his speech by emphasizing “the importance of enabling our emerging institutions to expand continentally and build a unified African technology market, which will attract greater investments and highlight African pioneers capable of competing regionally and internationally.”
