• McKinsey confirms that 47% of Africa's STEM graduates are women, the highest globally.

• Women hold 23-30% of sub-Saharan tech roles, above the 28% world average.

• Fewer than 12 % lead African tech; funding gap persists for female founders.

Nearly half of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) graduates (47%) in Africa are women, the highest proportion globally and significantly above Europe (42%), Asia and South America (41%), and North America (39%), according to the McKinsey & Company article, "Closing the loop: The quest for gender parity in African tech," published August 28.

Despite this strong academic pipeline, women’s representation drops as they transition into the tech workforce. Across sub-Saharan Africa, women hold 23–30% of tech roles, slightly above the global average of 28.2%. In contrast, the European Union reports just 16.7% of women in ICT roles.

The gap widens at senior levels: fewer than 12% of leadership roles in African tech are occupied by women, and only 10% of startup CEO positions are held by women. Funding is also disproportionately low—in 2024, female-led startups raised only 1% ($21 million) of Africa’s total tech funding, compared with 94% ($2.1 billion) for male-led ventures, according to "Africa The Big Deal" data.

At the country level, South Africa and Nigeria lead, with the highest number of listed companies where women occupy C-suite tech roles. In South Africa, 20 out of 116 companies (17%) are led by women in top technology positions, while Nigeria follows with 15 out of 75 companies (20%).

Conversely, countries such as Egypt (4%), Tanzania (9%), and Namibia (10%) lag behind, and in Botswana, Malawi, Seychelles, Sudan, and Uganda, no women currently hold C-suite tech roles at women-led companies. This uneven distribution underscores regional disparities despite overall progress on the continent.

Despite this relative progress, the report emphasizes that structural barriers still exist. Globally, women are less likely to be promoted than men—but the gap is even wider in tech. For every 100 men promoted to manager, only 52 women are promoted to the same level. This highlights systemic challenges women face in advancing their careers, even in regions where entry-level participation is relatively high.

McKinsey notes that bridging the gap between education and employment is vital for Africa to realize its full digital potential. While many African countries have made progress in promoting inclusive digital policies, barriers such as limited access to networks, gender bias in hiring, and unequal funding opportunities for female tech entrepreneurs continue to impede progress.

According to the IFC, Africa will need 230 million digital jobs by 2030 to meet demand. Women already constitute nearly half of STEM graduates, making them a ready talent pool to close this skills gap. Excluding them would slow growth and deepen the talent shortage.

For Africa to maintain its edge, governments, corporations, and investors must coordinate policies that promote gender inclusion, enhance access to funding for female entrepreneurs, establish leadership pathways, and promote workplace equity. Without this alignment, Africa risks keeping many women in STEM with limited economic benefits.

Hikmatu Bilali