Why the future of growth is in Africa and MENA

Emerging regions, particularly across Africa, the Middle East, and North Africa, present extraordinary growth potential. These opportunities are fueled by expanding digital infrastructure, youthful populations, and rising mobile engagement.

But seizing this growth requires more than simply exporting existing products; it demands leadership that understands cultural nuance—leaders who assemble and empower diverse, culturally fluent teams capable of building with global appeal. It’s about designing experiences rooted in empathy, context, and deep insight into how people live, work, and connect.

Product leaders explore emerging markets for three top reasons:

1. International expansion: After saturating primary markets, the next phase of growth often comes from scaling internationally.

2. First-to-market advantage: Winning untapped markets can be far easier than fighting incumbents in mature ones.

3. Meeting customer needs: Addressing unmet needs where local solutions are insufficient.

Several years ago, East Asia was the prime target for global companies. Tech giants like Meta, Google, and Apple made significant investments in markets like India, Indonesia, and Vietnam, leveraging a mix of localized content, payment innovations, and mobile-first strategies.

Now, the focus is shifting toward Latin America and Africa, driven by rapid digital adoption and youthful, mobile-first populations.

Why Africa is an important market to focus on

Africa’s growth story is one of digital leapfrogging. With over 1.4 billion people—60% under the age of 25—Africa represents the world’s youngest and one of the fastest-growing populations. Mobile internet penetration is increasing rapidly, and in many regions, smartphones are the primary gateway to the internet.

The continent’s mobile ecosystem is dominated by manufacturers like Transsion (Tecno, Infinix, Itel), who’ve tailored features such as dual SIMs, long battery life, and skin-tone-sensitive cameras. This localization has helped them capture nearly half of Africa’s smartphone market, with 95 million units shipped in 2023—a 31% YoY increase.

Mobile ecosystems: The critical growth lever

Mobile devices are the primary gateway to the digital world in these regions. For instance, Transsion, the maker of Tecno, Infinix, and Itel phones, captured 48% of Africa’s smartphone market in Q3 2023 and shipped 95 million units that year – a ~31% increase over 2022.

In parallel, the MEA mobile application market was valued at US $13.39 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at a 10.3% CAGR through 2030 Grand View Research. At the same time, the mobile payments market in the region is expected to grow at a 27.8% CAGR from 2025 to 2034 —indicating a rapidly expanding fintech layer atop mobile ubiquity.

In South Africa, Vodacom’s Vision 2030 outlines plans to grow its customer base to 260 million and expand financial services users to over 120 million, reflecting how mobile platforms are evolving into holistic ecosystems.

Streaming strategies: Netflix as a case study

Netflix offers a masterclass in global product-market fit. Since launching in African markets like South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria in 2016, Netflix has invested €160 million into local productions, generating over 12,000 jobs.

Hits like Queen Sono, Blood & Water, and Country Queen have not only entertained but also deepened Netflix’s brand relevance in regions often underserved by global media.

This investment aligns with Netflix’s broader expansion strategy—leveraging original content to fuel international growth as U.S. markets mature. Analysts expect Q2 2025 revenue to hit US $11.1 billion, driven by pricing adjustments, ad-tier growth, and rising global subscriptions.

The Middle East & North Africa (MENA) streaming market itself is expected to surpass US $1.5 billion by end-2025, with over 27 million SVOD subscriptions—underscoring the opportunity for culturally resonant media.

First to market – Carry1st as a case study

Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Cape Town, Carry1st is Africa’s leading mobile games publisher and digital content platform, dedicated to unlocking gaming opportunities for an underserved, mobile-first population of hundreds of millions. South African gaming startup Carry1st has become a leading publisher for African mobile games by building payment and distribution infrastructure in a region underserved by traditional app store monetization.

Africa’s mobile gaming market is soaring. As of 2024, it reached $1.8 billion, growing six times faster than the global average, driven primarily by mobile usage. The market added 32 million new gamers that year, totaling 349 million, with 87% playing on mobile devices.

Carry1st positions itself as the key bridge between global publishers and African gamers, leveraging localized infrastructure and insight to make gaming both accessible and meaningful. 

Key takeaways for product leaders

To succeed in emerging markets, leaders should:

• Build local-first teams with deep cultural insight
• Embrace mobile-first innovation tuned to infrastructure and consumer habits
• Create region-specific content and features that feel native
• Invest in diverse leadership to inform empathetic, inclusive product design

Why this matters now in the age of AI

In today’s AI-driven product cycle, speed-to-market is critical. Missing an international expansion window comes with a higher cost because AI is lowering barriers to entry for local competitors.

Additional reasons to invest early include:

• Data advantages – Early movers can build region-specific datasets to train better AI models.
• Network effects – Establishing strong user bases before competitors creates defensible market positions.
• Brand trust – In markets where trust is built through community presence, early investment compounds over time.

My own experience leading consumer product initiatives at many companies, including Netflix and LinkedIn, taught me that scaling across markets isn’t just about translating features, it’s about embedding cultural fluency into product DNA. By building diverse teams with lived experience in target regions, product leaders can create offerings that resonate deeply, grow sustainably, and ultimately redefine global market leadership. My mantra: “Build Products like the world depends on it, because it does.”

What are your experiences in emerging markets? Learn more about the Inspire Africa Conference.