Fintechs, IT firms dominate Africa’s fastest-growing companies list
Summary
Fintech and IT firms account for nearly 40% of Financial Times' 2026 list of Africa's 130 fastest-growing companies, highlighting software-driven, asset-light models that scale across borders. Cairo-based Thndr topped the ranking with a 311.17% CAGR, becoming the first Egyptian company to lead the list, while many other fintechs across Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda recorded high growth rates. The ranking measures revenue growth from 2021 to 2024 (minimum $100k in 2021 to $1.5m in 2024), which favors rapid-scaling fintech startups. South Africa still contributes the most companies (51), but Kenya has overtaken Nigeria for second place as regional fintech hubs expand, demonstrating fintechs' resilience to macroeconomic headwinds and advantage from high-margin software models.