Millennial tech entrepreneurs heading for Nairobi startups

Nairobi is the latest destination for young tech entrepreneurs looking to take advantage of major funding opportunities and a unique lifestyle.

Expats in general aren’t likely to choose Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, as a favourite relocation destination, but the rapid development of the tech sector has its roots firmly in the city. Since 2010, the city’s transformation to a cosmopolitan hub has resulted in its being adopted by talented millennials eager to carve an online niche for themselves.

The expat tech scene includes Africans, Indians, Brits and graduates from USA universities as well as incubators, funders and accelerators all hoping to back the latest, greatest startups. For tech talent, entry barriers for new companies are among the lowest on the planet as everything needed is here. From high-speed internet connections through infrastructure to eager investors and the use of the English language, Kenya is setting it all up for its capital to be the location of choice.

Online companies already storming ahead include Sendy, Kenya’s first on-demand delivery service, Brit-founded OkHi with its goal to provide every Kenyan inhabitant with an actual address and Moringa, a coding school aimed at African tech talent. Even so, Nairobi with its soiled reputation for crime, violence and cultural challenges doesn’t seem an obvious choice for younger, talented expats.

One quality of living survey rated it at 186th in the world for its housing problems, traffic congestion, dodgy electricity supply, air pollution, tribal tensions and lack of access to decent schooling. None of this resonates at all with the city’s young expat entrepreneurs, who cite great weather, even greater opportunities and seriously good people as their personal reasons for staying. A close-knit social scene, supportive communities, decent salaries and a low cost of living all add up to make Nairobi a far better bet than Silicon Valley for an increasing number of tech-talented millennials.