Building Sustainable Business Models in Tech Entrepreneurship

This conceptual review examines the essential components required for establishing sustainable and scalable technology businesses in Africa. With the continent’s growing digital ecosystem and increasing youth population, tech entrepreneurship is emerging as a strategic driver of economic development. However, entrepreneurs face numerous challenges, including limited access to finance, inadequate infrastructure, talent shortages, and unstable regulatory frameworks. This chapter examines key elements, including business model design, customer acquisition strategies, and talent management, in the context of Africa’s socio-economic realities. Through a systematic literature review (SLR) guided by the PRISMA framework, the study synthesises the existing scholarly and practical insights, offering a comprehensive understanding of how African tech start-ups can achieve sustainability. The findings highlight the effectiveness of innovative revenue models (e.g. freemium, subscription, partnership-driven) and the need for ecosystem collaboration and policy support. The review concludes with practical recommendations for entrepreneurs and future research directions that aim to deepen our understanding of tech entrepreneurship in emerging markets.