Africa Must Unshackle Itself from the Chains of Bureaucracy to Thrive

Everywhere you look, the continent cries out for development. Our roads are potholed or non-existent, power outages are the norm, access to clean water remains elusive for millions, and too many of our raw minerals are exported unprocessed, denying us value addition and industrial growth. 

These are not signs of failure — they are market signals. Signals of opportunities waiting to be seized. And yet, entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators face a regulatory environment that often suffocates rather than supports them.

If we are serious about transforming Africa from a development case into a development leader, we must tear down the barriers — many self-imposed — that stand in the way of business growth.

Across much of the continent, from Lagos to Luanda, Kampala to Kinshasa, entrepreneurs are drowning in bureaucracy, corruption, and inefficiency. Starting a business can take weeks or even months. Securing permits, navigating land rights, importing machinery, or simply complying with tax regulations becomes a gruelling test of endurance.

This isn’t just frustrating. It’s economically ruinous.

According to the former World Bank Doing Business Index, many African countries ranked among the worst globally in ease of doing business. It’s not that Africa lacks talent, ambition, or ideas. It’s that we are often forced to fight our own governments just to build something.

And yet, it doesn’t have to be this way. There are powerful examples of what happens when red tape is slashed and entrepreneurial energy is set free.

Rwanda – From Ruins to Reform

In the aftermath of the 1994 genocide, few would have imagined that Rwanda could become a continental leader in governance and economic reform. But today, it stands as one of the easiest places to do business in Africa.

Through targeted reforms like digitized business registration, streamlined construction permits, and the creation of a one-stop shop for investors, Rwanda rose rapidly in global rankings. Starting a business now takes less than 6 hours, and the Rwanda Development Board actively courts both domestic and foreign investors.

The result? A booming ICT sector, strong tourism growth, and a reputation as Africa’s Singapore — a small nation that punches far above its weight because it understands that removing red tape is not a luxury; it is survival.

Mauritius – Lean Governance, Strong Investment

Mauritius has been another African success story, consistently ranking first on the continent for ease of doing business. It simplified its tax code, digitized many public services, and created a low-tax, pro-investor environment.

These reforms made it an international financial hub, attracted foreign direct investment, and grew a diversified economy encompassing tourism, textiles, ICT, and financial services. Mauritius didn’t wait for foreign aid — it removed bureaucratic barriers and became an incubator for business success.

Georgia – A Global Turnaround

Outside of Africa, Georgia (Eastern Europe) offers an inspiring example. Once riddled with corruption, the country undertook radical reforms in the 2000s. The government:

• Abolished dozens of redundant licenses
• Fired corrupt officials
• Digitized land and business registration
• Reduced taxes and simplified compliance

In under a decade, Georgia went from being one of the world’s most difficult places to do business to one of the best globally. What changed? Political will and the courage to make governance about service, not control.

The Private Sector Isn’t the Enemy — It’s the Engine

Too often, African governments treat entrepreneurs with suspicion. Instead of being celebrated, success is viewed as suspicious. Yet private businesses, not government ministries, are the engines of job creation, innovation, and wealth.

We must stop looking to the government to employ everyone — that model is broken. Public payrolls are bloated. In some countries, civil service salaries consume more than 70% of national budgets. How can development thrive when the bulk of the budget goes toward keeping the government afloat?

Governments must instead focus on enabling the private sector — by fixing roads, digitizing services, protecting property rights, and promoting fair competition.

We need leaders who are salespeople-in-chief — actively marketing their countries to the world, pitching investors, attending global forums, and improving investor sentiment. A Minister of Trade must think like a startup founder. A President must pitch like a tech CEO.

Because make no mistake: we are in a global competition for capital. If your country is difficult, investors will move on. Money moves fast, and bureaucracy is a deal-breaker.

Africa is the world’s youngest continent. By 2050, more than a third of the global youth population will live here. If we don’t ease the stress of doing business and unleash the private sector, that demographic dividend will become a ticking time bomb.

• Unemployed youth become disillusioned.
• Informal economies swell with unprotected labour.
• Social unrest rises.
• Migration escalates.

On the other hand, with the right reforms, Africa can become the factory, the lab, and the marketplace of the future.

There is no reason why it should be easier to open a business in Estonia than in Ethiopia. No reason why digital banks thrive in Brazil while fintech startups collapse under regulatory confusion in some African capitals. No reason why global companies should bypass Africa when its own people are desperate for jobs and services.

We must make business easy — not for elites, but for everyone. For the young coder in Accra. For the woman selling fabric in Lagos. For the logistics entrepreneur in Lusaka.

Africa has the talent. It has the ideas. All it needs now is the freedom to build.