Morocco Ranks in Africa’s Top Three for Tech Entrepreneurship

Rabat – Morocco is steadily strengthening its place on Africa’s digital entrepreneurship map, emerging as one of the continent’s most competitive environments for tech startups, according to the 2025 Digital Entrepreneurship Ecosystem (DEE) Index released by the Vienna Institute for Global Studies (VIGS).

The index positions Morocco among Africa’s three leading digital startup ecosystems, alongside South Africa and Mauritius. 

Ranked 83rd globally, Morocco now stands ahead of several regional peers and shows years of investment in digital infrastructure, regulatory reform, and skills development.

This upward movement is largely driven by improvements in information and communication technology governance, expanded access to digital competencies, enhanced cybersecurity frameworks, and a growing network of incubators and accelerators supporting early-stage ventures. 

These developments are underpinned by a more coherent institutional framework and sustained public policies that place digital transformation at the heart of economic competitiveness.

While South Africa and Mauritius continue to post higher overall scores, Morocco’s progression rate signals a maturing ecosystem with increasing regional influence. 

The country now outperforms Tunisia, Egypt, and Cabo Verde in the continental rankings, which reinforces its position as a North African reference point for tech entrepreneurship.

Measuring digital readiness, entrepreneurial capacity

The DEE Index assesses how effectively countries convert digital development into entrepreneurial activity. 

Compiled using more than 50 indicators, the index evaluates performance across four dimensions: digital infrastructure, digital citizenship, multi-sided platforms, and technology-driven entrepreneurship. In total, 170 countries are assessed.

The 2025 edition draws on data from 2022, benchmarked against 2017 figures. One of the report’s key findings is the rapid acceleration observed across African economies, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, which recorded the strongest relative growth globally over the five years. 

This shift reflects expanded connectivity and wider digital participation, trends that have also shaped Morocco’s recent performance.

Global contrasts, remaining challenges

At the international level, the US retains a commanding lead, buoyed by the scale and depth of Silicon Valley’s innovation ecosystem. 

Several European countries follow closely, with Europe as a whole recording the largest absolute improvement, signalling its increasing weight in the global digital economy.

Against this backdrop, Morocco remains some distance from the world’s most advanced digital ecosystems. 

For Morocco, the coming years will test its ability to move from digital progress to entrepreneurial impact, a transition that could determine its long-term standing within Africa’s evolving tech landscape.