As 2025 winds down, we continue our deep dive into the defining moments that shaped Africa's tech and business landscape. While Part 1 centered on shutdowns and the financial realities that pushed companies over the edge, Part 2 looks inward at the controversies, breakdowns, and public crises that forced the ecosystem to confront deeper issues.
Across the year, allegations of misconduct, governance failures, financial mismanagement, and even deepfake-driven fraud shook founders, investors, regulators, and customers. This is the timeline of the controversies that defined 2025.
1. 54 Collective Liquidation: The USD 689 K Rebrand That Ended a Venture KingThe 2025 controversy cycle began with a deep fracture in the ecosystem's investment infrastructure. 54 Collective formerly Founders Factory Africa, which once received a major grant from the Mastercard Foundation, lost its funding amid a dramatic governance dispute.
