TLP Advisory released its third annual ecosystem report, Home and Away: Tracking African Tech’s Global Footprint, on 3rd November 2026, finding that 84 per cent of African technology companies with UK affiliations are incorporated in the United Kingdom.

The same study shows that 47 per cent of those UK-affiliated firms have an operational presence there and 19 per cent hold regulatory licences, compared with 3 per cent of US-affiliated and 4 per cent of UAE-affiliated companies holding licences.

The report examined a sample of 100 technology companies operating in Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Egypt, Ghana and Morocco and selected those with documented international affiliations.

TLP Advisory noted that the percentages apply only to the companies with UK affiliations in the sample and do not represent the share of all African tech firms.

It also clarified that the US is primarily used for incorporation linked to financing, while the UAE is more focused on day-to-day operations, with 87 per cent of UAE-affiliated firms maintaining an operational presence.

Odunoluwa Longe, Co-Founder and Partner at TLP Advisory, said “Most African tech companies have a legal structure somewhere abroad in addition to their home country. What’s striking about the UK is how often it comes with more than only incorporation. It comes with licences, teams on the ground and customers.”

Flutterwave CEO Olugbenga Agboola added that Africa remains the home market but scaling requires access to capital, talent and opportunities beyond the continent.

Alex Forsyth-Thompson, Founder and CEO of Float, said the UK felt familiar, with a similar time zone, business culture and a sizeable South African community, making it a conducive market.

The study distinguished incorporation, operational presence and regulatory permission as separate commitments, explaining that incorporation merely registers a company, while operational presence involves running a business, and regulatory permission authorises specific activities.

TLP Advisory highlighted UK investment incentives such as the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme and Enterprise Investment Scheme, which give eligible investors tax relief when they invest in qualifying companies.

It also mentioned the UK government’s Global Entrepreneur Programme, which supports selected international businesses seeking a UK headquarters or R&D presence, subject to visa and acceptance criteria.

The report cautioned that the findings cannot establish whether companies are moving away from the US to the UK, as firms may have ties to several destinations and no comparable earlier-year figures were provided.

The full report is available through a registration form on TLP’s website.