The African Tech Companies That Laid Off the Most Workers in 2025

As 2025 draws to a close, layoffs across Africa’s tech ecosystem have slowed compared with the turbulence of 2023 and 2024—but job cuts have not disappeared.

Instead, workforce reductions have become more targeted and strategic, driven by tighter funding conditions, rising operating costs, and a growing investor focus on profitability over rapid expansion. For many founders, trimming headcount has been a survival move rather than a sign of collapse.

With venture capital harder to secure and less tolerance for loss-making growth, African startups are reassessing the size and structure of teams built during the funding boom years. The result is a more cautious ecosystem: hiring has cooled, expansion plans are more deliberate, and spending is under closer scrutiny.

Below are the African tech companies that laid off the most workers in 2025, reflecting the broader reset underway across the continent’s startup landscape.

Twiga Foods (Kenya)

Twiga Foods recorded one of the largest layoffs of the year, cutting more than 300 employees in May. The move followed a major restructuring that included the creation of a new holding company after acquiring three FMCG distributors. The company said the cuts were aimed at streamlining operations and improving efficiency. Twiga had previously laid off staff in 2024 and earlier years.

Metro Africa Xpress (MAX) (Nigeria)

Mobility financing startup MAX laid off about 150 employees, roughly 30% of its workforce, early in 2025. The company said the restructuring was necessary to support a revised business model focused solely on financing electric vehicles and reducing operating costs. The layoffs took effect immediately, with no monetary severance.

Vendease (Nigeria)

YC-backed food procurement startup Vendease laid off 120 employees in February, cutting 44% of its workforce. This marked its second major round of layoffs in five months, following earlier job cuts in September 2024. The company cited naira depreciation, inflation, and the need to extend its runway as key factors.

Flutterwave (Kenya and South Africa)

Payments company Flutterwave cut about half of its workforce in Kenya and South Africa in mid-2025. The company said the layoffs were part of a cost-optimisation drive and a renewed focus on profitability as it prepares for a potential IPO. The cuts followed an earlier round of layoffs in 2024.

Jumia (Nigeria)

E-commerce giant Jumia laid off around 7% of its workforce in November, reducing headcount to about 2,010 employees. The company said the move was part of ongoing efficiency measures, including increased use of AI in customer service and marketing, as it prioritised profitability over expansion.

Sabi (Nigeria)

B2B e-commerce startup Sabi laid off approximately 50 employees, representing about 20% of its workforce, in June. The company said the cuts were tied to a strategic pivot away from general merchant services toward minerals traceability and commodities-focused operations.

eBee Africa (Kenya)

Electric mobility startup eBee Africa issued redundancy notices affecting most of its roughly 50 employees during the year. The layoffs were driven by declining revenues, rising costs, and slower-than-expected adoption of electric bikes in Kenya, leaving the company with a skeletal team before remaining staff exited.

Tala (Kenya)

Digital lender Tala laid off 28 employees in April as part of a regional restructuring. The company cited the need to streamline operations, align costs with lending performance, and strengthen risk management in a tighter credit environment.

Meta (Africa operations)

Meta’s Africa operations were affected by job cuts in February as part of a global restructuring that eliminated about 3,600 roles worldwide. The layoffs were linked to performance-based reviews and the company’s push to invest more heavily in artificial intelligence and core products.

Businessfront (Nigeria)

Businessfront, the publisher of Techpoint Africa, Finance in Africa, Energy in Africa, and Intelpoint, laid off a small but undisclosed number of employees in October. The company said the decision was aimed at ensuring long-term sustainability amid declining advertising revenues and shifts in media consumption.