As of May 2025, over 500 coworking spaces are active across Africa’s major cities, marking a sharp increase from previous years.
- Africa has seen a significant rise in coworking spaces, with over 500 active locations as of May 2025.
- Major operators such as Regus and regional hubs like Impact Hub are expanding into cities like Lagos and Kigali.
- The cities with the highest coworking density are Lagos, Nairobi, and Cairo, reflecting strong demands from startups and businesses.
This growth in coworking spaces in Africa is being driven by a combination of urban population expansion, rising commercial rent prices, increased startup activity, and the normalization of remote work.
Verified data from Coworker shows a marked rise in the number of operational coworking hubs across Africa’s major commercial centers.
The spike is linked to several factors: high urban youth populations, startup-friendly policies, flexible lease demand, and the rising costs of traditional commercial property.
Governments are offering support through incubation zones and innovation-friendly reforms, while private capital, both local and international, is flowing into real estate tailored for flexible, short-term use.
Global operators such as Regus have opened new locations in cities like Lagos, Dakar, and Casablanca, while Impact Hub and Seedspace continue to support early-stage founders in Kigali and Abidjan.
African cities with high coworking space density
Here are the top 10 African cities with the highest coworking space density in 2025, based on verified listings:
| Rank | City | Spaces | Notable Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lagos | 120 | Regus expansion; tech and creative startup communities |
| 2 | Nairobi | 94 | Westlands innovation hubs: sector-specific coworking |
| 3 | Cairo | 85 | A mix of legacy business districts and new-town developments |
| 4 | Johannesburg | 67 | Sandton financial district: growing creative hubs |
| 5 | Cape Town | 64 | Seaside locations, strong NGO and design sector presence |
| 6 | Casablanca | 42 | Major Regus towers; central medina spillover |
| 7 | Accra | 26 | East Legon fintech clusters; government incubation support |
| 8 | Abidjan | 13 | Plateau business district; Seedspace launch |
| 9 | Dakar | 7 | Les Almadies embassies; Regus and boutique spaces |
| 10 | Kigali | 6 | Impact Hub Kigali: clean-city branding attracting remote workers |
Lagos remains Africa’s coworking capital with 120 spaces, driven by expansion from international brands and strong local demand from tech and creative startups.
Nairobi follows closely with 94 spaces, supported by innovation-focused districts like Westlands and a growing interest in sector-specific shared workspaces.
Cairo’s 85 coworking hubs reflect its hybrid mix of legacy business zones and newly developed smart cities.
Johannesburg and Cape Town, with 67 and 64 spaces respectively, maintain strong momentum thanks to financial sector usage and appeal to nonprofits and creatives.
Mid-sized cities such as Casablanca, Accra, and Abidjan are building coworking momentum by positioning themselves as regional startup bases, offering support to early-stage ventures. Though smaller, Dakar and Kigali are investing in coworking through boutique spaces and policy initiatives aimed at remote professionals.
Fathia Olasupo
