What Tage’s TechCrunch exit tells us about the industry

‘Tage Kene-Okafor, known as “@ulonnaya” on X, resigned from TechCrunch and has now joined African drone startup Terra Industries, which just announced a $11.75 million seed raise. 

Last week, Tage announced his departure from TechCrunch, concluding a five-year tenure that made him a crucial link between African startups and global tech audiences, publishing about 700 articles. He resumed at TechCrunch in January 2021, during the ZIRP era, when significant international interest and investment were flowing into African startups. That year and the following year (2022), African startups raised over $4 billion, the most recorded in a year till date. For context, this year, which has been better than the last two years, has seen only about $3 billion flow to African startups.

At TechCrunch, Tage published fundraise and M&A announcements—InstaDeep’s $100 million Series B, Wasoko and MaxAB merger; investigations—Flutterwave and Kuda allegations; features—YC’s influence in Africa, Moniepoint’s rise to unicorn status and Binance regulatory crisis in Nigeria, to name a few.

Before then, Tage was a reporter at TechPoint Africa, a leading local tech media platform, where he reported on a similar beat – startups and venture capital.

“In my years of reporting, it has become clear that Africa does not lack software innovation..But that alone can only take us so far. If we want to build truly thriving economies for the world’s youngest population, we must invest in infrastructure, industrial capacity, and the physical systems that drive economic growth,” Tage said.

A deprioritisation of African markets by global publications

Tage’s exit follows a broader pattern of high-profile exits at international media publications that covered Africa.

In August 2024, the former Africa Editor of Rest of World (RoW), David I. Adeleke, left. Among other things, the Africa Editor was responsible for story commissions from Africa. Since Adeleke departed over a year ago, no new Africa Editor has been appointed. And while his former direct report, Damilare Dosunmu, is still at the company, there have been reduced Africa commissions, expectedly.

In March 2025, Annie Njanja, a Kenya-based journalist, left TechCrunch, a company which has faced multiple rounds of restructuring and change in ownership. Alongside Tage, they covered Africa for TechCrunch. No new hires have been made to fill that gap. Instead, the recent fundraising announcement from Terra, Tage’s new employer, was reported by New York-based Dominic-Madori Davis.

Perhaps, where this market deprioritisation is most visible is in the case of the Financial Times. Aanu Adeoye, the former West and Central Africa correspondent, is now the acting global pharmaceuticals correspondent for the Financial Times and is based in London. No one else has been named to Adeoye’s previous role.

Of the big five that covered the African tech ecosystem, Quartz, Rest of World, TechCrunch, Financial Times and Semafor, only one remains. Quartz Africa is dead. Many of its staffers, including Idris Abubakar and Yinka Adegoke, formerly Africa reporter and Editor of Strategic Initiatives at Rest of World, respectively, have moved on to other things. 

Semafor Africa, which now boasts Adegoke and former TechCabal reporter, Alexander Onukwe as Editor and Africa correspondent, respectively, remains. Semafor just announced a $30 million raise.

African builders are now forced to rethink attracting global attention. Reputable local media publications like Condia and TechCabal, with global audiences, will become the de facto place for news coverage again, while other creator-led media platforms like Bayomi and Big Tech This Week will offer an additional avenue for contextual reporting of the African tech ecosystem.