Pitch deck for African investors: the 10-slide structure that converts

Why 10 slides, not 30

A pan-African VC receives 200 pitch decks per month. They read yours in 3 minutes max. 30 slides = immediate no. 10 dense, clear, numerical slides = call booked.

Here is the tested structure that got Dakar startups VC calls.

The 10-slide structure

Slide 1 — Problem

One sentence + one striking stat.

Dakar fintech example: "85% of Senegalese merchants refuse digital payments because of 3.5% Wave/OM fees. They lose 40% of urban sales."

Slide 2 — Solution

Your product in 1 sentence + product screenshot.

Example: "PayaPay: mobile terminal + QR code that brings fees down to 0.8% for merchants, deployed in 48h." + app screenshot.

Slide 3 — Market

TAM / SAM / SOM with sources.

Example: "TAM: 250,000 Senegal merchants. SAM: 80,000 Dakar+Thies+Saint-Louis. SOM Y3: 15,000 active merchants." Source: ANSD + BCEAO.

Slide 4 — Product

3 screenshots + 3 key features.

Example: "Client QR scan / Merchant dashboard / Wave D+0 payout". Show real UI, not a Figma mockup.

Slide 5 — Traction

The most important slide. Real numbers: users, revenue, GMV, retention, MoM growth.

Example: "9,400 active merchants, 420M FCFA/month GMV, 3.4M FCFA MRR, 30-day retention 78%, MoM growth +22%."

Slide 6 — Business Model

Who pays, how much, how often.

Example: "0.8% per transaction. Pro subscription 15,000 FCFA/month (advanced dashboard). Avg merchant basket: 4.2M FCFA/month → revenue/merchant 48,000 FCFA/year."

Slide 7 — Competition

2-axis matrix + your positioning.

Example: axes "low fees" vs "onboarding simplicity". Wave = simple but pricey. Banks = complex. You = low fees + simple. Never say "no competitor".

Slide 8 — Team

Photos + 1 line per cofounder + why THIS team.

Example: "Mohamed — ex-Wave 4 years / Aminata — ex-Sonatel backend engineer 6 years / Ibrahima — ex-Societe Generale compliance." Proof the team has done / knows the problem.

Slide 9 — Financials

5 lines. Revenue Y1, Y2, Y3. Monthly burn. Runway asked.

Example: "Revenue 2026: 42M / 2027: 180M / 2028: 720M. Monthly burn: 12M FCFA. Runway asked: 18 months."

Slide 10 — Ask

How much, for what, at what valuation.

Example: "Seed 250M FCFA (380K EUR) @ pre-money valuation 1.8M EUR. 60% product, 25% Dakar growth, 15% Abidjan expansion."

Bonus: the 3 appendix slides (optional)

• Detailed 18-month roadmap
• Detailed unit economics (CAC, LTV, payback)
• Current cap table

Design rules

• 1 idea per slide (never 2)
• Charts > text systematically
• Real numbers + source (never "huge market")
• Readable typo min 24pt
• Dark mode / light mode tested
• PDF format < 8 MB (WhatsApp-sendable)

The 5 mistakes that kill a deck

• Fantasy hockey stick with no basis
• "No competitor" (immaturity signal)
• Junior team, 100% interns
• Inflated valuation (20M EUR pre-revenue = instant no)
• No traction, only intentions

How Kolonell helps

We design investor-ready pitch decks (Kolonell brand or startup brand) + 1h pitch coaching. From 450K FCFA (7-10 day delivery).

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Want a pitch deck that converts?

Let us talk: kolonell.com/en/devis-gratuit or WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.