> The part that's kinda taken on faith, though, is whether the value created will stay in the area. Unless there are huge incentives to stay local, I see the companies, exited founders, and investors all taking their funds and resources back into developed nations rather than staying local and perpetuating prosperity where they first laid their roots.
Are you talking about the foreign investors or locals who've succeeded? I can see locals using their new wealth to escape, but if it's working that well for the foreign investors, I don't see why they'd leave (at least in the short term - over decades the brain drain effect would be real).
Escape? Those who wished to escape took different paths, visa lotteries and the like.
Those of us who've stayed back and are actively involved in tech entrepreneurship have little desire to leave. We would have already, we have the skills.
Ghana might not have it the best, but every country started like this. It takes dedication from its citizens to grow and that mindset is catching on now.
Not to detract from the rest of your answer though.
Are you talking about the foreign investors or locals who've succeeded? I can see locals using their new wealth to escape, but if it's working that well for the foreign investors, I don't see why they'd leave (at least in the short term - over decades the brain drain effect would be real).