Ndubuisi Ekekwe, founder of the African Institution of Technology, a nonprofit that works to bring emerging technology into Africa from the U.S. and Western Europe, described some of the main challenges when it comes to working in the region.  "For example, if you are running e-commerce where there is no post office, it means the business will figure out the logistics. You need to run generators to power your computers, you need to provide security to your firm and you certainly have to do everything, because the state can be practically invisible," Ekekwe said. "It takes tenacity and commitment to operate in Africa."  Despite the "typical business risk," however, Ekekwe said that Africa is democratizing and could provide a keen growth opportunity for businesses.  Read MoreDid the fall of the Berlin Wall help end Apartheid?  "The fact is this, if you pay attention, it is even simpler to do business than in the U.S. because in most cases there is no regulation," he said. "There are things oil firms do in Africa that cannot be done in Texas."  Jon Gosier has been working in Africa since 2008, when he started a tech consultancy firm called Appfrica. Separately, he started an early stage technology fund called Cross Valley Capital, which reserves 5 percent of investments for Africa.  Though he described his experience working in Africa as "exceptional," he told CNBC that "the challenge in Africa is lack of exits and M&A activity, so you have to get creative with how you earn returns."  "This, in my opinion, is why the African private markets are so nascent, and until there's more companies being bought, investors will stay away because they fear not being able to get returns," Gosier said. "We get around this risk through revenue share and licensing deals with our African portfolio."
Ahead of President Barack Obama's trip to Kenya and Ethiopia, Africa has resurfaced as a topic of discussion in the investment community.