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In an era where environmental consciousness is on the rise, the search for clean and renewable energy sources has gained significant momentum. Among the most accessible and sustainable options available today are solar panels. As the world strives to reduce its carbon footprint and combat climate change, the adoption of solar energy has become more …
In today’s digitally connected world, a sudden power outage can disrupt our lives and work. Whether it’s at home or in the office, losing access to electricity, even momentarily, can lead to data loss, equipment damage, and productivity setbacks. This is where Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems come to the rescue. In this article, we’ll …
Discovery Vitality has partnered with Rafi’s Appliances and Mattresses to bring the National Vitality Series to Gqeberha on Saturday, 21 October. The Rafi’s BayRun, which will be hosted by 32Gi and Achilles Athletics clubs, will start and finish at Cape Recife High School. The Vitality Run Series was introduced in 2017, with the aim to …
The Gelvandale 10km road race will be held at the Gelvandale Athletics track, Liebenberg Road, Gelvandale on Saturday, 14 October. The 10km road race starts at 06.00 and 5km family walk/run at 06.15. The well-established Gelvandale Run, which was formerly over a 15km distance, is sponsored by the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality as part of …
Load shedding is a common challenge faced by many regions, causing disruptions in daily life and impacting productivity. Whether it’s due to an overloaded power grid, extreme weather conditions, or inadequate infrastructure, the effects of load shedding can be frustrating and costly. However, in today’s technology-driven world, there are smart solutions available to help individuals …
In the face of persistent load shedding, individuals and communities around the world are seeking innovative strategies to maintain a consistent power supply. Load shedding, the controlled shutdown of electricity, often due to high demand or infrastructure limitations, can disrupt daily life and have a significant impact on various sectors, including residential, commercial, and industrial. …
Wait for it…AfricaIgnite, formerly AHUB, Africa Tech Festival's (https://tmt.knect365.com/Africa-Tech-Festival/) flagship event for the African continent's start-ups and innovators, has been announced as the host for the African leg of the globally prestigious Start-Up World Cup 2023, and 10 African start-ups will have the opportunity to pitch for a spot at the grand finale to be held in San Francisco, USA on 1 December 2023.
USD1 million up for grabs – The AfricaIgnite Start-up Pitch showcase will take place at Africa Tech Festival in November in Cape Town, South Africa. To enter, African early-stage start-ups and scale-ups with seed fundings of up to $15million will need to apply (https://apo-opa.info/3PGV3Lz) by 15 October. The finalists, to be unveiled on 30 October, will then need to make their way to Cape Town and pitch in front of hundreds of investors and tech leaders on 16 November.
The winner of Africa Tech Festival's pitch competition will then be invited to compete in the grand finale of the Startup World Cup, to be held in San Francisco on 1 December, for that impressive 1 million US dollar investment, in front of industry greats such as ABC's Shark Tank Barbara Corcoran, Sundeep Jain, Chief Product Officer at Uber, Daniel Sturman CTO at Roblox and more.
Since launching in 2016, the festival's start-up platform has been committed to supporting the growth of Africa's nascent entrepreneurs and innovators. The interest in the offering has grown significantly to the point where AfricaIgnite has now taken on a life-force of its own.
James Williams, Director, Events | Connecting Africa | Informa Tech: “Africa's bright and forward-thinking minds need a platform to network, get inspired, and co-build a stronger tech start-Up investment ecosystem, which is exactly what AfricaIgnite offers. As Africa Tech Festival, we are excited to be partnering with The Startup World Cup to offer our African colleagues the opportunity they deserve to present their businesses on a global stage. This is a very exciting partnership, and the first, we hope, of many as the continent's innovation sector gathers momentum.”
Investment by the numbers
In 2022, Africa was the only region where start-up investment grew with around USD4.8 billion put into around 1,000 businesses. That said though, this sum still only represents a paltry 1.2% of all start-up funding raised globally. However, this is predicted to change quite rapidly in the years ahead as the continent's entrepreneur, start-up and SMME ecosystem fully embraces the digital revolution and connectivity, whilst Africans create the solutions to many of their own, and the world's challenges.
In the 2021 – 2022 period, 37% of investment was channelled to the FinTech space, but its dominance is now being challenged by innovation and new business ideas that solve Africa's energy and waste difficulties. Other sectors that are attracting interest also include the likes of the telecoms, media and entertainment space, logistics and transport, retail, agriculture, and food, as well as the growing proliferation of deep tech.
“We are very happy to partner up with AfricaTech Festival for the Startup World Cup South Africa Regional and are delighted by the quality and enthusiasm of the start-ups who are competing,” said Anis Uzzaman, Founder and CEO of Pegasus Tech Ventures, who created the Startup World Cup competition in 2016. “Each year we have been able to reach more entrepreneurs in more cities around the world and, in turn, connect more innovation ecosystems to Silicon Valley and the rest of the world.
“We hope this partnership creates new valuable opportunities for the competing start-ups from Africa.”
In good company
Africa Tech Festival also holds its own when it comes to the investor community, with databases of several thousand investors and venture capitalists predominantly spanning Africa and the United States, as well as a strong community of founders, entrepreneurs, and start-ups.
Aside from the exciting early-stage start-up Pitch Showcase, AfricaIgnite in 2023 is looking to up the ante with a curation of content that is exciting, informative, and definitely going to take participants places. The AfricaIgnite space located in the AfricaTech Hall will be a centre of activity with an offering of excellent networking and matchmaking between founders and investors, a start-up marketplace and demo area (no pitching required), along with a host of dedicated workshops and masterclasses presented by top professionals.
Delegates, start-ups, and those considering taking a leap of faith into the new world of business, can explore content that covers useful topics such as what to expect from year one as a founder – what to do, get good at and what to ignore; the power of collaboration in building a global company; perfecting the next “X”-tech for future generations; founding, funding and running your start-up in economically challenging times; concept to company – demystifying the entrepreneurial process plus a raft of funding talks and presentations, as well as the all-important insight into exit planning 101!
Never has the time been more right to head to Cape Town 13 – 16 November to be part of the action at Africa Tech Festival, the world's largest and most influential Africa-focused technology, telecoms, and media gathering. In 2023, expect big things to happen in this space.
For more information, please see website here: Africa Tech Festival 2023 - The Home of AfricaCom & AfricaTech (https://apo-opa.info/3myppVu)
To apply for the pitch competition, please click here: Africa Tech Festival 2023 – pitch competition (https://apo-opa.info/3PGV3Lz)
View all ticket options for Africa Tech Festival, including start-up passes, here (https://apo-opa.info/3Q04o2r)
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Tech Festival.
For media enquiries, interviews and/or images please contact:
Kaz Henderson
kaz@networxpr.co.za or call on +27 (0) 82 339 1199.
(Please note that all requests are adjudicated and there may be some delay before you hear back from us).
Social Media Handles:
Facebook: https://apo-opa.info/3LIdCxG
Twitter: https://apo-opa.info/3EZ7RYB
LinkedIn: https://apo-opa.info/3EcywR6
About Startup World Cup:
Startup World Cup is a global conference and competition with the goal of bridging start-up ecosystems worldwide. The competition gives start-up companies from all over the world a chance to win a US $1,000,000 prize in the form of an investment. This year, there will be 50+ regional events across North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, leading up to the Grand Finale in San Francisco in September. Startup World Cup is organized by Pegasus Tech Ventures, a Silicon Valley-based global venture capital firm.
About Africa Tech Festival 2023:
Africa Tech Festival, including anchor events AfricaCom, AfricaTech and AfricaIgnite is part of the Informa Tech Connecting Africa event series. A vibrant celebration of Africa's diverse community of tech champions, Africa Tech Festival is the largest tech and digital connectivity conference and exhibition in Africa, attracting hundreds of exhibitors, more than 400 speakers and more than 12000 delegates.
Key themes for 2023 continue to explore the creation and sustainability of a connected Africa and the impact this can have for the people of the continent but also the commercial prospects for local and global businesses and governments. Topics will include Telcos of Tomorrow, Connecting the Next Billion, Digital Infrastructure Investment, Sustainability & Climate Resilience, ICT Policy and Regulation, Fintech & MFS, Broadcast Media & Entertainment, Pioneer Tech, the Future of Work and Talent and Skills Development. Africa Tech Festival also incorporates and the Africa Tech Festival Awards, an exclusive ceremony celebrating Africa's tech pioneers and held at the luxury 5-star The Bay Hotel, as well as the LeadersIn Africa Summit, an exclusive, VIP-only feature offering high-level presentations and roundtable discussions to Africa's tech elite.
I. Introduction In the digital age, every business understands the relevance of being visible online. But with search engines constantly updating and refining their algorithms, the landscape of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) grows more intricate by the day. How does one keep up? II. The Importance of Expertise SEO is not just about inserting a …
Africa has abundant economic potential and the enormous uptake of digital technology socially and in the business sector, has positioned the continent for explosive growth, but there are challenges that lie in wait. Many of these will be spotlighted at the 2023 Africa Tech Festival (https://apo-opa.info/3myppVu) in Cape Town 13-16 November, along with innovative solutions all led by a line-up of headline speakers including several African government ministers.
“Businesses across Africa have benefitted enormously from leap-frogging traditional technology to the digital world and wireless connectivity, and this is spurring incredible growth across the continent,” says James Williams, Director, Events | Connecting Africa | Informa Tech. “The incredible advantages of digitalisation are, however, dependent on a plentiful and reliable source of power, and it's essential that the public sector has strong strategies in place to drive this growth.”
The tech world is driven by entrepreneurial innovators, but it relies heavily on the public sector to provide infrastructure, regulations and often funding to smooth the way for technological advancement, especially in terms of providing access and infrastructure for the public to access to engage with and benefit from the technology.
Among the 200-plus speakers, presenters and panellists will be Gwede Mantashe, Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, whose input on how the South African government is tackling the critical issue of loadshedding will no doubt ensured a packed hall of delegates all hopeful of hearing positive news. The dynamic H.E. Dr. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, South Africa's Minister in the Presidency responsible for electricity, will provide backup to the Minister in shining a light on the country's energy crisis.
Not to be missed, is the panel discussion ‘Universal Power Access: Plotting a Route Through Africa's Electricity Challenge', which puts the future of digital transformation squarely on the shoulders of electricity and citizens' access to energy.
In Africa, energy insecurity has been a chronic inhibitor of economic development for decades, and continues to cripple enterprise growth and innovation, and the panel will unpack why a staggering 30 of Africa's 54 nations face daily power shortages and supply interruptions, all of which play economic havoc with local business and consumer activity. It's important to understand how the collaboration of public and private funding is essential for striking the right balance between the two sectors to create the perfect solution to the crisis.
Also addressing delegates will be H.E. Ousmane Gaoual Diallo, the Republic of Guinea's Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and Digital Economy, as well as Namibia's Minister of Information and Communication Technology, H.E. Minister Dr Peya Mushelenga, and their Executive Director & Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, Dr Audrin Mathe.
Another key area of public sector engagement with the tech sector will be discussed in the keynote panel ‘Unleashing Digital Prosperity: How Progressive Policy is Shaping Africa's Tech Transformation'. This session will present African Ministers from across the continent with an opportunity to share how they are tailoring policy to their unique national environment and priorities, in addition to the need for a more continental, collaborative approach.
“The process of developing and implementing policy across myriad industries and sectors is, however, an inherently complex and lengthy process and relies heavily on industry consultation, sector-specific legislation and flexibility to evolve with rapidly changing sectors,” says Williams, highlighting the importance of the growing number of Ministerial delegations at Africa Tech Festival year on year.
Among the high-level speakers sharing with delegates over the three days are:
Aside from presenting cutting-edge content and a speaker line-up of note, the Africa Tech Festival is also the meeting place of Africa's largest community of tech champions and offers this vibrant grouping the ideal space to connect and interact. However, just as these connections are so important for the industry, so is the connecting of 1.2-billion people across Africa's 54 unique nations, vital for the continent's growth, with cross-border connectivity a particular concern.
Continental broadband penetration is currently around 45%, but this varies dramatically across regions. Connectivity is critical to the rapidly expanding SME business community, as well as for wider socioeconomic development needs. Looking at this the fireside chat, ‘Connectivity Beyond Borders: Unlocking Universal Broadband Access in Africa', will explore how innovations in strategy and technology are aiming to ensure that no individual, business, or community is left behind in Africa's pursuit of universal broadband access.
While most of the discussions and presentations relate to most players in the industry, the event has been structured in such a way as to ensure that specialists are also able to sit in on the most relevant content to them, either by staying in one venue for a series of talks, or by exploring the ‘centre stages' in each of the exhibition halls in which masterclasses and presentations will take place.
Other major topics on offer this year include:
This year, the Africa Tech Festival will offer delegates several new features, along with six presentation stages and a staggering amount of content, while hundreds of exhibitors on the show floor will once again engage with the brightest tech gurus from around the continent and globally, who will all descend on the Cape Town International Convention Centre to discover the latest products and services and to connect with other tech professionals.
Williams shares that: “This year we have added a new interactive feature to the festival - a dedicated tech demo area that we are sure will draw crowds throughout the three days. It's a chance to engage with the cutting-edge innovations that Africa needs to know about… as well as some of the exciting innovations that Africa has to offer the world.”
For more information, please see website here: Africa Tech Festival 2023 - The Home of AfricaCom & AfricaTech (https://apo-opa.info/3myppVu)
View all ticket options for Africa Tech Festival, including start-up passes, here (https://apo-opa.info/3Q04o2r).
(Please note that all requests are adjudicated and there may be some delay before you hear back from us).
List of Speakers:
Dion JerlingCo-FounderConnect Earth (https://apo-opa.info/46gFyRs)
Richard CazaletExec: Strategy and TransformationTelkom SA (https://apo-opa.info/3ZFTeTq)
Miriam AltmanDirector: Altman Advisory & Professor of 4IR PracticeUniversity of Johannesburg (https://apo-opa.info/3F2uvzd)
Guy ZibiManaging DirectorXalam Analytics (https://apo-opa.info/46vWqE5)
Robert AOUADCEOISOCEL Telecom (https://apo-opa.info/48DshE8)
Ronan De RenesseSenior Research Director, Service Provider MarketsOmdia (https://apo-opa.info/3ZEV4nH)
Russell SouthwoodCEOBalancing Act (https://apo-opa.info/3Fad7bL)
Matt ReedChief Analyst, Service ProviderOmdia (https://apo-opa.info/3Q0SYLJ)
Vuyani TatiManaging PartnerAfriTech Catalytic Growth Fund (https://apo-opa.info/3Q2cdEx)
Jocelyn NyaguseHead of Marketing and StorytellingStartupbootcamp AfriTech (https://apo-opa.info/3Q38KWg)
Nathan-Ross AdamsData & Tech LawyerMichalsons (https://apo-opa.info/45l5JVP)
Paula GilbertEditorConnecting Africa (https://apo-opa.info/45nYfRL)
Matshepo SehlohoAssociate EditorConnecting Africa (https://apo-opa.info/45jiVKW)
Calvin GovenderGeneral Manager ICT Fixed ServicesMTN (https://apo-opa.info/46yJixt)
Marjorie Saint-LotCountry Manager for Uber Ghana and the Ivory CoastUber (https://apo-opa.info/45minno)
Joseph NdabaCEO of Mafikeng Digital Innovation Hub4IR Commissioner: Presidential Commission on the Fourth Industrial Commission (https://apo-opa.info/48IAhUv)
Marion BalandraFounder & CEOMeridian Remote Teams (https://apo-opa.info/3RHf8E3)
Evan JonesCEOThe Collective X (https://apo-opa.info/3RP8Dir)
Badi SudhakaranCo-FounderVALR.com (https://apo-opa.info/45iLiIU)
Nfaly SyllaChief of CabinetMinistry of Posts, Telecommunications and Digital Economy, Republic of Guinea (https://apo-opa.info/46yzZxs)
Mumbi Ndung'uChief Growth and OperationsPower Learn Project (https://apo-opa.info/48QSa3w)
Dr Cherise DunnCo-founder and COOSouth Africa Makes (https://apo-opa.info/46yrSks)
Judith GardinerVice President, Growth and Emerging MarketsEquinix (https://apo-opa.info/46jvC9O)
Robinson Tombari SibeMD/CEODigital Footprints (https://apo-opa.info/3Q3M4oW)
Bernard WanyamaPresident, Kampala ChapterISACA (https://apo-opa.info/3tgQSyh)
Ryan Van den BerghManaging Executive: Group Technology Strategy, Architecture, Spectrum & AssuranceVodacom (https://apo-opa.info/45l7DWt)
Andy HalsallCEOpoa! Internet (https://apo-opa.info/46ArUrZ)
Sabrine ChennaouiCo-FounderMONSAPO (https://apo-opa.info/3tjBYHA)
Pablo MlikotaSenior Vice President – International Mobility Servicese& GROUP (https://apo-opa.info/3ZEWvT7)
John DaviesTMT Equity Research Analyst, EMEA, TMTBloomberg Intelligence (https://apo-opa.info/3Q4dAmn)
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Tech Festival.
For media enquiries, interviews and/or images please contact:
Kaz Henderson
kaz@networxpr.co.za
Call on +27 (0) 82 339 1199.
Social Media Handles:
Facebook: @africatechfestival
Twitter: @africatechfest
LinkedIn: https://apo-opa.info/3EcywR6
South Africa’s whisky aficionados have a reason to celebrate as the world-renowned Scotch whisky brand, Johnnie Walker, unveils its latest masterpiece – Johnnie Walker Elusive Umami. The limited edition offering will be available in South Africa from October 2023 for discerning palates. This collectible release is a testament to the brand’s commitment to innovation and …
In an era increasingly attuned to the significance of mental health and hospice care, the Pineapple Walk, hosted by Club 100, emerges as a beacon of hope, unity, and the collective strength of action. This annual 5-kilometer walk unites individuals from diverse backgrounds, fostering a sense of community and belonging, all while championing two critical …
Book your tickets now to dazzle in your best 70s disco outfit and dance in the aisles to some of this iconic group’s global hits. The ultimate ABBA party is about to hit Ster-Kinekor cinemas, for two days only on 08 and 10 October. Have the time of your life when ABBA: The Movie dances …
Catch Taylor Swift’s’ The Eras Tour’ in Ster-Kinekor’s IMAX and select cinemas nationally from 13 October… Get ready Swifties, TayTay is coming to South Africa… well, her new Eras Tour concert film is, and it will be releasing in Ster-Kinekor’s immersive IMAX and luxurious Cine Prestige cinemas on 13 October, to coincide with the release …
History was made on Sunday, when the South African senior men’s team finished on the podium at the World Half Marathon Championships. Thabang Mosiako (6th), Stephen Mokoka (11th), Elroy Gelant (13th) and Precious Mashele (19th) claimed the bronze medal behind Kenya and Ethiopia at the inaugural World Road Running Championships in Latvia. Mosiako’s exceptional performance …
DSV, one of the world's largest freight and logistics providers, has chosen the Agility Logistics Park (www.Agility.com) in Mozambique as the location where it will manage storage and distribution for a global beverage customer .
The Agility park is the leading warehouse facility in Mozambique's capital, Maputo. DSV has leased 12,000 SQM at the facility with the possibility to add an additional 2,000 SQM to help its customer meet seasonal demand for raw materials, bottles, packaging and finished products.
Philipp Buechler, Managing Director, DSV Mozambique, commented “At DSV, a safe, secure, and efficient distribution center is fundamental to our business model. The Agility warehouses provide the necessary infrastructure to meet exacting international standards and our operational requirements. Agility Logistics Parks also ensures that strict HSSE standards are followed within the park, something that is very important for optimal operations. This partnership is one of the key milestones in our supply chain strategy, which will support our further business growth in Mozambique.”
The Agility Logistics Park is located on the Maputo Ring Road, at Chiango area in Marracuene and is strategically situated for efficient distribution both across the country and into Maputo. The park is within a 25-kilometer radius of the Maputo port and airport, the N4 highway to South Africa, and the capital's Central Business District.
Agility is funding and developing 300,000 SQM of warehouses on the site, a center of excellence for warehousing in the region, to support businesses operating in and from Mozambique. The Agility warehouses provide the essential infrastructure required for both multi-national companies and local businesses that need storage, distribution, packaging, processing and light manufacturing space.
Geoffrey White, CEO Agility Africa, said: “We are delighted that DSV chose to lease warehouse space in the Agility Logistics Park in Maputo. We believe that the provision of international-standard warehouses for storage, distribution and light manufacturing is one of the fundamental building blocks necessary for economic growth. Demand in Maputo has been strong post the pandemic from both local and international companies, and we are now expanding the warehouse park and investing in further warehousing to support economic growth, jobs and prosperity in Mozambique.”
White added: “Across Africa Agility is funding and developing warehouse parks that provide move-in-ready warehouses, enabling fast deployment, flexibility and reduced capital commitments for our existing and new customers. The provision of secure, ready-built, quality, warehouses with consistent power and IT connectivity in the Maputo market is a true enabler of growth and prosperity in Africa.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Agility.
For more information:
Sabrina Mundy
Man Bites Dog
teamagility@manbitesdog.com
+44 1273 716 820
Social media:
Twitter: https://apo-opa.info/3ZBi6M2
LinkedIn: https://apo-opa.info/3ZEKPzz
YouTube: https://apo-opa.info/3ZBNSIU
About Agility Logistics Parks:
Agility Logistics Parks is one of the largest private owners and developers of warehousing and light industrial parks in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. It funds, builds and manages world-class facilities and infrastructure that help companies operate in the world's fastest-growing markets. Agility Logistics Parks' parent, Agility, is a pioneer in emerging markets and a leader and investor in technology to enhance supply chain efficiency. Agility is a publicly traded company with $2.8 billion in annual revenue. For more information about Agility, visit www.Agility.com
Discovery Vitality is excited to announce that its popular Vitality Run Series is extending to Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape. Discovery Vitality has partnered with Rafi’s Appliances and Mattresses to bring the National Vitality Series to our region this October. The Rafi’s BayRun will be hosted by 32Gi and Achilles Athletics clubs on Saturday, 21 …
Cape Town / 1 October 2023 : – In a world where marketing is often seen as a mundane endeavor, Pulling Rabbits is here to change the game. Founded in 2023 amid the vibrant creative and cultural AI explosion in this innovative startup is anything but ordinary. Pulling Rabbits isn’t your typical marketing agency; it’s …
I. Introduction Explanation of the Importance of a Good Web Designer In the digital age, a well-crafted website is indispensable for conveying the essence and values of a business or personal brand. A proficient web designer not only provides aesthetic appeal to your online presence but also ensures optimal user experience, functionality, and alignment with …
Step into the world of unparalleled digital success with First Page SEO Agency, South Africa’s foremost Specialist SEO Marketing Firm. Positioned at the nexus of innovation, strategy, and excellence, we are devoted to propelling your business to the zenith of search results, exponentially enhancing your online presence and turbocharging your digital growth journey. Unmatched Expertise …
Every dream home begins with a vision, and turning that vision into reality requires a blueprint. In the realm of architectural design and home planning, Housing Plans from HousePlans.co.za stand as a beacon of innovation and precision. Why Choose Housing Plans from HousePlans.co.za Housing Plans at HousingPlans.co.za are not just sketches on paper; they are …
All six squads confirmed as 20-year-old Matthew Boast fetches joint-highest price of R1.6million in auction Thursday, 28 September 2023: Betway SA20...
In our digitally connected world, a robust and reliable network is more than just a luxury—it’s a necessity. Your home cinema, security system, and even smart home devices require a strong and secure network to operate seamlessly. Let’s take a closer look at the brands that are shaping the future of home networking and connectivity …
When it comes to decking out your home with the latest technology, there are some brands that defy categorisation. They offer a unique range of products that can enhance your experience in ways you didn’t even know were possible. Let’s dive into some of these brands to discover what sets them apart. Lyngdorf: For the …
Smart home technology is redefining how we live, turning our residences into intelligent spaces that make daily life easier and more enjoyable. From managing lighting to automating your entertainment systems, smart home technologies offer endless possibilities. However, choosing the right brand for your smart home and control system is crucial for a seamless, intuitive experience. …