Africa 2.0: a startup event hoping to take Africa to the next level

It’s obvious that Africa really is pushing an entrepreneurial agenda at the moment. Africa 2.0 is an entrepreneurship competition aimed at bringing together startups in a workshop format following the Startup Weekend model.

Africa 2.0 is a Pan-African organisation made up of more than 300 people from Africa and the Diaspora. According to the collective, it shares a vision for Africa and “a commitment to finding and implementing sustainable solutions capable of leapfrogging the development of the continent”.

Startups pitch before a room of mentors, judges and other startups and 10 startups get selected to go through to the final round where they will face off in front of a panel of judges. The 10 selected startups have two days to work with the team of mentors to refine their pitches and business model before they pitch to the judges.

Sponsored by the royal Danish Embassy, the South Africa leg of the event, themed Startup Africa, is touted by organisers as an “economic development model capable of turning informal operations into self-sustainable businesses”.

“Startup Africa is based on a tried and trusted format that has seen, 36 countries and 1,147+ new job creating businesses,” says the team.

“The rationale of the initiative is to start a continental revolution of entrepreneurs that build new enterprises which are innovative, exciting, sustainable and, most importantly, contribute meaningfully towards the social development of communities,” says Clement Banjo Communications manager of the Africa 2.0 Foundation.

The winners will be given six months office space at a business incubator. They will also be provided with basic infrastructure to get their business started as well as access to several mentors.

Meet the top 10 finalists

Anathy — Founded by Karin Brooks, this company hopes to secure funding for everyone specifically helping kids get educated.

Powered Africa — Founded by Hein Groenewald, this startup hopes to use alternative energy such as wind, solar to power remote areas with little to no infrastructure.

Cosmesis — Founded by Tumiso Tsukudu this company wants to build affordable prosthesis for Africa.

Live Android TV — Sherif Abdalla hopes to create unlimited entertainment in the form an internet based television.

Cricket Bats — Kurt Egelhof is hoping to get some funding so he can make affordable crickets bats for the local market.

Waitron Training — Runyraro Mutsinze wants to train waiters and waitresses and allow restaurant to market themselves as having good service.

Rise Africa Rise — T-shirt maker Roy Morrison wants help local shirt makers build “brand Africa” by getting people to invest in African prosperity through t-shirts

Credit Crunch — Tobie van Zyl hopes to integrating ITC credit report into a simple cross-platform mobile application that is easily accessible.

No Bull — Founded by Justin Germishuys, this company wants to make the internet rational in the form of a web service that can detect the validity of content on a website.

Teenagers not curses — Nokuphumla Sneli wants to start a company that gives young people hope for a better future. The company wants to bridge the gap on social development in education through proper sex education and HIV/AIDS awareness workshops.