Looking to get into the South African startup scene or catch up on some of your skills? Well, you’ve come to the right place. There are loads of competitions, networking sessions and workshops happening around South Africa and the rest of the continent (namely Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana) that we’ve rounded them up to make your life a bit easier.
This article is part of a weekly series that highlights all the top startup competitions, networking sessions, workshops and conferences around South Africa, and the greater region. If you have any event recommendations for us to add to the list, or next week’s, please let us know in the comments below or send us an email.
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Not all of the events are free and some will require booking in advance. Please click on the event names to find out more information.
Cape Town
Xtraordinary Women Networking Event: Coastal Network
Is a networking event covering the seven secrets of sales, hosted by Landi Jac, owner and founder of The Consultant Code. The talk will also cover over topics such as closing strategies, ways to illustrate transformation and many others.
Date: 9 May, 8am to 11am
Location: Blowfish Restaurant, 1 Marine Drive, Table View, Cape Town
Lunch and talk about the Blockchain
This meeting is for cryptocurrency and other financial traders, miners and VCs and investors. The talk will cover topics like how to earn from trading or pool mining, how to use cryptocurrency as a tax haven, cryptocurrency trends and much more.
Date: 9 May, 1pm till late
Location: Cape Quarter, shop 45, Cape Quarter, 27 Somerset Road, Greenpoint
Weekly Breakfast Networking Meeting
This networking event hosted by Business Networking International (BNI) welcomes all entrepreneurs to join a group of 30 business owners to build stronger relationships and networks relating to their industries. The group however only caters for one person per industry. If your industry already has a representative, you will be referred to another chapter which has a vacancy.
The breakfast is R130 and needs to be paid in advance for a seat to be secured. You will also be required to register for the event before you’re able to attend.
Date: 10 May, 8:15am to 10am
Location: 144 Campground Road, Newlands, Cape Town
#CapeMarketing Workshops for Small Businesses
Is a safe space for small businesses to discuss their issues regarding marketing and getting the word out there. Olivia Andrews from restaurant A Touch of Madness will be sharing her entrepreneurial journey.
Date: 10 May, 1pm to 2pm
Location: The Cape Town Garage, The Woodstock Exchange, Block A / 4th Floor, 66 Albert Road, Woodstock, Cape Town
Startup Grind Women – Jessica Bonin
The month of May is #FemaleFounders month where 100 Startup Grind women will be interviewed around the world.
The Cape Town chapter of Startup Grind will be hosting Jessica Bonin, founder of Lady Bonin’s Tea. The fireside chat will cover Bonin’s entrepreneurial journey as well as her successes and failures.
Date: 11 May, 5:30pm to 8:30pm
Location: Workshop 17, 17 Dock Road, V & A Waterfront, Cape Town
Johannesburg
Is looking for professionals in various industries to join their Johannesburg chapter, the diversified cohort of professionals will allow a broadening of everyone’s networks.
Date: 10 May, 7am to 8:30am
Location: The Street Cafe, 40 St Andrews Road, Johannesburg
Kenya
Hubcubation: for entrepreneurs & startups ready to professionalise and grow
This six month programme will cover three pillars regarding acceleration: knowledge, network and mentoring or coaching.
Over the course of 10 workshops, participants will go through various aspects of starting a new business from strategy to operations as well as marketing to management.
Date: 12 May, 8:30am to 5pm
Location: The Hub East Africa, Waiyaki Way, Nairobi
Kenyan Entrepreneurs Conference On Trade & Development
Is an event designed to bring together entrepreneurs from various industries to meet mentors, peers and also potential investors. The conference will award and honour top startups in its Startup Awards.
Date: 13 May, 9am to 6:30pm
Location: Louie Leakey Auditorium
Nigeria
Fuck Up Nights celebrates the many failures top entrepreneurs have had during their journey. Each speaker is given seven minutes to share their most memorable learning experience that helped them to build a better product or solution.
Date: 11 May, 6pm to 9pm
Location: Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria
Is a gathering of 1200 innovative entrepreneurs and tech-startup founders. This year’s conference will hold a number of pitching sessions, see the adoption of 10 startups into its Venture Acceleration Programme.
Date: 11 May, 8am to 3pm
Location: Sheba Centre, beside FCMB, off Mobolaji Bank-Anthony Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria
Have a startup event that you’d like featured on next week’s event roundup? Send us an email
