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 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
Rise is a global community that connects startups, corporates and experts around the world to co-create the future of financial services. Rise is offering 20 free one-day passes to work from our awesome space and meet like minded people.
Date: 2 October, 8am to 6pm
Location: Rise Cape Town, Block B, 5th Floor, (Woodstock Exchange), 66 – 68 Albert Road, Woodstock, Cape Town
The Growth Academy : Start your business right
If you are looking to start a business and are ready to knuckle down and take some serious action, then this workshop is for you. You will leave this session confident that your business model can be profitable, knowing how to get your website started, and knowing exactly how to find that first (and second, and third…) customer.
Date: 3 October, 6pm to 8pm
Location: Rise Cape Town, Block B, 5th Floor, (Woodstock Exchange), 66 – 68 Albert Road, Woodstock, Cape Town
For those working in startups, lean (startup) coffee is a weekly one hour coffee meetup that runs a mashup of leancoffee.org with theleanstartup.com.
Date: 4 October, 8.30am to 9.30am
Location: 1 Somerset Road, Green Point, Cape Town
Future Females Speed Networking Event
It’s like speed dating for female entrepreneurs, a group of like-minded people with five minutes on the clock and a gin in hand… Join this event to make connections that can support your business and find solutions to the issues that your business might be facing. Or simply come along to hone your networking skills in a safe, fun environment.
Date: 4 October, 6pm to 8pm
Location: The Gin Bar, 64A Wale Street, Cape Town City Centre
Rise & Shine – Marek Zmyslowski
Join Marek Zmyslowki as he shares his founder story. Zmyslowki co-founded hospitality technology company HotelOnline.co with backing from Rocket Internet and Goldman Sachs. In 2014 he was chosen as one of the Ten Most Important People in Tech by IT News Africa Magazine. He is also lead mentor at Google’s Launchpad and World Bank’s XL Africa Program.
Date: 5 October, 9am to 10.30am
Location: Rise Cape Town, Block B, 5th Floor, (Woodstock Exchange), 66 – 68 Albert Road, Woodstock, Cape Town
Africa Women Innovation & Entrepreneurship Forum 2017 Conference
The third annual Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum Conference promises to ignite fundamental changes in Africa’s socio-economic landscape. The theme of the conference is “Equity, impact and inclusive growth towards Agenda 2030 and a sustainable African future.”
Date: 5 October to 6 October
Location: Century City Conference Centre, 4 Energy Lane, Century City,Cape Town
Johannesburg
Art Of Mega-Property Developments With Louis Van Der Watt (Atterbury)
This week, Startup Grind Pretoria hosts Louis van der Watt, co-founder of property developer Atterbury.
Date: 3 October, 5.30pm to 8.30pm
Location: Standard Bank Hatfield Hub (Inside Standard Bank Branch), 440 Hilda Street, Hatfield, Pretoria
Ghana
Wondering how to scale your health innovation? Join this eHealth meetup, part of a monthly event series to provide a platform for conversations around challenges and solutions in scaling health innovations in West Africa.
Date: 5 October, 6pm to 8.30pm
Location: Impact Hub Accra, Otswe Street, F 393/4, Accra, Greater Accra Region
Kenya
Hubcubation: Grow and Professionalise your Business to Profitability
Hubcubation is a six-month programme designed for entrepreneurs who want to take their startup to the next level of professionalism and sustainability. Kicking off this week, the programme has a 360 approach built on three pillars: knowledge, networks and coaching.
Date: 6 October, 9am to 5pm
Location: The Entrepreneurs Hub, Waiyaki Way, Nairobi
The Hook-Up Dinner is a networking event for startup entrepreneurs, seasoned business delegates and aspiring entrepreneurs. October’s edition will focus on building the startup economy through access.
Date: 6 October, 6pm to 9pm
Location: Nailab Accelerator, Bishop Magua Center, Ngong Road, Nairobi
PitchFest: Articulate Your Startup Vision
Do you have introductory videos of you and your team about your startup? If not, do not miss this chance to do just that. In attendance will be a network of professional photographers and videographers who will help you work around articulating your startup vision.
Date: 6 October, 9am to 4pm
Location: Nairobi Garage, 7th Floor, Pinetree Plaza, Kaburu Str, Ngong Rd, Nairobi
Innovate Counties Challenge, Nairobi County
UN Habitat in partnership with BitHub Africa are hosting a two-day hackathon event which aims to increase youth participation in decision making processes and in achieving transparency and accountability at the local county government level.
Date: 6 October to 7 October, 7.30am to 5.30pm
Location: 2nd Floor Caradeen Collection, Karandini Rd, Dagoretti Corner, Nairobi
Nigeria
Find out how you can scoop a share of $1-million in prize funding. Join Bolaji Edwards’s talk on The Chivas Venture vision, objectives and anticipated outcomes.
Date: 5 October, 4pm to 6pm
Location: Elab 12, Land Bridge Avenue, Oniru, Lagos
Thank Tech It’s Friday is an informal networking event for startup founders, investors and other stakeholders of the tech ecosystem. It is also a good platform for sharing ideas.
Date: 6 October, 6pm to 10pm
Location: 2nd Floor, 360, Herbert Macaulay Way, Yaba, Lagos
Mozambique
Lioness Lean In Breakfast Event
Lioness Lean In Breakfast Series brings together inspirational African women entrepreneurs to share, inspire and connect with the next generation of great women-led startups. Invited speakers at this week’s event include Ezee Money Mozambique CEO Evandra Cossa, Daisy Mogne Studio founder Daisy Mogne and Iria Marina of Iria Marina Photography.
Date: 6 October, 8am to 12pm
Location: Standard Bank Incubator, Sports Street, No. 119, 1st Floor, Maputo
Featured image: Make it Kenya via Flickr (CC Public Domain Mark 1.0, resized)
