Third annual MEST Africa Summit now underway in Cape Town

The third annual MEST Africa Summit is now underway in Cape Town. The conference, which kicked off last night, will see investors, corporates and startups discuss the challenges and opportunities for startups as they scale to new African markets.

Over 200 attendees from over 40 countries are expected at the summit, which takes place at Avenue Cape Town, a conference venue in the Waterfront, to listen to over 65 speakers.

These include among others, MTN CTO Herman Singh, Facebook’s Europe Middle East and Africa director of platform partnerships Julien Decot and Merck Accelerator head Munya Chivasa.

The last day of the MEST Africa Summit will see the four finalists of the MEST Africa Challenge pitch for $50 000 in equity investment

MEST will also use the platform to share the lessons the organisation has learnt from building tech companies over the past 10 years that it has been in operation.

Today the programme will feature seven panel discussions. These are expected to cover issues on female founders, the best place in Africa to start a business, how fintech can be used for financial inclusion, and the intersection of the creative arts with tech startups.

Tomorrow, the final day of the summit, is set to feature four more panel discussions on topics ranging from blockchain, agritech, to funding.

The conference will then culminate in the four finalists of the MEST Africa Challenge — Cowtribe, Data Integrated, SwiftVee, and Accounteer — pitching for $50 000 in equity investment and an opportunity to join MEST’s incubator.

Featured image: The female founders panel today at the MEST Africa Summit in Cape Town (MEST Africa via Twitter)