Startupbootcamp AfriTech (SBC AfriTech) has been named the Best Accelerator in the Africa region by the first annual Southern Africa Startup Awards, in partnership with the Global Startup Awards.
SBC AfriTech was awarded the accolade last Thursday (22 November), following a rigorous process of nominations, public voting and adjudication.
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The award was received by SBC AfriTech programme manager Nsovo Nkatingi, the only woman to lead an accelerator of this scope on the continent.
Startupbootcamp (SBC) AfriTech won the Best Accelerator or Incubation Programme award at the inaugural Southern Africa Startup Awards
“Startupbootcamp AfriTech is truly honoured to have received this award and we are even more privileged to be backed by Nedbank, Old Mutual, PwC, RCS and BNP Paribas Personal Finance.
“These are the partnerships that help us validate the impact we have in Africa’s entrepreneurship ecosystem,” said Nkatingi.
The Southern Africa Startup Awards forms part of the Global Startup Awards, which provides an annual spotlight on web and tech startups in regions across the globe.
More than 3000 organisations and startups were nominated for the entire awards, globally. The winners were then further judged and ranked by a panel of international judges, whose decision was eventually combined with individual public votes from across the globe.
Selected winners of the national awards in each region, such as Africa, will now participate in the Global Startup Awards next year. The ceremony will be held in China with the venue and date still to be confirmed.
‘Accelerator programmes must keep raising their game’
Commenting on the accolade, SBC AfriTech CEO and co-founder Philip Kiracofe said the tech ecosystem in Africa is expanding rapidly, with many new entrants — both local and international — providing support to local startups.
“This means that all the accelerator programmes must keep raising their game,” he added.
“We are humbled to have received this award and are honoured to proudly represent the African continent at the Global Startup Awards competition. The recognition for SBC AfriTech gives us yet another platform through which to showcase the disruptive startups in our cohort, and the innovative corporate sponsors who are powering them,” he said.
SBC AfriTech is now officially the leading tech accelerator on the African continent and is the Africa-leg of a global family of industry-focused accelerators.
The AfriTech accelerator focuses on high growth startups in blockchain, connected devices, payment solutions, capital markets and asset management, integrated supply chain, e-commerce, fintech, retailtech, insurtech, alternative financing, identity management, digital connectivity, data and behavioural analytics and enabling technologies.
“Innovation ‘For Africans, By Africans’ is baked into the DNA of SBC AfriTech and we are passionately devoted to accelerating every aspect of the ecosystem – startups, corporates, young digital talent, our partner network, and of course the SBC AfriTech team,” said Kiracofe.
He said in helping startups, the accelerator leverages a global support network that includes 680 startup alumni, hundreds of corporate sponsors, and thousands of mentors to fulfil our core mission to scout, skill, and scale the best innovators on the continent.
Said Kiracofe: “Naturally, we are excited to look forward to the Global Startup Awards competition, but regardless of what happens there, our most important focus will continue to be the local and regional ecosystem”.
This article was sponsored by Startupbootcamp (SBC) AfriTech.
