SAVCA 2025 Industry Awards Spotlight Africa’s Most Ambitious Private Capital-Backed Innovators

With the nomination deadline fast approaching, the Southern African Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (SAVCA) has issued a final call for entries for the 2025 SAVCA Industry Awards, set to take place on 7 November. Now in its seventh year, the annual awards ceremony continues to honour the transformative power of private capital in building and scaling high-impact companies across Southern Africa.

At a time when the role of private equity and venture capital in economic recovery and growth is more critical than ever, this year’s awards introduce a new category alongside the existing benchmarks for entrepreneurial excellence.

“Each year, the calibre of entries sets a new benchmark. These are the stories that inspire both our industry and the broader ecosystem,” says Nicola Gubb, Interim Executive Director of SAVCA.

Recognising excellence across every stage of growth

The SAVCA Industry Awards highlight businesses that have meaningfully benefited from private investment, with four established categories:

• Start-ups / Venture Capital: Companies younger than five years and engaged in early-stage funding (Series A or B, excluding seed/pre-revenue).

• Small Companies: Enterprise value and revenue under R200 million, with positive operating cash flow.

• Medium Companies: Value and revenue over R200 million, but under R1.5 billion.

• Large Companies: Portfolio businesses with value and revenue above R1.5 billion.

New in 2025 is the introduction of the GP Award, designed to honour an individual at a fund management firm who has provided outstanding support to a portfolio company. Nominees in this category must have played a pivotal role in both the transaction and the company’s post-investment growth trajectory.

Nominations close 8 August

Companies must be headquartered in Southern Africa and able to demonstrate tangible growth outcomes linked to their investment partners. Only firms that exited their private equity or venture capital partnership within the past 18–24 months (up to December 2024) will be considered.

A panel of respected business leaders will review submissions and shortlist finalists, who will undergo individual interviews ahead of the final announcement in November.

Submit nominations here: https://research.krutham.com/jfe/form/SV_0xLkrDztxe5uEHc

Spotlight on innovation with purpose

Last year’s winners were a testament to the resilience and creativity of South African entrepreneurs—particularly in the SME and healthtech sectors. hearX Group, winners in the Start-up category, have built a global footprint in hearing health, impacting over 2.4 million lives across 190+ countries.

“Winning the SAVCA Startup Award was more than recognition—it was validation of our mission and momentum,” said Nicole Myburgh, Marketing Lead at hearX Group. “It reminded us of the real-world change we’re driving every day.”

As the 2025 awards approach, SAVCA is urging both investors and investee companies to share the stories behind their success. According to Vuyo Ntoi, SAVCA Chairperson, nominations should reflect not only strong financials, but a company’s ability to innovate, create jobs, expand regionally, and build resilient, future-ready enterprises through the power of private capital.

“We want to celebrate those businesses that are rewriting the narrative of what’s possible in Southern Africa,” says Ntoi