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Top startup events in South Africa, Africa you should know about this week [15/10/2018]
The biggest tech startup event taking place on the continent this week is DEMO Africa 2018. It’s happening in Casablanca this Thursday and Friday (18 and 19 October).
In Cape Town, the Seedstars Cape Town pitch event on Friday (19 October) will see 10 startups battle it out in front of an investment panel for an opportunity to represent the country at both the regional and global Seedstars Summits.
In Joburg, the second edition of the Tropics Business Summit will run from Tuesday to Saturday (16 to 20 October) under the theme “Accelerating startups in emerging markets through financial partnerships for inclusive growth and sustainable development”.
For women entrepreneurs in Lagos, Nigeria, Ventures Platform will on Friday run an office hours session aimed at female-owned businesses. The event will feature women from Piggybank, Paystack, and Workstation.
This article is part of a weekly series that highlights all the top startup events, competitions, networking sessions, workshops and conferences in Africa.
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.
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
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: 17 October, 8.30am to 9.30am
Location: 1 Somerset Road, Green Point, Cape Town
Users First: Implementing privacy and free expression for tech SMEs in South Africa
Facebook will host this workshop by Global Partners Digital (GPD), aimed at helping tech businesses build products and services that protect their users’ privacy, security and ability to exercise freedom of expression.
Date: 18 October, 9am to 3.30pm
Location: CiTi Bandwidth Barn, Woodstock Industrial Centre, 66 – 68 Albert Road, Block B, 3rd Floor, Cape Town
Thundafund Entrepreneur Session
Join this event to learn more about crowdfunding. If you want to grow your business, but don’t have the funds then crowdfunding may be just the thing for you.
Date: 18 October, 12pm to 1pm
Location: Green Point Co-Working Space- Foyer A, 34 Somerset Road, Green Point, Cape Town
The 10 best startups from Cape Town will be invited to pitch in front of an investment panel and compete to be crowned the most promising seed-stage startup of Seedstars Cape Town 2018.
Date: 19 October, 4pm to 8pm
Location: Seedspace Cape Town, 8 Spin Street, Cape Town
MEST Africa Information Session
Join the MEST Africa team at the MEST Incubator Lagos as they share their experience working with entrepreneurs from across the continent.
Date: 20 October, 10am to 11am
Location: MEST Incubator Cape Town, Albert Road, Cape Town
Johannesburg
If you have a startup or startup idea and would like to get feedback and guidance from top local entrepreneurs, then join this exclusive and public Startup Office Hours event. Attendees will have the opportunity to pitch to expert CEO mentors and ask them questions about their business strategy, key decisions, next steps, and more.
Date: 16 October, 6.30pm to 9pm
Location: SAP Africa , SAP Business Park, 1 Woodmead Drive, Woodmead, Sandton
The second edition of the Tropics Business Summit will be held under the theme “Accelerating startups in emerging markets through financial partnerships for inclusive growth and sustainable development.”
Date: 16 to 20 October, 8am to 10pm
Location: Protea Hotel Johannesburg, Parktonian All-Suite, 120 De Korte Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg
Facebook Boost Your Business Workshop
Join Yoco and Digify Bytes for this exclusive workshop which will provide businesses and entrepreneurs with the most up-to-date tools, insights, and best practices for achieving success on Facebook and Instagram.
Date: 20 October, 10am to 2pm
Location: Yoco Pop-up Store, 2127, Maponya Mall, Chris Hani Rd, Soweto Johannesburg
Botswana
Lioness Lean In Breakfast Event Gaborone
Lionesses of Africa founder and CEO Melanie Hawken will host this breakfast event in Gaborone.
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.
Date: 19 October, 8am to 11.30am
Location: Avani Gaborone Resort & Casino, 4727 Chuma Drive, Gaborone
Ghana
Africa Economic Dialogue 2018: The Enactment of A Startup Act For Ghana
Join over 200 entrepreneurs, innovators, researchers, economists and policymakers among many others advocating for the enactment of a startup bill for Ghanaian entrepreneurs.
Date: 18 October, 8.30am to 3.30pm
Location: British Council, Liberia Road, Accra
The Growing Business Together Startup Investor Conference
This conference will see Growing Business Together alumnus prepare to pitch and secure investments for their businesses. The event will feature masterclasses on the role of angel investing and startup business valuation for equity investment.
Date: 19 October, 9am to 5pm
Location: Nana Ampomah University of Professional Studies, Accra
Kenya
This is an open mic session for French tech entrepreneurs who would like to share about their businesses.
Date: 17 October, 7pm to 11pm
Location: Brioche Café Bistro – Westlands, The Alchemist , Parklands Road, Nairobi
Nigeria
African Women in Technology and Business Programme
Nectar Hub software company in conjunction with ARPG Tech will conduct this programme to equip young African women with technology and business skills.
Date: 18 October, 12pm to 3pm
Location: United States Consulate General, 2 Walter Carrington Crescent Victoria Island, Lagos,
A work session on business metrics and financial modeling
In this work session, a former JP Morgan VP and MEST Fellow, Segun Makinde, will take each team into a deep dive business metrics and financials to better enable companies make critical decisions for scaling.
Date: 18 October, 1pm to 6pm
Location: MEST Incubator Lagos, 19B Adeyemi Lawson Street, Lagos
Ventures Platform Office hours for female-owned businesses
This edition of office hours is themed “Positioning for growth” and is focused on female-owned businesses. It will feature women from Piggybank, Paystack, and Workstation who will be sharing tips and lessons on how to make that happen.
Date: 19 October, 3pm to 5pm
Location: MEST Incubator Lagos, 19B Adeyemi Lawson Street, Lagos
The 10 best startups from Lagos will be invited to pitch in front of an investment panel and compete to be crowned the most promising seed-stage startup of Seedstars Lagos 2018.
Date: 19 October, 3pm to 8pm
Location: Seedspace Lagos, 23 Agodogba Avenue, Parkview Estate, Ikoyi , Lagos
Business and social Impact: Finding the missing link
Join this monthly hangout of social entrepreneurs, CEOs, policy makers and decision makers as they discuss how to balance business and social impact.
Date: 20 October, 12pm to 2pm
Location: Cranium One, Towry Close, off Idejo Street, Victoria Island, Lagos
Startup Grind Jos hosts Sam Semako Jinadu (Principal partner Career-Wise Consults)
Join Sam Semako Jinadu, the founder of Plateau Volunteers Club, FootStepsAfrica, Youth Initiative and Development, People And Career (PAC) and @JosEvents, as he talks mentorship, career development and networking.
Date: 20 October, 12pm to 3pm
Location: 3rd Floor, TAEN Business Complex, Opposite former NITEL Office, Yakubu Gowon Way, Jos
Morocco
DEMO Africa is the launch pad for African technology and trends, attracting a global audience of over 2000 people to experience the finest African innovations as they venture into the markets.
Selected startups will be introduced to an audience of investors, corporate acquirers, strategic partners and global media practitioners.
Date: 18 to 19 October, 8amm to 8pm
Location: Studio Des Arts Vivants, Route d’Azemmour, Casablanca
Featured image: Members of the audience at a Startup Grind Cape Town event in Cape Town on 4 October (Startup Grind Cape Town via Facebook)
