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Top startup events in South Africa, Africa you should know about this week [3/11/2019]
The annual Cape Town Founders Conference will be held at the Ideas Cartel at The Old Foundry in Cape Town on Thursday (7 November). The event’s organisers claim it will be one of the biggest gatherings of entrepreneurs on the African continent in Global Entrepreneurship Week, and that it’s not to be missed by any serious founder.
Elsewhere on the continent, banking and fintech conference Seamless West Africa will take place in Accra, Ghana between Monday and Thursday (4 and 6 November). Also keep an eye out for the several Seedstars pitching competitions taking place around the continent this week.
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.
Bloemfontein
The Lioness Lean In Enterprise series is designed specifically to meet the needs of high growth potential women entrepreneurs.
The event will feature women entrepreneur guest speakers, enterprise development and business banking advisors from Absa, some specialist women business consultants who will share their knowledge and expertise and news about business competitions and other initiatives that can benefit your business.
Date: 8 November, 8am to 11.30am
Location: Sun Windmill Casino, Cnr Jan Pierewiet and N1 Highway, Pellissier, Bloemfontein
Cape Town
Global Edtech Startup Awards semi-finals SA
Join this event to see 10 of the best edtech startups in South Africa go head-to-head at the semi-finals of one of the largest edtech startup competitions in the world.
Date: 4 November, 2pm to 4.30pm
Location: Woodstock Exchange, Albert Road, Cape Town
Accelerate your business and access funding in 2020
This free workshop will discuss a comprehensive approach to growing a business. It will include valuable tips and training on how to improve profitability and access funding, among other topics.
Date: 5 November, 8.30am to 12.30pm
Location: Life Science Auditorium, University Of The Western Cape, Robert Sobukwe Road, Bellville, Cape Town
Learning Lunch: FundedByMe co-founder Arno Smit
WorkInProgress will host Arno Smit, the co-founder of crowdfunding platform FundedByMe, for a lunchtime talk.
Date: 6 November, 12pm to 1.30pm
Location: WorkInProgress 5th Floor, Block B, Woodstock Exchange Building, 66 – 68 Albert Road, Cape Town
Startup Grind Cape Town hosts Africa Trust Group principal and the fund manager for the R100-million US-based Enygma Ventures.
Date: 6 November, 5.30pm to 8.30pm
Location: Workshop 17, 17 Dock Road, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town
The conference aims to bring together the top business people, investors and entrepreneurs in South Africa for an evening of networking, learning and inspiration.
Keynotes and panel discussions will be facilitated by top founders who have walked the walk, in celebration of the incredibly brutal but wildly rewarding journey that is entrepreneurship.
Date: 7 November, 6pm to 9pm
Location: Ideas Cartel at The Old Foundry, Cape Town
Startupbootcamp AfriTech will hold the demo day for its third cohort of 10 African tech startups.
Date: 7 November, 2pm to 5.30pm
Location: Old Mutual West Campus Presentation Room, Ground Floor, Mutualpark, Jan Smuts Dr, Pinelands, Cape Town
Johannesburg
Innovating Justice Challenge Regional Finals
The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law holds the Southern Africa regional finals of its Innovating Justice Challenge in Johannesburg.
The event is one of four events taking place across Africa to scout for the next generation of promising entrepreneurs and innovators who are working to prevent or resolve people’s most pressing justice needs.
Date: 7 November, 6pm to 9.30pm
Location: Impact Hub Joburg, 9 Walters Street, Johannesburg
Dala What You Must: Hacking The Entrepreneurship Game with Skinny Sbu
The Hook Up Dinner Ekurhuleni will host a chat with bounce-back entrepreneur Skinny Sbu on how it feels to rise, fall and rise again as an entrepreneurs in South Africa.
Date: 7 November, 6.30pm to 9.30pm
Location: Germiston Theatre, President Street, Germiston
This networking event will focus on new initiatives to support Johannesburg’s women business builders.
Date: 8 November, 8am to 11.30am
Location: Volkswagen Group SA, 129 Patricia Road, Sandton, Johannesburg
East London
Startup Grind East London hosts SVA International managing director Sandisiwe Mbutuma.
Date: 7 November, 5.30pm to 7.30pm
Location: Second Office, 6 Donald Road, East London
Botswana
Join some of the best startups from Mali as they pitch for an opportunity to represent the country at the Seedstars Africa Summit.
Date: 8 November
Location: TBD
Egypt
Startup Grind Cairo hosts Cleopatra Hospitals Group chief innovation officer Amr Al Ashakr.
Date: 2 November, 5pm to 9pm
Location: Second Office, 6 Donald Road, East London
Gambia
Startup Grind Gambia hosts Qmoney Financial Services group head Sira Ndow, Gam Switch business development officer Bernard Gomez and UN Capital Development Fund’s Edwin Mensah for a chat on the development of digital payments in the Gambia.
Date: 9 November, 6pm to 9pm
Location: Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Bijilo, Banjul
Ghana
Global Edtech Startup Awards semi-finals Ghana
Join the semi-finals of one of the largest edtech startup competitions in the world.
Date: 2 November, 7pm
Location: Ghana Tech Lab, Accra Digital Centre, Ring Road West, Accra
This is one of the biggest banking and fintech events in West Africa, with organisers claiming 83% of attendees include decision makers, influencers and bank executives from the region.
Date: 4 to 6 November
Location: Movenpick Ambassador Hotel, Accra
This evening event will feature three pitch sessions as well as one-on-one mentoring and networking with 30 international experts.
Date: 8 November, 6pm to 10.30pm
Location: La Villa Boutique Hotel, E960 13th Ln, Accra
Kenya
Workshop on valuing your startup
Looking to raise funding? Then join this event to learn how to value your startup.
Date: 7 November, 1pm to 2pm
Location: iHub, Galana Road, 6th Floor, Nairobi
UNDA Youth Network Startup Forum 2019
This event is aimed at youth between the ages of 18 and 30 that have started a business or would like to start one.
Date: 9 November, 9am to 1pm
Location: Jamii Bora Bank, Argwings Kodhek Groove, Nairobi
Mali
Join some of the best startups from Mali as they pitch for an opportunity to represent the country at the Seedstars Africa Summit.
Date: 9 November
Location: Impact Hub Bamako, Ground Floor Issuance LAFIA Building, ACI 2000, BPE 35 55 Bamako
Nigeria
Startup Grind Abuja hosts Innovius Group founder and CEO Martins Olajide.
Date: 1 November, 3pm to 6pm
Location: Enspire (Merit House), 22 Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja
Watch some of Nigeria’s best early-stage startups pitch in front of an investment panel and compete to be crowned the most promising seed-stage startup in the country at Seedstars Lagos.
Date: 8 November, 3pm to 7pm
Location: Seedspace GrowthLab, 2nd floor, Business Center, Circle Mall, Lekki Peninsula II, Lekki, Lagos
How to Start a Global Startup in Ibadan
Join this Founder Institute event to learn from those with deep startup experience on how to go about launching a global startup.
Date: 9 November, 10am to 9pm
Location: Ibridge Hub, Km 110, Abeokuta Road, Off Alalubosa GRA, Ibadan
The Startup Club has set up a one-day practical session that helps entrepreneurs structure their business ideas to attract angel investors and potential partners.
Date: 9 November, 5pm to 7pm
Location: Tomruk iHub Multiverse, Steel Rolling Mill Road, Jos
Startup Grind Obio hosts X8designz CEO Sandra Ozioma.
Date: 9 November, 2pm to 5pm
Location: The Milkshake Bar, Ground floor, Vineyard Mall, 88 Woji Road,GRA, Port Harcourt
Tunisia
Startups and VC funding in Africa
Join Hannilab and Young Tunisian Coders Academy founder Kyane Kassiri for a chat on venture capital funding in Africa and the opportunities available to Tunisian startups.
Date: 5 November, 6.30pm to 8.30pm
Location: Cogite Coworking Space, 1 Place Tahar Haddad, Les berges du lac Tunis, Tunis
Zambia
Some of the best startups from Zambia will be invited to pitch in front of a jury panel as they compete to be crowned the most promising seed-stage startup at Seedstars Lusaka 2019.
Date: 6 November
Location: Bongo Hive, Plot 16948B, Thabo Mbeki Rd, Lusaka
Featured image: Startup Grind Cape Town via Facebook
