F5.5G Leap-forward Development of Broadband in Africa The Africa Broadband Forum 2024 (BBAF 2024) was successfully held in Cape Town, South Africa recently, under…
Top startup events in South Africa, Africa you should know about this week [08/03/2020]
With the coronavirus in the headlines worldwide, a spate of events — including those from the tech sector — have been cancelled. A number of others are opting to run as digital-only events.
But for those looking to venture out, tech publication Weetracker will this Thursday (12 March) launch its Better Africa Report which analyses African startup founders.
In Joburg the Blockchain Africa Conference 2020 appears to be going ahead (it’s scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday — 11 and 12 March).
Elsewhere on the continent, the fifth Next Einstein Forum Global Gathering is expected to bring together hundreds of scientists, policymakers and industry leaders from around the world, when it convenes from Tuesday to Friday (10 to 13 March) in Nairobi.
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 the events are free and some will require booking in advance. Please click on the event names to find out more information.
Cape Town
Does your business have the capacity to grow? Will your business systems, infrastructure and team be able to accommodate growth?
This workshop, which is part of Vodacom Fast Forward Series, will be presented by Lelemba Phiri, an award-winning educator and gender-lens angel investor. Phiri is the principal at the Africa Trust Group.
Date: 12 March, 9am to 1.30pm
Location: Young Blood Africa Art Gallery, 70-74 Bree St, Cape Town
Africa’s entrepreneurship scene has taken off in the last 10 years.
African tech publication Weetracker presents a research report based on a sample of 500 entrepreneurs, where the average failure rate stood at 54%, varying heavily depending on the country, funding phase or sector.
Weetracker together with Hybr, Silicon Cape, The Sun Exchange and GreenTec Capital Africa Foundation unpacks the report.
Date: 12 March, 6pm to 8.30pm
Location: The Woodstock Exchange, 66-68 Albert Road, Cape Town
Durban
The Startup Grind Durban University of Technology (DUT) will this week host Blessing Nzuza, founder of Respo Technology.
Respo was founded in 2018 by Blessing Nzuza after he witnessed a stab victim bleeding on the Durban beachfront. This inspired him to develop a smartphone app that aims to cut emergency medical response times with the intention of saving more lives.
Date: 13 March, 12pm to 2pm
Location: DB0001, Block B, 7 Ritson Rd, Overport, Durban
Gauteng
Cannabis – legislation and opportunities
The Mail & Guardian brings stakeholders from government, private and public sector, businesses, professionals, consultants, legal, academia and civil society to engage, clarify and debate the future of cannabis, both for private and businesses purposes.
Date: 10 March, 8.30am to 4pm
Location: Glenhove Conference Centre, Glenhove Rd., Johannesburg, Johannesburg
Blockchain Africa Conference 2020
Since 2015, Bitcoin Events’ annual Blockchain Africa Conferences have been the first of their kind in Africa and have brought together some of the top thought leaders from across the globe.
Over 32 countries, 1600 delegates and 135 speakers have attended the previous five conferences, from both the public and private sector.
Date: 11 and 12 March
Location: Investec, Johannesburg, 100 Grayston Dr, Sandown, Sandton
This Startup Grind Pretoria workshop hosts York Zucchi the CEO of the Centre for Unconventional Entrepreneurship, one of the world’s leading experts in the subject of access to markets.
Zucchi unpacks what he has learned and observed during his work supporting SMEs in over 83 countries.
Date: 14 March, 9am to 1pm
Location: American Corner – Es’kia Mphahlele Community Library, Sammy Marks Square, 347 Madiba Street, Pretoria Central
Egypt
Startup Reactor – Mentors Meetup
Reactor’s meetups aim at building a community of experienced mentors, who are so bright, innovative and aren’t afraid to leap of faith but most importantly people who are willing to pass on their legacy and knowledge to startups who have the passion.
Date: 10 March, 5.30pm to 8pm
Location: Ideaspace, 124 Othman Ibn Affan Street, El Nozha, Cairo Governorate
Kenya
The Next Einstein Forum, an African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) initiative in partnership with the Robert Bosch Stiftung, aims to connect science to humanity’.
The fifth Next Einstein Forum Global Gathering is expected to bring together hundreds of scientists, policymakers and industry leaders from around the world.
Date: 10 to 13 March
Location: Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), Nairobi Central Harambee KICC Starehe
Senegal
Artificial intelligence conference
Dakar Science Po, with the participation of experts, invites members of the public to its conference on artificial intelligence (AI), which will look at how political decision-makers will respond to the different challenges of AI.
Date: 13 March, 3.30pm to 6pm
Location: Dakar Science Po, Nord Liberté VI VDN X Route du Front de Terre LOT N ° O2, Dakar
Featured image: Delegates pictured at the 2018 Africa Early Stage Investor Summit (Supplied)
