Proudly convened by UVU Africa and StartupCity Cape Town, Unique Summit 2024 offered local and international delegates a vibrant platform to engage in meaningful discussions about investment opportunities across Africa.
A special thank you to event partners GIIG, Global Startup Awards Africa, Wesgro, GreenCape, Fetola ,The Loudhailer and many others that worked together to elevate Cape Town as a global hub for innovation and investment.
Recap of Insightful Discussions
One of the many informative panel discussions that took place was titled “Biases and telling the African story”. This pivotal discussion featured Mike Joubert from Billybo Group, Adrian Ephraim from TechSafari, and Lerato Mogoatlhe representing Africa No Filter.
During their discussion, they called for storytelling that reflect Africa’s diversity, innovation, and untapped opportunities. They concluded that positive and authentic storytelling about Africa can lead to investment opportunities and economic growth on the continent.
Another key highlight was the Investor & Ecosystem Builder Roundtable that brought together participants from Botswana, Canada, and Italy. They discussed challenges and opportunities within Africa’s investment landscape. One of their major concerns was the glaring disparity in global venture capital funding, with Africa receiving only 1% of the total share. The roundtable concluded that it’s important to find solutions to address the disconnect between investors and accelerators because it’s negatively affecting the continent’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The roundtable also unpacked role of Entrepreneur Support Organizations in fostering investor readiness. The panel urged startups to clearly articulate their funding needs, highlighting that transparency builds investor confidence. Gender disparities in fundraising were also discussed, with female founders often raising less capital despite their careful and deliberate approach. The roundtable discussion concluded that shared responsibilities among investors, accelerators, and startups are vital in creating a more robust support system.
Global Startup Awards Africa Ceremony and Niterói, Brazil announced as the next host city
The Unique Summit ended on a celebratory note as the top 15 GSA Africa Continental Winners for Edition 11 were announced and celebrated. The evening was filled with excitement as the global community united to honour the exceptional achievements of African startups, shining a light on the continent’s transformative potential in the global innovation landscape. Three South African startups that emerged victorious are OceanHub Africa, SeaH4 PTY Ltd and Loop.
The anticipation surrounding the next host city for the Unique Summit ended with the announcement that Niterói, Brazil, will host the 2025 event. Valeria Braga the Head of Science, Technology and Innovation’s Department from the Municipality of Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil expressed her excitement. “I’m excited and honoured that we were chosen as the next host. We are looking forward to the opportunity, it’s going to be amazing”.
The Unique Summit 2024 was not just a gathering of ideas but a call to action. The comprehensive programme with three different streams ensured that leaders, innovators, startups and investors left with actionable plans to transform Africa’s entrepreneurial landscape.
