South Africa This Week: Startup Event Glimpses [06-12 August, 2018]
This past week South Africa was proactive and chock-full of Startup events and activities. SA hit several notable and top startup events that covered and were geared towards the role of Entrepreneurship. This role has created an ongoing activation and accessibility of startup events to empower ecosystems in tackling current-future challenges, and much more. If you Missed out on all these events, we got you covered. We are giving you an affirmative and active wrap up of the past SA’s week’s events. Here is the list of the events:
All things Blockchain and cryptocurrency with Sonya Kuhnel (Blockchain Academy) hosted by Startup Grind Pretoria
Image credit: Blockchain Academy via Facebook
Startup Grind is an independent startup community, actively, educating, inspiring and connecting more than 1200,000 entrepreneurs in 400 cities. It operates in startup ecosystems of 150 countries through events, media, and partnerships with organizations like Google for Entrepreneurs. Startup Grind hosted All things Blockchain and cryptocurrency in collaboration with Blockchain Academy. The event brought together individuals to learn and expand more on Blockchain technology. The fireside chat revolved around how the technology works explaining its wide range and the related industry-specific training that Blockchain Academy offers.
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It featured a few speakers from the Blockchain Academy, Managing Director Sonya Kuhnel and Consultant Carel de Jager as they conversed around Blockchain and cryptocurrency on how its illustration can bring the ability of technical uses and elaborations and how simple and practical it is. One of the speakers detailed how blockchain technology can tap the enormous potential of Africa and that Blockchain and efficient funding through cryptocurrency will enable mass leap over the rift of African development economics
The event aimed to remove the confusion and provide education for Startups and organizations on how they can use Blockchain technology to its benefits, understand opportunities that exist and get startups and the ecosystem culture up to speed with everything that’s happening in the world of this new-exciting Blockchain technology and cryptocurrency.
The Netpreneur: The rise of Africa’s Digital Lions, Johannesburg.
Image credit: The South African
This past week South African startups had the privilege to attend the Netpreneur: The rise of Africa’s Digital Lions, conference. Indeed one of the top Startup events ever staged in South Africa. The Netpreneur conference was held Wednesday, 8th of August in Johannesburg.
The spirit of enterprises surged up when the founder of Alibaba, Jack Ma finally launched and announced the Netpreneur prize worth USD 10 Mn.
The Neptreneur Prize is a new program created to cultivate and fund 100 African Entrepreneurs who are working to address Africa’s most important challenges. The program will be offered across Africa for the next coming ten years.
The four hour event held at the Wits Linder Auditorium was put together by the Alibaba Business School, UNCTAD and Jack Ma Foundation, which featured more than a few high profile figures, including Alibaba Stakeholders, Botswana’s minister of investment, Trade and Industry Bogolo Kenewendo, South Africa’s minister for Science and Technology Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, University of Johannesburg Vice-Chancellor and Principal Tshiidzi Marwala.
Ma spoke and addressed Startups with a profound speech. His speech was primarily centered on governments creating and enabling an environment for entrepreneurs on the African Continent.
Solution Learning lunch hosted: Women in Leadership in Cape Town.
Image credit: Solution Learning via Facebook
On Wednesday 8th of August, Solution Learning Lunch launched its space for entrepreneurs to learn from experts and seasoned business women excelling in their fields. This curated event was held in Philippi Village, Solutions Space in Cape Town.
The Solution Space provides an ecosystem for early-stage Startups and a research and development platform for corporates. Based at the University of Business, their startups are innovation-driven companies building a viable and scalable business.
In commemoration of Women’s month, the lunch brought together Women from all fields with the aim to empower other female entrepreneurs and support social enterprises. As part of its program activities, the event included Dr. Judy Dlamini as a guest speaker. Dr. Dlamini, a qualified medical doctor and, Founder of Mbekani Group which has operations and investments in different sectors of the economy; surgical instrument and sterile services management, property and facilities management, luxury fashion retail, and amongst others. The Entrepreneur and business expert focused her discussions based on the ‘Women Leadership’ theme.
She also shared key insights from her book on female leadership. “Equal but different “- reflecting women leader’s life stories overcoming race, gender, and social class. The event eventually came to a close with more inspirational talks and networking sessions.
