Cape Town - The CTICC played host to the inaugural Global African Awards Summit for the first of two very exciting days of panel discussions, matchmaking sessions, networking and global investment opportunities.
The event allows start-ups – representing 10 countries from across Africa – the opportunity to meet and network with industry experts, corporates, policymakers, and institutions and universities.
Jo Griffiths, co-founder of the Global Innovation Initiative Group, said: “Our ethos is to find, fund and grow start-ups and the Global Start-up Awards is our vehicle to find those start-ups and give them the visibility they need and to connect them to networks for faster market access, and to also help them find funding. This is achieved by having everyone all in one space, connecting.”
The summit featured leading names in various industries, including health care, sustainability and circular economies, intellectual property and creating global partnerships throughout Africa.
“For the African continent to prosper and take its rightful place in the global community, it needs to broaden its base with economically active and productive citizens. This can only be achieved by creating more jobs and opportunities. Start-up enterprises and entrepreneurs are crucial to realising this ambition,” said Hermann Haupt, vice-president of Sub-Saharan Africa, CHEP.
Griffiths said that the reality of the start-ups is that those living closest to the challenges at hand will be best placed to have the most impact on it.
The summit will allow start-ups to find the right people to help them develop their ideas.