Cape Town Ready to Host 2021 SA Innovation Summit

Cape Town is getting ready to host the 2021 annual SA Innovation Summit, a three-day event that brings tech startups and investors together. The summit will take place from 21 to 23 September at the Mount Nelson Hotel. Under this year’s theme, Expanding Horizons, it will feature a wide collection of local and international entities showcasing their programmes and sharing knowledge.

The SA Innovation Summit as an annual flagship event on the South African Innovation Calendar, is a platform for nurturing, developing and showcasing African innovation, as well as facilitating innovation thought-leadership. Created to support and promote innovation and facilitate collaboration within its own eco-system, the initiative brings together corporates, thought leaders, inventors, entrepreneurs, academia and policymakers to amplify South Africa’s renowned competitive edge and to inspire sustained economic growth across the continent of Africa.

The outcomes achieved by the Summit, is a powerful platform to bring together thought leaders and accelerate innovation in South Africa, and into the African continent as whole.

Chairperson Audrey Verhaeghe said in a statement: “The ideal for any startup is to scale and grow not only within South Africa but also globally. Since launching in 2007 we’ve supported entrepreneurs by offering platforms to connect, be skilled, mentored, and provided with funding opportunities, which has contributed to several famous startups such as HearX and Wi-Group.”

2021 Innovation Summit event details

The summit will be a hybrid event with entrepreneurs, corporate professionals, and industry leaders attending both in-person and online. This year, the event expects to attract 1 500 participants and will host 48 industry leaders. Guest speakers include the likes of Southern African Innovation Support Programme lead expert, Illari Lindy, and XRGlobal co-founder Natalie Miller.

In addition, several international entities such as the Embassy of Brazil and Startup Estonia will showcase their programmes. The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) will also hold a showcase for early-stage startups.

You can check out a video about the 2021 SA Innovation Summit below:

Those interested in attending the summit can register to attend on the event website.