AfricArena announces the 7th annual Grand Summit, scheduled for 3-4 December 2024.

After months of planning, the AfricArena will host its seventh annual Grand Summit on December 3-4, 2024, at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

As part of Africa Investor Week, this event will bring together over 600 investors and some of Africa's ‘brightest minds’ in technology, innovation, and investment.

AWS Startups, Technology Innovation Agency, GIZ SAIS, eSquared Investments, Wesgro, the City of Cape Town, and TotalEnergies are among the major sponsors of the AfricArena Grand Summit.

TotalEnergies will also sponsor the Grand Start-Up Challenge Track, where Challenge winners will present their solutions to a global audience on the AfricArena Grand Stage.

According to AfricArena, this year's Grand Summit will include over 50 innovative start-ups from 31 African countries, including regional champions from pre-summit events in Johannesburg, Abidjan, Nairobi, and Tunis, as well as showcases in London and Paris.

Notable start-ups including Terra, Gjenge, Leyalabs, NextAV, Fixa, and Rhea will present solutions to both local and global challenges.

AfricArena said it remains a platform for innovation, connecting entrepreneurs with investors, forming important partnerships, and advancing Africa's tech sector.

The Summit will feature a recognised line-up of speakers, providing significant insights into the future of African technology, including:

• Maxime Bayen, Co-founder of Africa: The Big Deal, will deliver the keynote on “The State of Tech in Africa”.
• Tonee Ndungu, Founder and CEO of Kyatbu, will present “What Lies Ahead: Africa’s Journey to 2025 and Key Predictions.”
• Justin Coetzee, Founder and CEO of GoMetro, will share his journey in “The Founder’s Journey: Taking a Startup Global from the Bottom Tip of Africa.”
• Maurizio Caio, Managing Partner of TLcom Capital LLP, will discuss “Achieving World-Class Returns in Africa VC: Lessons from the Last Decade.”

In addition to these keynotes, AfricArena stated that expert-led panel discussions will cover essential issues such as:

• Scaling Deep Tech and AI in Africa
• Gender Diversity in the Tech Space
• Exploring Alternative Funding Mechanisms
• Building Bridges Between International and African Ecosystems