Of the 11,949 entries, Southern Africa accounted for 28%, the highest among the five regions (Northern, Eastern, Western, Central, and Southern Africa). This year, Southern Africa led for the first time, with a 65% increase in entries compared to last year, proving to be the most competitive region.

The following five countries are represented among the Southern regional winners: South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, and Angola.

Key Southern African highlights for 2024 include:

• The top three categories are: Fintech, Greentech and Healthtech
• New pioneering technologies coming to the market in the Greentech and Healthtech categories.
• Of the 14 Southern Africa winners South Africa leads with 10 finalists, followed by winners from Botswana, Namibia, and Angola.
• The top SDGs the startups are solving for are SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 4 (Quality Education).
• Startup development phases: ideation (1.7%), pre-seed (33%), seed (31%), growth (32.3%), and maturity and exit (2%)

The 14 Southern African winners were announced and celebrated yesterday [Thursday 18th of July] in Cape Town at UVU Africa our country partner. To view visit here.

“How exciting it is to witness the vibrancy of Africa’s tech scene through the Global Startup Awards. It is a special honour to see that 10 of my fellow South Africans – eight of them from my hometown of Cape Town – are among the 14 winners of this year’s awards. The City of Cape Town proudly supports the development of our local tech scene as evidenced by our funding of UVU Africa, one of the most prolific tech incubators on the continent. Congratulations to every single winner and I look forward to seeing the great things you will continue to do for communities across Africa,” said Alderman James Vos, the City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth.

The Northern, Eastern, Western and Central regional winners were all announced this week and can be viewed here. These exceptional startups, representing 22 African nations, will compete at the regional level, with the African finalists to be crowned in October at the GSA Africa Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – GSA Africa’s host nation for 2024.

A historic public voting turnout saw 215,210 people casting their votes to determine the winners, alongside a panel of expert judges who evaluated the entries. The panel of jury members consists of internationally renowned sector-focused industry leaders, ecosystem enablers, and influential individuals from across Africa in the tech innovation space.

“African entrepreneurs are paving the way for the continent’s future, and this year’s competition has highlighted this brilliantly. The diversity in business ambitions is impressive, and beyond agritech, education, and fintech solutions, sectors like pharmacy, eMobility, and aerospace are starting to play a stronger role. These startups are making significant impacts in their communities, countries, regions, and beyond,” noted Jury member Guido Schwartz, Foundation for Space Development Africa.

Key Trends Noted from the 2024 Global Startup Awards Africa Season:

From an impressive 11,949 entries – a 44% increase since 2023 – spanning 52 African countries, the startups represented various development phases: ideation (3.4%), pre-seed (28.7%), seed (34%), growth (30.6%), and maturity and exit (3.6%). To date, 27,814 startups have participated in GSA Africa.

• Mobility and Logistics: As rural-urban migration intensifies and the population is projected to double by 2050, the demand for reliable and inclusive mobility and logistics solutions is expected to grow significantly. Unsurprisingly entries in this category have risen from 11% in 2023 to 19% in 2024 and include solutions for mass transport as well as digital logistics coordination platforms.
• Green Tech: Since the inaugural GSA Africa in 2021, solutions aligned with SDG 13 (Climate Action) have tripled. This category saw a 14% representation in entries, with 77% of the Greentech startups planning to join the carbon market within the next 12-24 months. Winning startups include the Global South’s first Direct Air Capture (DAC) company,
• Agriculture: Accounting for 15% of total entries, this category showcased innovations like micro-financing and AI solutions for smallholder farmers, alongside a startup revolutionizing the biomaterials industry by harnessing the power of bioengineering to convert agricultural waste into sustainable, carbon-neutral polymers
• Health Tech: With 12% of entries, this category saw significant growth in telehealth solutions, pharmaceutical supply chain innovations, last-mile delivery solutions, and specialized health prevention technologies. 70% of the health tech entries fall into digital health, AI, and machine learning, with medical devices and mental health technologies comprising the rest.“

The health sector innovations were truly inspiring. The applicants showcased groundbreaking solutions with the potential to revolutionize healthcare delivery in the region. It was encouraging to witness the convergence of technology and healthcare, paving the way for improved health outcomes and sustainable development,” noted Jury member Farai Chirongoma, UNDP.

• Fintech: Representing 27% of all entries, this year saw a diverse range of fintech solutions including digital currencies, digital-only banks, banking-as-a-service (BaaS), payments, ecommerce, and automation. For the first time, the competition has fintech finalists from Sudan and Morocco and a unique commerce solution for a mobile world.
• Youth: Featuring 10% of entries from founders under 26, this demographic’s entrepreneurial spirit fosters the growth of new industries and sectors, thereby mitigating economic vulnerability through economic diversification. Winning solutions include the first electronically financed trade platform for medical consumables and supplies, a community mobilization initiative promoting holistic health, innovation, and self-reliance, a technology startup focused on sustainable drone production and automation and a gamified English learning platform aimed at improving children’s reading literacy across Africa.
• Women in Tech: This category saw a 34% increase in entries since 2023, celebrating solutions and initiatives dedicated to closing the gender gap and empowering women to embrace technology.

Loop, Startup of the Year, SA Regional winner

The winners then progress to the global stage to present their groundbreaking innovations in 2025.

Kim Balle, Co-Founder of The Global Startup Awards, shares: “Startups from the African Startup Awards have shown tremendous development, solving problems with solutions applicable beyond Africa. The startup world is transitioning, with decreasing entry barriers to knowledge, capital, and technology mastery. African startups are now technically advanced and built to scale, especially in sectors addressing global issues. I am confident we will see unicorns among the GSA Africa alumni winners soon.”

Regional winners will have the opportunity to engage with the GIIG Africa Fund, known for balancing tech innovation’s commercial success with social impact. By investing in profitable and socially responsible solutions, GIIG ensures startups contribute to broader societal benefits.

“GIIG’s long-term vision is to create sustainable businesses with a positive impact, fostering innovation-driven economies and positioning Africa as a leader in addressing global challenges through innovative solutions,” remarked Jo Griffiths, co-founder of GIIG and GSA Africa. “We nurture interconnected communities through trust, expertise, and networks, promoting cross-border collaboration and market access to drive systemic transformation and sustainable development across the continent”.

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Now in its second year, GSA Africa is a continent-wide opportunity for SDG-aligned solutions with global relevance, focusing on agriculture, climate, commerce, education, healthcare, and mobility & logistics, among others, with a particular interest in startups championing Web3 technologies, sustainable business models, green innovation, and diversity in the workplace. The year-long competition will see entrants compete at a national level before vying for their spot as a regional finalist. Thereafter, the continent’s top innovators will gather in-person at the GSA Africa Summit in August 2023, for a two-day conference and gala dinner to convene, connect and celebrate Africa’s most innovative minds.

Jo Griffiths, Co-Founder of GSA Africa, said “Historically, Africa has had to battle against this narrative of the ‘Dark Continent’ – but if we learnt anything from last year’s competition, which gathered more than 7,000 entries – it’s that Africa is a continent brimming with world-class talent, with impact-driven ideas, and with ample opportunities to scale. We’re incredibly excited to spend this next season  connecting with the next cohort of leaders in African innovation, and to support their growth with new opportunities for funding, access to market, and mentorship at a global level.”

With categories for startups, investors, ecosystem enablers and individuals, winners of the African Startup Awards will also gain exclusive access to the GSA Alumni Network – an invite-only club to fast-track startup outcomes and connect members with regional and global stakeholders, as well as  matchmaking opportunities between active investors, successful startups, accelerator and incubator programs, and like-minded government initiatives.

Commenting on his experience of the African Startup Awards is the winner of last season’s award for Best HealthTech Startup in Africa, Ryan Marincowitz – Founder and CEO of MyHealth Africa said “I highly recommend startups of all verticals to apply for the GSA Africa competition, as it introduces founders to a wide range of funding and investment opportunities, as was our case. But what was also amazing was that, while not everyone was a winner, we all still benefitted from mentorship and training workshops on issues such as global market access, which are another part of the programme.”

Adding to this is Kim Balle, Co-Founder of GSA Global, said “In addition to these investment, networking and mentorship opportunities, startup winners of the African awards will also be invited to attend the Global Grand Finale taking place in Copenhagen, Denmark, in March 2023. Here, Africa’s top innovators will have the chance to engage with a range of potential partners from innovation ecosystems from across the globe.”

The second edition of the African Startup Awards comes as the continent becomes home to more than 1,000 active startups, which together raised more than US$ 1 billion in venture capital in 2021. Furthermore, research conducted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa has found that achieving the SDGs could open $12 trillion in market opportunities and create 380 million jobs for Africans by 2030.

Speaking to the significance of investing in African startups, Mahyar Makhzani, Co-Founder of GIIG, adds that: “It’s important to also recognise that cross-border initiatives such as the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) create amplified opportunities to scale innovation from one region to another. By partnering with GSA Africa, the GIIG Africa Fund is well positioned to invest in and assist the continent’s top startups to harness these transnational developments – however in doing so, we’re also looking for more partners at the national, regional level and global levels, who can ensure that this process is as seamless as possible.”

Applications for the 2023 season of GSA Africa will be open from 4 November 2022 to 31 January 2023, with entrepreneurs, startups and innovation organisations at all stages of the growth cycle invited to apply.

For more information on GSA Africa, or to enter this year’s awards, go to: www.globalstartupawardsafrica.com

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