AfricaIgnite 2025 to Spotlight Startups at Africa Tech Festival in Cape Town

The Africa Tech Festival 2025, the continent’s most influential technology and innovation gathering, has unveiled details of AfricaIgnite, its flagship track dedicated to propelling Africa’s startup ecosystem. Set to take place from 11 to 13 November 2025 in Cape Town, South Africa, the event is positioned as a gateway for early-stage entrepreneurs to connect with investors, corporates, policymakers, and industry leaders who can accelerate their journey to scale.

AfricaIgnite: Where Scale Begins

Framed under the theme “Where Scale Begins”, AfricaIgnite has become a high-impact hub for African startups. Its purpose is twofold: to showcase the continent’s most promising ventures and to provide them with the networks, skills, and visibility needed to grow beyond their local markets.

The 2025 programme emphasizes three central pillars of the Africa Tech Festival: Responsible Innovation, Inclusive Investment, and Policy Harmonisation. By weaving entrepreneurship into broader debates on investment and regulation, AfricaIgnite ensures startups are not siloed but rather integrated into Africa’s digital transformation agenda.

Access to Capital and Mentorship

This year’s edition will give founders unprecedented access to venture capitalists, angel investors, corporate innovation teams, and development finance institutions. Curated matchmaking sessions will connect startups directly with decision-makers actively seeking opportunities in untapped African markets.

Special networking meetups will target high-growth sectors, including:

• Fintech networking sessions bringing together disruptors in digital payments and banking.

• Climate Tech meetups showcasing green innovations driving sustainability.

• Female Founder sessions designed to elevate women-led startups and connect them with capital providers.

Additionally, the Founders Learning Hub will offer practical upskilling modules on fundraising strategies, scaling operations, go-to-market planning, and navigating regulatory frameworks.

Big-Name Speakers and Delegations

AfricaIgnite’s growing stature as Africa’s premier startup platform is reflected in its 2025 speaker line-up, featuring:

• Ojoma Ochai, Managing Director, Co-Creation Hub.

• Odunayo Eweniyi, Co-Founder and COO of Piggyvest, and Co-Founder of FirstCheck Africa.

• Zach George, Managing Partner, Launch Africa.

• Ogugua Osakwe Adegbite, Principal, Partech Partners.

Startup delegations from across the continent will participate, thanks to partnerships with international development bodies. The International Trade Centre (ITC) will showcase 10 green tech startups from South Africa under the UKTP programme, featuring pioneers in carbon tech and circular agritech. From Sierra Leone, five startups in e-commerce, fintech, and healthtech—supported by KOICA’s READY Salone project—will also be present.

“Africa Tech Festival is a great platform for these entrepreneurs to exhibit, pitch their solutions, build global partnerships, and find clients in new markets. Visit the startup exhibitor pods in Hall 8; P21-P35!” said Milou Emily van Bruggen, Digital Sector Development at ITC.

A Platform for Policy and Investment

By integrating AfricaIgnite into the festival’s broader policy and investment conversations, the organisers aim to position early-stage entrepreneurship as central to Africa’s economic transformation.

“By integrating AfricaIgnite into Africa Tech Festival’s broader investment and policy conversations, the event positions early-stage entrepreneurship as a critical driver of Africa’s digital transformation,” explained Ciara Mcdonald Heffernan, Senior Producer for Africa Tech Festival.

The Ministerial Summit, now in its expanded second edition, will also run alongside the festival, offering high-level engagement between policymakers, industry leaders, and investors.

Aligning with Global Dialogues

The 2025 Africa Tech Festival coincides with South Africa’s hosting of the G20 Leadership Summit, underscoring its relevance to global conversations on innovation, digital policy, and sustainable growth. By aligning Africa’s startup ecosystem with international dialogues, AfricaIgnite strengthens the continent’s positioning in global technology markets.

Registration Open

Registration for Africa Tech Festival 2025 and its anchor events—including AfricaIgnite, AfricaCom, AfricaTech, and The AI Summit Cape Town—is now open. Interested participants can register via:

• General Registration

• Startup and Investor Registration

With over 1.4 billion people and a $3.5 trillion GDP market under AfCFTA, AfricaIgnite 2025 offers startups a chance to seize opportunities that could define the continent’s digital future.