The Unique Summit 2024 has concluded, establishing Cape Town as a global leader in innovation and collaboration while positioning Africa as a key destination for investment and entrepreneurship. Hosted for the first time on the African continent, the summit brought together over 30 nationalities, fostering dynamic discussions across digital public infrastructure (DPI), deep tech innovation and cross-border ecosystem development collaboration.
The event, held on 18 and 19 November at The Avenue, V&A Waterfront, showcased the unparalleled strength and collaboration of Cape Town’s local ecosystem, engaging start-ups, investors, public authorities and global thought leaders in transformative dialogue.
“The Unique Summit is a catalyst for creating globally connected entrepreneurship-innovation ecosystems,” said Arturo Villar Menéndez, Founder of the Global StartupCities Initiative. “By bringing this global meet-up to StartupCity Cape Town, we’ve strengthened Africa’s role as a key player in the global innovation landscape while fostering collaboration across borders.”
Key highlights of the summit included:
- Niteroi, Brazil, being announced as the host of the 2025 Unique Summit, further cementing the strong relationship between StartupCity Cape Town and StartupCity Niteroi.
- Insights into Cape Town’s deep tech ecosystem, with local leaders like SKEG, Savant, Specno, UVU Bio and GreenCape showcasing their hubs and groundbreaking start-ups.
- The Africa Startup Awards, celebrating innovation from across 16 countries during the summit’s grand finale.
- Intense focus on investment opportunities, with international delegates exploring Cape Town’s potential as Africa’s innovation hub.
“Cape Town has proven why it’s ranked as one of Africa’s leading start-up ecosystems,” said Marietjie Engelbrecht, Group Chief of Staff at UVU Africa, convenor of StartupCity Cape Town. “The Unique Summit has provided a platform for real collaboration and investment, showcasing the strength of our local ecosystem while opening doors for global partnerships.”
Local ecosystem partners, including Innovation City and Fetola, hosted dynamic networking events such as the Ecosystem Mixer, while key stakeholders engaged directly with deep tech start-ups during curated sessions.
Alderman James Vos, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth, emphasised the city’s role in fostering innovation: “Hosting the Unique Summit has reinforced Cape Town’s position as Africa’s gateway for investment in innovation and technology. The incredible collaboration of our local ecosystem and the global connections formed here will have a lasting impact on economic growth and job creation.”
Jo Griffiths, co-founder of GIIG and GSA, lauded the summit’s focus on African innovation:“The Global Startup Awards Africa Finale brought together and celebrated the continent’s best innovators representing eight countries. This summit highlighted the immense talent and opportunity within Africa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.”
The Unique Summit 2024 delivered tangible outcomes, fostering new collaborations, investment opportunities and a shared commitment to driving innovation across Africa. The event also celebrated Cape Town’s unique identity, with international and local delegates enjoying pre-summit activities such as hiking up Lion’s Head with Will Green, wine tasting and authentic South African cultural experiences.
To watch a highlight video, simply click on Day 1 or Day 2 and you will be directed to the highlight video for that specific day.
For those eager to follow the outcomes of the summit and be part of the local movement, join the StartupCity Cape Town community on social media. https://www.instagram.com/startupcityct/
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UVU Africa
UVU Africa is a systems orchestrator dedicated to driving inclusive, high-growth economies across Africa by creating vibrant ecosystems through cluster development in key sectors like Biotechnology, EdTech, ClimateTech and CreativeTech. By implementing enabling interventions in infrastructure, skills development, entrepreneurial support, funding allocation, and policy advocacy, UVU Africa connects government, business, and society to transform regional economies. With proven success in regions such as Cape Town and Rwanda, UVU Africa empowers African communities to foster sustainable economic growth and global competitiveness. https://uniquesummit.com/
StartupCity Cape Town
StartupCity Cape Town is a collective initiative representing Cape Town’s entire startup ecosystem, bringing together a wide array of entrepreneurial support organizations (ESOs), investors, funders, startups, government bodies, and other critical players within the ecosystem. As part of the Global StartupCities Initiative, StartupCity Cape Town connects the city’s dynamic community of innovators and entrepreneurs with a global network to drive growth and investment. Convened by UVU Africa, the initiative amplifies Cape Town’s position as a key African hub for innovation, fostering cross-sector collaboration and leveraging Cape Town's vibrant resources in technology, entrepreneurship, and economic development to strengthen the region's impact on the global stage. https://www.instagram.com/startupcityct/
GSA Africa
GSA Africa is the largest independent startup ecosystem competition on the continent and the exclusive vehicle for the GIIG Africa Fund to find, fund and scale Africa’s most innovative startups with Sustainable Development Goal aligned solutions. After two successful seasons (2022 and 2023), the GSA Africa Summit seeks to unearth leading innovators with SDG-aligned solutions that strive to Power and Light Up Africa; Feed Africa; Industrialise Africa; Integrate Africa; and Improve the quality of life for the people of Africa. For more information, go to www.globalstartupawardsafrica.com
Global Innovation Initiative Group (GIIG)
GIIG exists to find funds and grow globally relevant innovation in Africa and is the driver of the Global Startup Awards Africa, the GIIG Africa Foundation and the GIIG Africa Fund. These interlinked initiatives operate a pan- African innovation community across 55 African countries and build collective collaborations on a continental and global level to innovate a Global Africa. Via inspiring the mobilisation of youth populations and builders of innovation-based economies, GIIG connects and enables multi-stakeholder value chains to evidence demonstrable innovation-in-action in emerging startup nations. For more information, go to www.giig.africa