The Global Startup Awards (GSA) Africa platform continues to establish itself as the premier stage for startups, showcasing innovative solutions, attracting investments, and gaining international visibility. This year, the competition has witnessed a record-breaking number of entries and public engagement, highlighting the robust and dynamic entrepreneurial landscape across the continent.
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 African 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, e-commerce, 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.
The 14 continental winners will be announced at the GSA Africa Summit, in Ethiopia in October 2024; a crucial platform for collaboration, inspiring ambitious ideas, forging connections, and promoting collective big thinking.
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”, he added.
