Tech4Africa focusses on local content, stories and successes, moves to the Kalabash

Over the two full days, Tech4Africa will be featuring 55 speakers over 12 speaker tracks, a Hackathon for two days before the main event, and alongside the accelerator SW7 a specialist Startup Day "by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs" afterwards. It's certainly action-packed, and there seems to be something for everyone.

Says Gareth Knight, the founder of Tech4Africa: "In 2013 we realised that the local market is very different to the international one, and whilst everyone wants to imitate the Valley hotshots, the reality is that the combination of market size, buying power, skills and access to capital all mean a different playing field for everyone on the ground, and so we narrowed focus on the local stories which make up the local ecosystem."

Amongst the 55 speaker sessions, Fraser Black and Nicholas Wallander will be talking about the deal behind their investment deal for their ecommerce site "SA Florist" on Dragons Den. Nic Haralambous will be talking about what it's like to sell a mobile startup and then build a profitable e-commerce business selling socks online and in stores. Steve Evans will be talking about the "underdog mentality" and what it takes to bring down established giants.

Says Knight: "In Cape Town the stories these guys told really resonated with everyone. It's real, it's current, and it's relevant. You're getting it straight from the proverbial horse's mouth, so the learning is fantastic."

At the end of each of the two days, and as is becoming the norm for Tech4Africa, there is a big focus on networking, having fun and building relationships, so they are going to be putting on a live DJ set, and plenty of free drinks for everyone. Delegates can also expect the coffee to be free!

Says Knight: "This year we're really excited about the speaker quality we've seen start the speaking process. It's taken a big bet on the ecosystem, and after three years it feels like everyone is finally realising that we're only about good content, not Death by Powerpoint and certainly not snorefests. So this year in Joburg we're proud to profile a bumper crop of speakers who have amazing experiences to share, and important lessons to impart. We're ecstatic our speaker submission and voting process is working, and that the local stories are starting to percolate. It's fantastic content, so we'll see you there!"

The website can be found at: http://bit.ly/T4AJoburg2015 and anyone can register at http://register.tech4africa.com. Tickets are R500 for the main event on 7 and 8 October, and R350 for the Startup Day on 9 October. The Hackathon is free, and dates are 5 and 6 October.