They will be representing the country at the Regional Grand Finale from 27-28 November 2019 in Johannesburg, where they will compete against 266 winners from 14 other countries for the chance to go through to the Global Startup Awards in 2020.
The following 19 winners in 19 categories were selected out of 73 finalists through public voting and an adjudication process:
The Southern Africa Startup Awards are the first annual awards to celebrate and recognise the spirit of innovation and achievement in the startup ecosystem in Southern Africa. The Awards are a circuit of the world-renowned Global Startup Awards which provide an annual spotlight on tech startups in regions across the globe.
The selection process entails national nominations being opened, after which nominees are shortlisted with the guidance of the Awards’ Ambassadors. The shortlist is then announced, and the voting process begins. A public vote and panel of judges determine the national winners in each category from each participating country.
The national winners move on to the grand finale where the regional winners are selected. Finally, six regional winners will compete at the Global Startup Awards in the categories of Startup of the Year, Best Newcomer, Founder of the Year, Investor of the Year, Best Co-working Space and Best Accelerator Programme.
Mckevin Ayaba, CEO of Setup A Startup, the umbrella company of the Southern Africa Startup Awards, says, “This initiative focuses on creating an enabling platform to accelerate the growth of young leaders in the country and Africa by recognising their achievements and creating local and international connections for them.”
