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South Africa startup ecosystem overview

The South Africa startup ecosystem is one of the most robust and developed on the continent thanks to several strengths, including significant consumer and business markets, sophisticated entrepreneurial talent, and strong corporate sector. South Africa has access to local capital and ties to a growing number of international investors. High tech startups thrive in the midst of a growing number of startup support organizations active in the ecosystem.

Venture finance in Africa research

VC4A research on 686 ventures registered in the country shows a clear relationship between venture performance and the support these ventures receive from the South Africa startup ecosystem.
For example, 50% of companies participating in ecosystem support programs secure investment. Even more interesting, the average investment secured is almost 3 times higher for the ventures receiving ecosystem support: USD 304K vs USD 126K.

These companies are also more likely to create new jobs. More specifically, 68% of the South African ventures are creating jobs with an average of 5.8 FTE per venture. When taking a further look at the age groups, 59% of them are between 12 and 35 years which is a little below the percentage on a pan-African scale (60%).
This is a considerable contribution to the country given its growing population and justifies further investment in the growth and development of the startup ecosystem and the entrepreneurs it supports.

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Open & Featured programs in South Africa

VC4A Startup Academy