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Global Startup Awards expands across all African countries


The  Global  Startup  Awards  (GSA) is expanding across Africa. GSA is the largest independent startup ecosystem awards platform with a mission to find, recognise and connect the future shapers of the digital age from all around the world.

Since the preliminary launch of the Southern African chapter in 2018, the focus on African tech innovators and the continent’s ecosystem has become a  global priority,  with a  key indicator of this being the increase in foreign direct investment in  African tech startups growing to over $2 billion in 2019 –  a 567% increase from 2016, according to Partech Africa  Annual  Reports.    The expansion of  GSA  Africa will now include all 54 African countries comprising of  South,  North,  East and  West  African territories thereby providing the continent with immediate access to an established,  independent and unified global innovation showcase. 

“This expansion is critical as the Awards were born from a vision to overcome borders for collaboration. Now, with the addition of these territories, we are able to connect, support,  and celebrate key players in more than 105 countries across 10 regions,” says Péter Kovács ,  Global Startup Awards Founding Partner.  

The expansion will be driven by  Loudhailer,  an award-winning innovation engagement agency, dedicated to connecting ecosystems to enable key market opportunities and forge global connections. “Africa is earmarked to be the tech continent of the future and is the world’s fastest-growing market, making it crucial to bring African innovation partners into the global  GSA  network,”  says  Caitlin  Nash,  Loudhailer  Co-founder and  Partner.  “Our mission now is to help  African startups and partners get noticed,  get funded,  and get supported to scale faster  –  enabling world-changing technologies,” adds  Jo  Griffiths  Loudhailer Co-founder and Partner. 

For McKevin  Ayaba,  Co-Founder of the  Southern  Africa  Startup  Awards,  this expansion is particularly poignant. “A vision that started three years ago has now become a continent-wide celebration of innovation. The purpose of the Awards is to build regional connectivity and global visibility.  With  Loudhailer at the helm,  we’re celebrating  Africa and putting  African startups, the people behind them, and the organisations that work alongside these visionaries on the map. I couldn’t be more excited.” As GSA extends into Africa in 2020, the  Southern Africa Awards have also rebranded in line with the African launch.

Applications are now open for innovation leaders, ecosystem builders, government entities, and private collaborators invested in the African innovation ecosystem to join in the following voluntary, strategic positions: -African Advisory Board, Strategic Partners, Sponsors, Ambassadors, Country Managers, Researchers, PR & Communications, Digital Coordinators and Project Managers.

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By Nixon Kanali

Tech journalist based in Nairobi. I track and report on tech and African startups. Founder and Editor of TechTrends Media. Nixon is also the East African tech editor for Africa Business Communities. Send tips to nkanali@techtrendske.co.ke.

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