South Africa’s Mother City will host a first-of-its-kind Summit from 13 – 15 May 2019 where pioneers in the provision of digital media and marketing technology solutions to the region’s SMEs will meet for three days of knowledge-sharing, networking and dynamic debate.  

As Africa’s biggest and fastest-growing technology hub, it is no surprise that BigFive Digital chose the city of Cape Town as host for its inaugural Summit. This event is a first for the continent for companies building digital marketing, commerce, and back-office solutions for small businesses across Africa and the Middle East (AME).  

According to the 2018 Endeavor Insight Report, released in conjunction with the Cape Innovation and Technology Initiative (CiTi), Wesgro and the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation, Cape Town employs over 40,000 people within the sector - twice as many as Johannesburg. Other major tech hubs in Africa such as Lagos and Nairobi employ 9,000 and 7,000 people respectively, according to CiTi. Cape Town’s unique blend of unrivalled scenic beauty, urban style and global culture has made it a melting pot of creativity and innovation for digital and tech professionals.  

“The choice of Cape Town as location for the inaugural BigFive Summit, where digital solutions for African companies are showcased, is testament to the fact that Cape Town is not only emerging as Africa’s tech hub, but also a hub for thought leadership in tech-enabled approaches to doing business,” says Tim Harris, CEO of Wesgro. “This event also shows increasing global recognition for Cape Town as an internationally competitive tech and innovation hub. The Cape region's strength lies in a combination of factors including access to sound infrastructure and a skilled and energetic workforce, proximity to four top universities and two globally recognized business schools, a favourable lifestyle, and a local and provincial government supportive of entrepreneurship and innovation.”

Hosted by BigFive Digital, one of the foremost thought-leadership enterprises connecting AME media and tech companies to SMEs, BigFive Summit will assemble a compelling mix of media, tech and digital stakeholders, influential thought-leaders, and disruptive start-ups in Cape Town to address the five key elements fuelling the rise and growth of the AME digital ecosystem – Search, Social, Mobile, Location, and Payments.

“As Africa’s leading technology hub, it is indeed our honour to host the BigFive Summit in Cape Town”, says Alderman James Vos, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management. “As a forward-thinking city we look forward to continuing to enable the Tech sector and partnering with endeavours arising from this Summit”.

The Summit is set to feature headline talks and workshops that will challenge thinking, stimulate ideas and offer practical advice for those with the common goal of bringing to market digital solutions for SMEs throughout Africa and the Middle East.

Speakers include Katlego Maphai, Co-Founder and CEO of Yoco; Louw Barnardt, Co-Founder and MD of Outsourced CFO; Gustav Praekelt, Founder and CEO of South African Praekelt Group; Sarah Utermark, Country Director, Mobile Marketing Association South Africa; and Nick Grubb, Chief Executive: Radio at Kagiso Media.

The inspiring speaker list also features the world leaders in Search and Social marketing, Google and Facebook respectively, plus Thabo Seopa and Paul Plant, two of the Co-Founders of BigFive Digital, together with many other industry luminaries.

Details of the Event: BigFive Summit 2019

The Summit will take place from 13 - 15 May 2019 at Workshop 17 at the prestigious V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. With two cocktail receptions, plus a networking dinner all included in the package, delegates will have an opportunity to engage with like-minded companies eager to promote and sustain the local commerce landscape.To register as a delegate, join our list of speakers or learn about sponsorship opportunities, visit: www.bigfivedigital.org/summit.

ENDSExecutive Survey – Receive a Discount Code to attend BigFive Summit

BigFive Summit is currently running an Executive Survey to gauge how leaders inside companies who serve or sell to SMEs view the digital opportunity. The full findings of the survey will be presented at BigFive Summit. Anyone working in this space is encouraged to participate in the survey. The more responses we receive, the better. All contributors to the survey will receive a discount code on tickets to the event. Take the survey here: http://bit.ly/ExecutiveSurvey

For more information about BigFive Summit or this press release, please contact:

Mika Stanvliet | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | 081 534 6237

About BigFive Digital: BigFive Digital was created to support digital media and technology solutions providers serving local SMEs throughout Africa & The Middle East. BigFive Digital has been co-founded by four highly respected global media and digital commerce executives: Thabo Seopa, Paul Plant, Charles Laughlin, and Oscar Sousa Marques. Collectively, they have spent more than a century experiencing digital transformation, witnessing first-hand the impacts of disruptive innovations in local marketing and commerce in various countries all over the world.  For more information about BigFive Digital, visit: https://bigfivedigital.org/

About BigFive Summit:Hosted by BigFive Digital, BigFive Summit is a knowledge-sharing and networking event for companies that provide digital marketing and technology solutions to local businesses across Africa & The Middle East. The Summit is built around the five pillars that support local commerce, namely: Search, Social, Mobile, Location and Payments. It is these five sectors that are fuelling the rapid rise and growth of digital and technology adoption across the region. Any company with a vested interest in this exciting ecosystem is invited to join us in Cape Town, from 13 - 15 May 2019.For more information about the Summit, please visit: https://bigfivedigital.org/summit/ https://www.smesouthafrica.co.za/cape-town-is-home-to-africas-most-productive-tech-sector/