GEC+Africa 2026 Draws 2,500 Delegates to Cape Town

South African startup Deaftouch won $20,000 as the Top Innovator at the Road to GEC+Africa 2026 Continental Pitch Competition, the headline prize of a two-day entrepreneurship congress that drew about 2,500 delegates from 56 countries to the Cape Town International Convention Centre in September.

The congress, hosted by the Global Entrepreneurship Network Africa and 22 On Sloane under the theme "Connecting Africa", brought together entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, corporates and business leaders from 29 African nations. African Bank powered the event.

Deaftouch builds accessible communication solutions for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, including what the organizers describe as Africa's first deaf-to-deaf call centre model. Two other founders shared the podium: Helton Traders Limited, a women-led social enterprise from Uganda that turns plastic waste into sustainable polyester sewing threads while creating opportunities for women and youth waste collectors, took second place. Agrona, an Egyptian climate-tech startup converting agricultural waste into low-carbon materials for packaging, furniture and construction, finished third.

The three winners emerged from a months-long selection process. Regional bootcamps and pitch competitions ran in Botswana, Uganda, Namibia, Algeria, Ghana, Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa before the congress. Fifteen finalists earned places in the Continental Pitch Competition in Cape Town.

A bank's measure of value

African Bank framed its sponsorship in concrete terms. "The work now is to turn those connections into businesses financed, contracts won, jobs created and African companies reaching new markets," says Edna Sathekga-Montse, group chief transformation and sustainability officer at African Bank.

"For African Bank, that is where the value of this partnership [with GEC+Africa] lies: in helping more entrepreneurs build enterprises that grow, endure and widen economic participation," she says.

The programme featured keynote addresses, ministerial engagements, high-level discussions, breakout sessions, startup showcases, investor engagements and networking opportunities. Former president Kgalema Motlanthe and former first lady Gugu Mtshali attended, joining learners from the Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation and representatives from the congress's ecosystem partners.

Kumii goes live

The congress also marked the launch of Kumii, an AI-powered digital platform developed by 22 On Sloane. The platform connects entrepreneurs and businesses with capital, markets, knowledge, expertise, tools and growth opportunities.

The launch aligns with one of the congress's central arguments: Africa must invest in skills, infrastructure, data and locally relevant technology to shape the AI economy rather than remain primarily a consumer of it.

Five priorities from the congress

The organizers distilled the two days of dialogue into five takeaways:

• Connecting capital and opportunity. Investors, entrepreneurs, corporates and development institutions need greater collaboration to expand access to finance and markets for African businesses.
• Building for an AI-enabled economy. Investment in skills, infrastructure and data will determine whether Africa shapes or merely consumes AI.
• Making it easier to do business. Governments and municipalities must reduce regulatory barriers and improve infrastructure so businesses can start, operate and scale.
• Strengthening cross-border collaboration. Entrepreneurs need stronger connections across markets to expand beyond national borders.
• Backing Africa's entrepreneurs. From creative industries and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to technology and venture capital, the continent's founders need capital, networks and enabling ecosystems.

Partners and staying power

GEC+Africa 2026 ran in partnership with Microsoft, Amazon, Telkom, the Masisizane Fund, the United Nations Development Programme, W&RSETA, Wesgro, the FirstRand Foundation, the National Empowerment Fund, the Western Cape Government, the Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency and the City of Cape Town.

Sathekga-Montse argues the congress proved a broader point about coordination. "GEC+Africa has shown what becomes possible when entrepreneurs, capital, markets and public institutions come together around a shared economic purpose," she says.

Carmen Rudd, executive: operations and GEC+Africa lead at 22 On Sloane, points to what the delegates carry home. "The ideas shared, relationships formed and opportunities created over the [course of the congress] will continue to shape Africa's entrepreneurial future," she says.

The test now falls to the delegates and their new partners: converting a $20,000 prize, an AI platform and two days of connections in Cape Town into financed businesses and cross-border growth across the continent's 29 represented markets.