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Ventureburn Tech startup news and trends for emerging markets

Ventureburn is a South African-based news website under the Burn Media Group umbrella focusing on technology startups and emerging businesses across Africa's hottest innovation hubs.

By now, most Mandela Day campaigns follow a familiar script: brief acts of corporate kindness, obligatory photos, and pr...
18/07/2025

By now, most Mandela Day campaigns follow a familiar script: brief acts of corporate kindness, obligatory photos, and promises to “give back.” MTN Group Fintech’s 2025 version initially sounds like more of the same. But a closer look reveals a more layered approach. This year’s MTN Group Fintech Mandela Day initiative includes the donation of hygiene care packages to five…...

By now, most Mandela Day campaigns follow a familiar script: brief acts of corporate kindness, obligatory photos, and promises to “give back.” MTN Group...

Old Mutual SMEgo has launched the 2025 Entrepreneur Mental Wellbeing Survey, a national initiative that puts the mental ...
17/07/2025

Old Mutual SMEgo has launched the 2025 Entrepreneur Mental Wellbeing Survey, a national initiative that puts the mental health of small business owners at the forefront. It’s a pioneering step toward quantifying a crisis that has long been whispered about but rarely measured. This comes against a global backdrop where mental health struggles among entrepreneurs are alarmingly common. A 2015 Berkeley University study found that 72% of entrepreneurs experience mental health challenges, with nearly half diagnosed with a related condition....

Old Mutual SMEgo launches the pioneering 2025 SA Entrepreneur Mental Wellbeing Survey. Join to tackle burnout and support Mzansi’s business community.

With just four months to go until the 11th edition of the Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF), or...
17/07/2025

With just four months to go until the 11th edition of the Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF), organisers have announced a keynote speaker set to reshape the continent’s economic narrative. Dr. Fatima Elsheikh, Secretary General of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), will headline AWIEF2025 in Cape Town, bringing bold insights on inclusive growth and women-led innovation across Africa....

Dr. Fatima Elsheikh, Secretary General of BADEA, headlines AWIEF2025, spotlighting women entrepreneurs and Africa’s economic future. Join the Cape Town event!

Perforce Software has launched Perfecto AI, a new agentic AI testing solution designed to eliminate the time, complexity...
15/07/2025

Perforce Software has launched Perfecto AI, a new agentic AI testing solution designed to eliminate the time, complexity and fragility of traditional test automation. Released on 15 July 2025, this patent-pending tool allows teams to write plain language prompts to generate and execute tests across web, Android and iOS environments. No scripts, frameworks or ongoing maintenance are required. For Africa’s growing tech sector, where development speed and platform stability are critical, Perfecto AI offers a practical alternative to brittle test logic and costly rework....

Perforce’s Perfecto AI, powered by Perforce Intelligence, removes test scripts and boosts software testing efficiency by up to 70% for African startups.

With the nomination deadline fast approaching, the Southern African Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (SAVC...
11/07/2025

With the nomination deadline fast approaching, the Southern African Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (SAVCA) has issued a final call for entries for the 2025 SAVCA Industry Awards, set to take place on 7 November. Now in its seventh year, the annual awards ceremony continues to honour the transformative power of private capital in building and scaling high-impact companies across Southern Africa....

Final call for nominations: The 2025 SAVCA Industry Awards honour startups and scale-ups powered by private capital. Deadline: 8 August 2025.

Cape Town-based payments leader Ecentric has announced a strategic partnership with MoneyBadger to bring Bitcoin payment...
09/07/2025

Cape Town-based payments leader Ecentric has announced a strategic partnership with MoneyBadger to bring Bitcoin payments to the forefront of mainstream retail in South Africa. The collaboration leverages Ecentric’s established national infrastructure and MoneyBadger’s growing momentum in crypto payment enablement, marking a significant step forward in the adoption of alternative digital payment methods. Already integrated into major retail environments—most notably…...

Ecentric and MoneyBadger partner to bring Bitcoin payments to South African retailers via QR codes. The solution enables seamless crypto transactions while merchants are paid in rands.

MzN International, a global social enterprise focused on helping mission-driven organisations scale impact, has official...
09/07/2025

MzN International, a global social enterprise focused on helping mission-driven organisations scale impact, has officially launched the first of four AI-powered “Digital Teammates” designed specifically for small to medium-sized NGOs. The new Fundraising Digital Teammate, developed in partnership with Human Planet, enters beta this week and is already gaining traction among nonprofits eager to enhance their donor engagement strategies. Over 100 NGOs are currently testing the platform, with more than 300 registering broader interest in MzN’s upcoming AI suite....

MzN International launches its first AI “Digital Teammate” to help small NGOs supercharge fundraising. The beta platform uses agentic AI to match donors, map strategy, and reduce overhead.

A new wave of opportunity has arrived for the city’s creative sector. The timbuktoo Creative Hub, the first of its kind ...
08/07/2025

A new wave of opportunity has arrived for the city’s creative sector. The timbuktoo Creative Hub, the first of its kind in Africa, has officially opened its doors in District Six — and it’s inviting local and pan-African creatives to use the space and services for free. Positioned at the Homecoming Centre (the former Athol Fugard Theatre), the hub offers Cape Town’s designers, storytellers, animators, musicians and other creatives a purpose-built home to co-work, connect and scale their businesses — without the typical cost barriers....

The timbuktoo Creative Hub in Cape Town is inviting creatives to co-work, connect, and grow their businesses — all at no charge. Here’s how to get involved.

South African SMEs are not just AI-curious—they’re AI-ready. A new report from ASUS, titled the 2025 Future of SMBs, rev...
03/07/2025

South African SMEs are not just AI-curious—they’re AI-ready. A new report from ASUS, titled the 2025 Future of SMBs, reveals that 77% of South African small and midsize businesses (SMBs) are poised to adopt AI tools immediately. Even more impressively, over half of them are already seeing measurable business outcomes from their AI adoption strategies. At a time when many global markets are still stuck in the “exploration” phase of AI, local SMBs are proving they’re not just ready to engage—they’re already reaping the benefits....

According to ASUS’s 2025 Future of SMBs report, 77% of South African small businesses are ready to adopt AI, with more than half already realising tangible business benefit

In an industry where speed, accuracy, and trust are non-negotiable, one software company is quietly transforming the way...
02/07/2025

In an industry where speed, accuracy, and trust are non-negotiable, one software company is quietly transforming the way investment managers manage a critical aspect of their operations: the dreaded fund factsheet. Cape Town-based Ocellics has officially launched its Fund Factsheets platform — a modular, automation-first solution designed to eliminate the slow, error-prone processes that traditionally define fund factsheet production. And it’s already making waves....

Ocellics has launched a Fund Factsheets platform that automates and streamlines monthly fund reporting for South African investment managers, improving accuracy, branding, and scale.

Africa’s entrepreneurial energy is surging and it’s women who are leading from the frontlines. With less than a month t...
01/07/2025

Africa’s entrepreneurial energy is surging and it’s women who are leading from the frontlines. With less than a month to go, entries are now open for the prestigious 2025 AWIEF Awards, the continent’s flagship celebration of women entrepreneurs who are breaking barriers and transforming their communities through business. If you’re a female founder or know a woman whose business is reshaping Africa’s future, this is your moment....

Nominations are open for the 2025 AWIEF Awards, recognising Africa’s most innovative and impactful women entrepreneurs. Enter by 17 July for a chance to be celebrated at the continent’s top business awards.

World SME Day on 27 June is supposed to be a celebration of entrepreneurial grit. But for most small businesses in South...
26/06/2025

World SME Day on 27 June is supposed to be a celebration of entrepreneurial grit. But for most small businesses in South Africa, it also exposes a harsh reality: only 1 in 4 SMEs raise enough capital to grow. The rest remain stuck — unable to hire, scale, or launch because their funding asks go nowhere. And it’s not because money isn’t available....

As World SME Day highlights Africa’s entrepreneurs, Vantage Advisory’s Luncedo Mtwentwe explains why capital is skipping over South African startups — and how founders can fix it.

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Ventureburn is a Cape Town-based news website under the Burn Media Group umbrella focussing on technology startups and emerging businesses across South Africa, and Africa's hottest innovation hubs.

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