EmpowaEntrepreneur Funding Summit

EmpowaEntrepreneur Funding Summit Connecting verified entrepreneurs with funders actively viable businesses to support

21/09/2026

đź“ŚDID YOU MISS US? COZ WE MISSED YOU

Pitch Week 2026 is officially back, and the road to November starts NOW.

This is where ambitious entrepreneurs meet the capital, markets, partnerships and connections that can move their businesses forward.

Entrepreneurs, funders, investors, corporate partners and ecosystem leaders, your place in this journey starts here!

📅 16–22 November 2026
đź”— The official Pitch Power link is now live:
https://www.empowaentrepreneurs.co.za/pitch-power

Get connected. Get funded. Get ready to pitch.

DAY 2: PARTNERSHIP IS HOW ECONOMIES MOVE FORWARD.As Day 2 of GEC+Africa 2026 draws to a close, one message is clear: no ...
17/09/2026

DAY 2: PARTNERSHIP IS HOW ECONOMIES MOVE FORWARD.

As Day 2 of GEC+Africa 2026 draws to a close, one message is clear: no entrepreneur, organisation or institution can drive economic growth alone.

For Thulisa Bianca Sosibo, Lead: EmpowaEntrepreneurs, today has been about building purposeful partnerships with funders, investors, corporate leaders and ecosystem stakeholders. These relationships are critical to unlocking funding, opening markets and creating opportunities for entrepreneurs to build sustainable businesses and meaningful employment.

This is the work that moves beyond conversation. When the right partners align around entrepreneurs, businesses grow, jobs are created and economies move forward.

The journey continues towards the EmpowaEntrepreneurs Pitch Festival, taking place from 16 to 22 November 2026.

Ready to pitch, fund, invest or partner?

đź“© [email protected]

FORGING AFRICA’S NEXT HIGH-GROWTH PATHWAYSEmpowaEntrepreneurs is represented at GEC+Africa 2026 by our Managing Executiv...
17/09/2026

FORGING AFRICA’S NEXT HIGH-GROWTH PATHWAYS

EmpowaEntrepreneurs is represented at GEC+Africa 2026 by our Managing Executive, Thulisa Bianca Sosibo, who will moderate a critical conversation on forging high-growth pathways through public-private partnerships for skills development, trade and MSME growth across Africa.

She will be joined by:

• Hon. Toby Chance, MP, Member of Parliament, Democratic Alliance
• Hon. Khusela Lwandlekazi Nobatembu Sangoni, MP, Chairperson, Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies
• Dr Nneka Okekearu, Director: Enterprise Development Centre, Pan-Atlantic University
• Tshepo Phetla, Head: Business Development, Telkom Group

Together, they will explore how government, academia and the private sector can collaborate to connect African entrepreneurs to the skills, markets, partnerships and opportunities they need to scale.

This is the work EmpowaEntrepreneurs is committed to: building an ecosystem that moves African enterprises from potential to sustainable growth.

đź“ŤEmpowaEntrepreneurs is at GEC+Africa 2026, Stand E22, building the funding and growth connections that will shape the E...
16/09/2026

đź“ŤEmpowaEntrepreneurs is at GEC+Africa 2026, Stand E22, building the funding and growth connections that will shape the EmpowaEntrepreneurs Pitch Festival, taking place from 16 to 22 November 2026.

We want to connect with:

🎤 Entrepreneurs with scalable businesses ready to pitch for funding

đź’° Funders, investors and corporate partners looking to identify and support high-potential SMEs

🤝 Ecosystem partners with relevant funding, market access and business growth opportunities

📢 Exhibitors and solution providers seeking exposure to qualified SMEs and business decision-makers

If you are seeking funding, deploying capital, creating opportunities or looking to reach growing businesses, meet Thulisa Bianca Sosibo, Lead: EmpowaEntrepreneurs, at Stand E22.

đź“© [email protected]

The funding conversations begin in Cape Town. The businesses pitch in November.

In partnership with
Global Entrepreneurship Network South Africa 🇿🇦 | 22OnSloane

đź“ŤTHE CAPITAL IS IN THE ROOM. THE OPPORTUNITY IS ON THE TABLE.The EmpowaEntrepreneurs Pitching Festival Week 2026 brings ...
14/09/2026

đź“ŤTHE CAPITAL IS IN THE ROOM. THE OPPORTUNITY IS ON THE TABLE.

The EmpowaEntrepreneurs Pitching Festival Week 2026 brings entrepreneurs face-to-face with the funders, investors, corporate partners, procurement opportunities and markets that can move their businesses forward.

From 16 to 22 November, each day will spotlight investment opportunities across key sectors, connecting credible businesses with the people and institutions positioned to back their growth.

We are inviting funders, investors, corporate partners and market-access partners to join us in building the next chapter of African enterprise.

đź“Ť 16 to 22 November 2026
đź“Ť EmpowaWorx House, Randburg
đź“© Partnership enquiries: [email protected]

Get connected. Get funded. Get your business in the room.

14/09/2026

đź“ŤTHE ROAD TO NOVEMBER STARTS IN CAPE TOWN.

Thulisa Bianca Sosibo, Lead: EmpowaEntrepreneurs, heads to GEC+Africa 2026 with a clear focus: building the relationships that can unlock what comes next for entrepreneurs.

As we build towards the EmpowaEntrepreneurs Pitch Festival, 16 to 22 November 2026, we are looking to connect with funders, investors, corporate partners, enterprise development leaders, ecosystem partners and entrepreneurs ready to pitch and grow.

If you are looking to fund, invest, partner, open markets or put your business in the room, connect with us.

The connections start now. The pitch comes in November.

đź“© Reach out directly to Thulisa:

[[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])

CONNECTING AFRICA 🌍Thulisa Bianca Sosibo, Managing Executive of EmpowaEntrepreneurs, is joining the speaker line-up at 2...
14/09/2026

CONNECTING AFRICA 🌍

Thulisa Bianca Sosibo, Managing Executive of EmpowaEntrepreneurs, is joining the speaker line-up at 22OnSloane GEC+Africa 2026, contributing to the conversations at one of Africa’s largest entrepreneurship gatherings.

Under the theme “Connecting Africa,” GEC+Africa brings entrepreneurs, funders, investors and ecosystem leaders into one room to strengthen the networks shaping Africa’s entrepreneurial future.

đź”—For EmpowaEntrepreneurs, there is a direct line between being in these rooms and what comes next.

As we build towards the EmpowaEntrepreneurs Pitch Festival 2026, 16–22 November, our focus is on closing the distance between entrepreneurs and funding by creating greater access to capital, funders and investment networks.

GEC+Africa gives us an opportunity to strengthen those relationships now and carry them forward into a platform designed to help more entrepreneurs become visible, fundable and ready for growth.

From Connecting Africa to connecting entrepreneurs to capital. Cape Town is part of the journey to November.

📍 Cape Town | 16–17 September 2026

27/07/2026

Brand South Africa exists to manage South Africa’s reputation, own our story and tell it to the world. But as Tony Gumede reminded us at the EmpowaEntrepreneurs Funding Summit, that story is shaped by the people building businesses, creating jobs and strengthening the country’s economy.

“Entrepreneurship is really at the heartbeat of what resilience looks like and what the future of jobs in this country looks like.”

For Brand South Africa, supporting platforms like the EmpowaEntrepreneurs Funding Summit is about more than visibility. It is about helping entrepreneurs understand what it takes to become funding ready, connect with organisations that can support their growth and build businesses that contribute to South Africa’s future.

Every entrepreneur has a role to play in shaping the country’s story. Every opportunity to learn, connect and grow strengthens that story.

Get Connected. Get Funded.

22/07/2026

Funding the Future of Fashion.

The decisions you make today will define the business you’re leading a decade from now.

Nearly ten years after co-founding RE-L8 with his twin, Bonang Kau, Duduetsang Kau reflects on one decision with confidence: starting. What began as an innovative idea has grown into a proudly South African brand redefining functional fashion through smart, multifunctional design.

The future of South African entrepreneurship is built when founders get connected to the people, partnerships and funding that help them grow.

Get Connected. Get Funded.

In partnership with
Absa South Africa and W&RSETA

14/07/2026

One conversation can change everything.

Jesse Abrahams heard about the EmpowaEntrepreneurs Funding Summit 2026 on the day of the event, bought his ticket immediately, and arrived ready to make the most of every opportunity.

As Founder and CEO of the Jesse Abrahams Group of Companies, he came with one goal: to connect with investors and explore opportunities to accelerate the growth of his mining business.

By the end of the day, he had built valuable relationships with venture capitalists, expanded his network, and even received an invitation to return for Day 2.

His advice to fellow entrepreneurs?

“When you have an open heart and mind to networking, opportunities naturally follow.”

Sometimes, all it takes is showing up.

🎤 Interviewed by Bophelo Marumo

Get Connected. Get Funded.

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364 Pine Avenue
Johannesburg
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