BigFive Summit 2025
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Mon May 5, 18:00 - Wed May 7, 12:00
Innovation City Cape Town
ABOUT
The BigFive Summit (5-7 May 2025) is Africa's leading B2B technology event. Since its inception in May 2019, the Summit's core audience has been the community that is building and taking to market the technology solutions that are helping African businesses thrive.
The BigFive Summit offers a unique opportunity for aggregators of African businesses (banks, telecoms, digital agencies, media platforms) to interact with the builders of innovative B2B technology solutions (startups) and those funding the innovation (VCs).
Why attend the BigFive Summit?
- Learn. The BigFive Summit is information-rich and tightly curated to ensure the audience absorbs new information and gets its questions answered.
- Network. The BigFive Summit is a rare opportunity to spend two days elbow-to-elbow with investors, senior corporate leaders, and innovative tech founders.
- Grow. Attending the BigFive Summit is an investment in your personal and professional growth by keeping up on industry trends and making new connections.
Join us at Innovation City Cape Town for two days of learning, networking, and growing.
AGENDA
2025 BigFive Summit Programme
Monday, 5th May
VIP Dinner
1800-2200
Judd's Local Wine Bar and Fine Dining
141 Kloof Street Gardens, Cape Town, 8001
This dinner is limited to speakers, sponsors, VIP ticket holders, and other guests by invitation. Consider becoming a sponsor or purchasing a VIP Ticket to enjoy this very special networking event.
Tuesday, 6th May
0900 - 1700
The 2025 BigFive Summit
Innovation City Cape Town
The BigFive Summit is open to VIP and General Admission ticket holders.
8:00 - 09:30 Registration and Networking
09:00 -09:15 Welcome to The BigFive Summit
The BigFive Digital host team welcomes the delegates to the 2025 BiFive Summit and shares a few thoughts on what to expect and how
Thabo Seopa, Chairman, BigFive Digital
Charles Laughlin, Director, BigFive Digital and 2025 BigFive Summit Moderator
09:15 - 09:45 Opening Talk: The 2025 Global Technology Landscape
BigFive Digital Co-founder Charles Laughlin is an experienced conference producer, podcaster, and tech journalist. He will help frame the conversations that will unfold throughout the event with a global survey of the state of play in the tech industry – from AI to crypto to social media and beyond.
09:45 - 10:00 Fireside Chat: Guest TBA
10:00 - 10:30 Panel Discussion
“Go to Market Strategies and Tactics for SMEs: Harnessing the Power of Technology”
Panelists
Bernadene Appalsamy, Founder, Ledger Leap
Nadia Toffar, Consultant, Brand Tribe
Remi Du Preez. Founder & Managing Director, Polygon
Moderated by Amanda Louw-Bester, Managing Director, Pragmattica Consulting
10:30 - 11:00 Networking Break
11:00 - 11:30 Featured Talk: Wendy Mahoney, Newmella
“Disruption, Innovation, and Technology Are Not the Same”
11:30 - 12:00 Featured Talk: Arash Rezaei, Chairman, StartX
“Adopting an Entrepreneurial Mindset”
Arash Rezaei is an author, speaker, and entrepreneur who is the chairman of StartX, a marketplace that helps startup founders match with investors. At the Summit, Arash will deliver a powerful featured talk on adopting an entrepreneurial mindset.
12:00 - 12:30 Featured Talk: Ezana Raswork, Managing Director, Africa 118
“MSME Pulse – A Fresh Look at Small Business Technology Adoption”
Africa 118 is a digital agency that digitally enables African SMEs. Africa 118 MD Ezana Raswork returns to the BigFive Summit to share his latest research showing how African small businesses are adopting new technologies from AI to digital payments.
12:30 - 14:00 Networking Lunch
14:00 - 14:30 Fireside Chat: Zach George, Managing Partner, Launch Africa Ventures
Zach, the co-founder and managing partner of Launch Africa Ventures, will share his perspective on what’s hot (and what’s not) in African startup investing.
Zach will be interviewed by BigFive Digital’s Charles Laughlin
14:30 - 15:00 Featured Talk: Simon Bestbier, Realm Digital
“Burn the Rulebook: Redefining Africa's Digital Future Through Innovation”
At the 2024 BigFive Summit, Realm Digital CEO Simon Bestbier had the audience leaning in with his talk about recognizing and planning for the various seasons a business must endure during the year. This year, Simon will offer a perspective on how innovation can drive Africa forward.
15:00 - 15:30 Featured Talk: Alexander Smith, Director, Networds
“Fishing Where the Fish Are -- Using Geospatial Targeting in Digital Advertising”
South African tech firm Networds applies geospatial technology to digital marketing campaigns. Director Alexander Smith will address how harnessing geospatial targeting helps marketers reach customers with precision.
16:00 - 16:30 Featured Talk: Chesarae K Pillay, Head of Digital, Capaciti Digital Talent Accelerator
"Using Technology and AI to Address South Africa's Youth Employment Challenge"
16:30 - 17:00 Headline Talk: Denvor Daniels, Head of Advertising, MTN South Africa
17:00 - 18:30 Networking Reception at Innovation City Cape Town
Wednesday, 7th May
The 2025 BigFive Summit
Innovation City Cape Town
8:00 - 09:30 Registration and Networking
09:00 -09:15 Welcome to The BigFive Summit Final Day
Thabo Seopa, Chairman, BigFive Digital
Charles Laughlin, Director, BigFive Digital and 2025 BigFive Summit Moderator
09:15 - 09:30 Pocket Presentation: Are SMEs Embracing AI Faster than Enterprise?
BigFive Summit moderator Charles Laughlin will share some fascinating data from the North American research firm Dialog supporting the theory that small businesses are adopting artificial intelligence in their day-to-day at a faster rate than large enterprises.
09:30 - 10:00 Fireside Chat: Bas Hochstenbach, Managing Partner, E4Eafrica
Bas Hochstenbach is the co-founder and managing partner of E4Eafrica, an African venture firm backing mission-driven entrepreneurs. Bas will share a vision for addressing Africa’s challenges through entrepreneurship.
Bas will be interviewed by BigFive Digital’s Charles Laughlin
10:00 - 10:30 Headline Talk: Laura Thomas, Founder & MD, Salt and Candy
“What Happens to Marketing in the Age of AI?”
Laura Thomas is the Managing Director of the South African marketing agency Salt & Candy. Her talk will focus on embracing AI in the marketing process without sacrificing authenticity.
10:30 - 11:00 Networking Break
11:00 - 11:30 Panel Discussion
“Supporting Startups -- How Both Financial and Non-Financial Resources Are Essential to Startup Success”
Panelists
Karl Nchite, CEO, CatalyzU
Egla Ntumba, Managing Partner, MsFit Ventures
Moderated by Thaheer Mullins, Partner, Savant Venture Capital
11:30 - 11:45 Fireside Chat: Subject TBA
11:45 - 12:00 Summit Wrap Up & Announcements
Thabo Seopa, Chairman, BigFive Digital
Charles Laughlin, Director, BigFive Digital and 2025 BigFive Summit Moderator
END 2025 BigFive Summit
SPEAKERS
2025 BigFive Summit Speakers
The 2025 BigFive Summit explores the intersection of business and technology in Africa. Our speakers represent the gamut -- from big corporates to agencies investors, and startups. Our speakers are always on point. And when they are not, they are drawn out by sharp and insightful questions from our audience and moderators.
If you want to learn more about participating in this year's summit, please write to us at info@bigfivedigital.org.
The 2025 BigFive Summit
Speakers At-a-Glance
The BigFive Summit Host Team
Thabo Seopa, Chairman, BigFive Digital
Charles Laughlin, Head of Content, BigFive Digital
Amanda Louw-Bester, Principal, Pragmattica Consulting
Lyndon Munetsi, Director, BigFive Digital
Day 1
6 May 2025
Innovation City Cape Town
Denvor Daniels, Head of Advertising, MTN South Africa
Simon Bestbier, CEO, Realm Digital
Arash Rezaei, Chairman, StartX
Wendy Mahoney, Managing Director, Newmella
Zachariah George, Managing Partner, Launch Africa Ventures
Alexander Smith, Director, Networds
Chesarae K Pillay, Head of Digital, Capaciti Digital Talent Accelerator
Ezana Raswork, Managing Director, Africa118
Bernadene Appalsamy, Founder, Ledger Leap
Remi Du Preez, Founder and Managing Director, Polygon
Nadia Toffar, Consultant, Brand Tribe
Timukudze Shoko, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, Umlilo Energy
Day 2
7 May 2025
Innovation City Cape Town
Laura Thomas, Managing Director, Salt and Candy
Baastian Hochstenbach, Managing Partner, E4E Africa
Thaheer Mullins, Partner, Savant
Egla Ntumba, Managing Partner, Misfit Ventures
Karl Nchite, CEO, CatalyzU
Denvor Daniels, Head of Advertising, MTN South Africa
Denvor Daniels is the Head of Advertising at MTN South Africa, Denvor runs MTN Ads in South Africa, which is MTN Group's digital advertising platform.
Arash Rezaei, Chairman, StartX
Arash Rezaei is an entrepreneur, author, and speaker whose company StartX serves as a marketplace for entrepreneurs with great ideas who are seeking funding. At the Summit, Arash will deliver an inspiring headline talk on the importance of adopting an entrepreneurial mindset.
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Simon Bestbier, CEO, Realm Digital
Simon Bestbier leads Realm Digital, a South African digital strategy and technology consultancy. At the Summit, Simon will give a talk exploring how innovative thinking and emerging technologies are transforming Africa’s business landscape.
Wendy Mahoney, Managing Director, Newmella
Wendy Mahoney is the Managing Director of Newmella Holdings, a South African consultancy that has since its establishment in 2015, has "helped numerous organisations, in diverse industries, reposition their brands for future growth." At the Summit, Wendy will deliver a featured address on “Disruption, Innovation, and Technology Are Not the Same”
Ezana Raswork, Managing Director, Africa118
Ezana Raswork is the founder and MD of Africa118, a Nairobi-based digital marketing agency for SMEs. At the BigFive Summit, Ezana will present the latest wave of findings from the MSME Pulse survey that asks African SMEs about their adoption and use of new technologies to run their businesses.
Laura Thomas, Founder and Managing Director, Salt and Candy
Laura Thomas is the Founder and Managing Director of Salt and Candy, a South African agency offering brand strategy, social media marketing, paid media campaigns, AI automation, web design, media relations, and more. Laura founded Salt and Candy in 2013. At the Summit, Laura will talk about how marketers can make the most out of AI without losing site of authenticity.
Chesarae K Pillay, Head of Digital, Capaciti Digital Talent Accelerator
Chesarae K Pillay is the Head of Digital for Capaciti Digital Talent Accelerator, a non-profit digital talent accelerator that is part of the UVU Africa Group. At the Summit, Chesarae will deliver a featured talk on how AI will be instrumental in solving Africa's youth unemployment challenges.
Baastian Hochstenbach, Managing Partner, E4EAfrica
Bas Hockstenbach is the co-founder and managing partner of E4EAfrica, a South African investment firm that backs "mission-driven founders who build the businesses that solve Africa's big questions." Bas will sit for a fireside chat with event moderator Charles Laughlin and discuss his vision for helping mission-driven entrepreneurs address Africa's key challenges.
Zachariah George, Managing Partner, Launch Africa Ventures
Zach George is the managing partner of Launch Africa Ventures, a South African early-stage venture fund that invests across multiple sectors in Africa's tech landscape. Zach will sit for a lively fireside chat to help us understand what is hot and what is not in African startups this year.
Alexander Smith, Founder and Director, Networds
Alexander Smith is the director of Networds, a South African marketing technology firm that applies geospatial technology to digital marketing. Smith founded Cape Town-based Networds in 2008. At the Summit, Alexander will give a talk on “Fishing Where the Fish Are -- Using Geospatial Targeting in Digital Advertising”.
Bernadene Appalsamy, Founder, Ledger Leap
Bernadene Appalsamy is the founder of Ledger Leap (Pty) Ltd a financial modeling and data analysis company based in South Africa, which Bernadene founded in 2024, Ledger Leap helps businesses understand costs, profitability, and financial sustainability. At the BigFive Summit, Bernadene joins the panel, “Go to Market Strategies and Tactics for SMEs: Harnessing the Power of Technology”.
Remi Du Preez, Founder and Managing Director, Polygon
Remi Du Preez is the founder and managing director of Polygon, a digital-out-of-home publisher network. At the Summit, Remi will join the panel "Go to Market Strategies and Tactics for SMEs".
Nadia Toffar, Consultant, Brand Tribe
Nadia Toffar is a consultant at Brand Tribe, where she works with SMEs to help them leverage insights, best practices, and technology transformations for growth. Nadia will join the panel "Go to Market Strategies and Tactics for SMEs".
Timukudze Shoko, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, Umlilo Energy
Timukudze Shoko is a South African entrepreneur who is a co-founder of Ulilo Energy, a startup that "provides the diaspora a mechanism of financing and installing solar home systems in their home county from anywhere in the world. At the Summit, Timukudze will join the panel "Go to Market Strategies and Tactics for SMEs".
Thaheer Mullins, General Partner, Savant Venture Fund
Thaheer Mullins is a South African investor who is a partner at the early-stage VC Savant. At the Summit, Thaheer will lead a panel discussion on building systems to aid startups with both financial and non-financial support.
Karl Nchite, CEO, CatalyzU
Karl Nchite is the co-founder and CEO of CatalyzU, an African organization that "vets, trains, & places Africa’s leading Talent at global companies." At the Summit, Karl will participate in a panel on supporting startups moderated by Savant (VC) Partner Thaheer Mullins.
Egla Ntumba, Managing Partner, MsfitVentures
Egla Ntumba is the managing partner of Msfit Ventures, a venture firm that is focused on "creating economic impact, fostering innovation, and supporting the growth of female-led SMEs in Africa." At the Summit, Egla will participate in a panel on supporting startups moderated by Savant (VC) Partner Thaheer Mullins.
The BigFive Summit Host Team
Thabo Seopa, Chairman, BigFive Digital
Thabo Seopa is the Chairman of BigFive Digital and a member of the BigFive Summit Host Team. In addition to his role leading BigFive Digital, Thabo is the Group CEO of Metrofile and is the Executive Chairman of Awande Investment Managers. Thabo is also the former Managing Director of Trudon.
Amanda Louw-Bester, Managing Director, Pragmattica Consulting
Amanda Louw-Bester is the MD of Pragmattica Consulting and is a member of the 2025 BigFive Summit Host Team. At the Summit, Amanda will lead several sessions, including the panel discussion “Go to Market Strategies and Tactics for SMEs: Harnessing the Power of Technology”
Charles Laughlin, Head of Content, BigFive Digital
Charles Laughlin is a journalist, event moderator, and podcaster. He is also a co-founder, director, and head of content for BigFive Digital. Charles is the principal moderator of the annual BigFive Summit, as well as a member of the BigFive Summit Host Team.
Lyndon Munetsi, Director, BigFive Digital
Lyndon Munetsi is a director of BigFive Digital and a member of the BigFive Summit host team. Lyndon is also an experienced technology sales leader who currently serves as the Principal Account Manager -- Enterprise for Amazon Web Services in South Africa. He is also a former Telkom and Accenture executive.
More great 2025 BigFive Summit speakers will be added soon!
SPONSORSHIP
The BigFive Summit is a partnerships-focused event. We bring together the three elements that encompass the B2B tech ecosystems.
- The Builders. These are the startups that have created innovative solutions for businesses -- from digital marketing to payments -- and need exposure, funding, and market access.
- The Funders. These are the venture capitalists who invest in the innovative products the builders produce so they can meet their potential.
- The Aggregators. These are the organizations that offer market access to the builders. These are the banks, telecoms, media companies, marketing agencies, and others offering market access to the technology companies building innovative solutions for African businesses.
Our sponsors have an opportunity not widely available at African tech events. Our events are intimate by design. Even the most retiring startup founder will meet everyone who attends -- from the managing partner of a Cape Town VC to the senior telecom executive who flew in from Lagos or Johannesburg to learn what's around the corner.
High-powered networking is the cornerstone of BigFive events. And lasting partnerships are the desired outcome of a BigFive Summit sponsorship.
Check out our 2025 BigFive Summit Sponsorship Brochure for details.
Write to info@bigfivedigital.org to learn more.
Past BigFive Summit Sponsors
IMAGE GALLERY
