Your Transformation Roadmap
Two packed days of keynotes, workshops, networking, and actionable insights designed to accelerate your business growth.
08:00 - 09:30
RegistrationArrivals & Registration
09:30 - 09:40
OpeningWelcome & Summit Kickoff
09:40 - 09:50
OpeningOpening Address
A powerful address to kick off the Summit, on unlocking potential, entrepreneurship, and inclusive growth.
09:50 - 10:05
FiresideSA Future Trust and Standard Bank Fireside
A fireside conversation between Jonathan Oppenheimer and Bill Blackie on the importance of SMEs in driving economic growth in Africa, and the role that institutions like Standard Bank and SAFT must play in empowering SMEs to reach their full potential.
10:05 - 10:25
KeynoteEconomic Update
Standard Bank Chief Economist delivers a sharp, forward-looking economic outlook.
10:25 - 11:05
KeynoteHow to Be a Threat to the Future …So That the Future Doesn't Threaten You
Relevance belongs to those who refuse to settle. This keynote explores the mindset and methods that keep you unpredictable, adaptable, and impossible to ignore in a world that’s constantly shifting.
11:05 - 11:15
PitchPop-up Pitch Reveal
Think you’ve got what it takes to wow a room? If you didn’t get the chance to enter The Big Pitch or the SA Future Trust Awards, this is your moment. We’re calling for volunteer entrepreneurs from the audience to take on the Pop-Up Pitch Challenge.
11:30 - 12:15
FiresideThe Africa Playbook: Turning Challenge into Opportunity
Unlocking growth through strategy, innovation, and local insight.
12:30 - 14:15
PitchThe Big Pitch Top 10
Ten bold founders pitch for a place in the $1 million Grand Finale.
Top 10:
LELAPA AI
KASI MONEY
JOBOX
MARIHEALTH SOLUTIONS
JEM
MALTENTO
VITRUVIANMD
PAYGAS AFRICA
SONKE
PARENT SENSE
14:30 - 15:00
KeynoteGrowing with Purpose
Harnessing the power of purpose to drive growth that matters.
15:15 - 16:15
KeynoteStep Change
A motivational talk about the journeys we take.
16:15 - 17:00
AwardsSouth African Future Trust Awards
The SA Future Trust Awards celebrate South Africa's entrepreneurs.
11:45 - 12:15
KeynoteFrom Garage to Great
Rishav Juglall shares his entrepreneurial journey of making quality products available to all South Africans. Rishav's Rocky Brands began in a garage and has since grown into a thriving business driving local innovation and job creation, redefining the landscape of retail.
14:15 - 14:45
PanelUnlocking Business Efficiency with Optimised Operating Model (OOM)
Discover how SMEs are applying the Optimised Operating Model (OOM) to remove frictional costs, unlock team performance, and make decisions powered by real-time insight and data instead of guesswork.
14:45 - 15:00
PitchPop-up Pitch Day 1
Watch as a bold group of entrepreneurs chosen from the audience earlier in the day step into the spotlight for a rapid-fire showdown of elevator pitches. Audience votes will determine who walks away with the prize.
08:00 - 09:30
RegistrationArrivals & Registration
09:30 - 09:35
OpeningWelcome & Opening
09:35 - 10:25
KeynoteThe Ripple Effect: Building Tomorrow by Paying It Forward
Inspiring impact by turning generosity into growth.
10:25 - 11:10
KeynoteChoose Hard
When everyone takes the easy path, opportunity lies in choosing the hard one. Choose Hard is more than a call to leave your comfort zone. It’s about adopting the entrepreneurial mindset, daring to do what others avoid, committing to excellence when shortcuts tempt, and finding courage to make the impossible possible.
11:45 - 12:15
KeynoteReinvention
Gilli Apter sharing her journey from local video director to globally performing comedian.
12:30 - 13:15
PanelRecipe for Success
Join culinary icons Fehmz, J’Something, and Reuben Riffel as they dish out hard-earned wisdom on passion, resilience, and turning creative flair into a business empire. This conversation blends flavour, fame, and fierce entrepreneurship.
13:30 - 14:00
FiresideTech Transforming Townships
Townships are more than underserved areas; they’re thriving ecosystems of innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. This session unpacks how tech is being reimagined to meet real township needs, spotlighting the challenges, bold ideas, and disruptive solutions transforming township economies and shaping South Africa’s inclusive innovation future.
14:30 - 15:15
KeynoteThe Power of Personal Branding
Creator and entrepreneur Grace Andrews shares powerful strategies to stand out and build credibility.
15:15 - 15:30
CLOSINGA Message From SA Future Trust
We wrap up two days of bold ideas, powerful pitches, and deep connection. Join us as we reflect on the moments that mattered, celebrate our changemakers, and look ahead to the future we’re building together.
15:30 - 17:00
PitchThe Big Pitch Grand Finale
Three founders, one final chance. Watch as the top startups battle it out for a $1 million investment.
17:00 - 17:45
PerformanceClosing Performance
We end on a high with Mi Casa bringing their signature soulful sound and infectious energy to close the Summit.
11:30 - 12:15
KeynoteHighs, Lows & Buffaloes: Stories from 15 Years of South African Venture Capital
To demonstrate how legal strategy shapes VC outcomes through real stories from 15 years of legal practice - showing how proper structuring, smart negotiation, and proactive legal work create value that founders (and investors) often overlook.
12:30 - 13:00
FiresideA Dull Death or Brandalism: Creative Ways to get your Brand Seen
In a world oversaturated with content, brands face two futures: a dull death through safe, forgettable marketing or bold reinvention through brandalism. This session explores how unconventional creativity, cultural disruption, and rule-breaking ideas can make brands impossible to ignore. We’ll unpack real examples of brandalism in action, why traditional marketing is losing its impact, and how brands of any size can earn attention, not buy it.
13:15 - 14:00
PanelFunding Readiness – The Provocative Truth
Access to funding is one of the biggest hurdles facing African entrepreneurs. At the same time, investors often lament the lack of “funding-ready” businesses. This disconnect has created frustration on both sides of the table — with entrepreneurs feeling excluded, and investors feeling misled. This panel session takes a bold, unfiltered approach to unpacking the truth about funding readiness.
14:00 - 14:15
PitchPop-up Pitch Day 2
Watch as a bold group of entrepreneurs chosen from the audience earlier in the day step into the spotlight for a rapid-fire showdown of elevator pitches. Audience votes will determine who walks away with the prize.