SAVCA VC Conference 2026: A growing market turns its attention to what comes next | EBnet
2026-01-01
SAVCA VC Conference 2026 Venue Placeholder
The 2026 SAVCA VC Conference focused on building a deeper capital base, improving liquidity, making regulation workable, and helping founders scale globally. Held under the theme Ignite: Unlocking the Next Era of Private Capital, the event brought together fund managers, allocators, development-finance institutions, founders, and regulators.
At a glance
- Theme
- Ignite: Unlocking the Next Era of Private Capital
- Sectors
- Fintech, Agnostic
Agenda
- A case for future thinking — Futurist Dr Craig Wing explored the Four Future Seasons framework and the importance of spotting signals under uncertainty.
- From hype to evidence — Explored whether the South African VC ecosystem has reached a point of genuine maturity in relation to capital and returns.
- Capital must circulate — Focused on who will finance South Africa's venture market, blended capital, and liquidity through secondaries.
- Regulation and growth — Focused on the practical difficulty of building internationally competitive companies while working through regulatory frameworks.
Speakers, judges and hosts
- Anne-Marie Chidzero — FSD Africa (Panelist)
- Noluvo Nela — Edge Growth Ventures (Panelist)
- Paula Mokwena — Fireball Capital (Panelist)
- Safeera Mayet — SAVCA (Panelist)
- Stephan Lamprecht — VS Nova (Panelist)
- Zach George — Launch Africa Ventures (Panelist)
- Craig Wing — Futurist (Speaker)
- Gladwyn Leeuw — ESquared Investments (Speaker)