Africa House is set to hit SXSW with a program devoted to catalyzing partnerships between entrepreneurs and investors looking to do business in Africa. The event supported by AppsAfrica.com will take place at Parker Jazz Club Saturday, March 11, through Sunday, March 12, 2018 in Austin, Texas.
Speaking on the launch Aubrey Hruby, co-founder of Insider shared “From South Africa’s Silicon Cape to the Silicon Savannah of Kenya, African innovation is taking off. Africa is the future of global growth, and our goal for this program is to connect Africa to the rest of the world. Africa House will give entrepreneurs, founders, artists, and designers a platform to promote themselves globally while also providing prospective investors the opportunity to learn about the latest innovations Africa has to offer and how the continent’s tech boom is reshaping the business, culture, and economic trajectory of many of its countries.”
Pioneering African artists in attendance will include Bisola Aiyeola, a Nigerian actress, singer, MC, and presenter; Iyanya, who rose to stardom following his success at the 2008 edition of MTN Project Fame West Africa; and Kenyan musical artist Khaligraph Jones (also known as “Papa Jones”), one of the biggest names in the Kenyan hip hop music scene; among others.
Highlights of Africa House’s program include (full schedule and more detail in notes below):
● Lights, Power, Action: Africa Goes Green: Sandrine Nzeukou, Executive Director, Invest Africa in conversation with Jessica O. Matthews, CEO, Uncharted Power; Maurice Parets, CEO, Pawame; and Kolawole Akinboye, COO, Rensource Energy
● Welcome to the Silicon Lagoon: A Nigeria Tech Breakfast Showcase: Featuring Paga, Venture Garden Group, Gidimo, Cars45
● Dancing to the Afrobeat: The Rise and Rise of African Music: Participating companies include RocNation, OkayAfrica, First Access Entertainment, and Touch HD
● Inside Africa: The Next Generation of PR is in Emerging Markets: Featuring Eliot Pence, Insider Co-Founder
● Tech for Development. Powered by the US African Development Foundation. Featuring C.D. Glin, CEO, US African Development Foundation, in conversation with Wutiko, Wazi Vision, and Cherehani
● Africa After Dark: The Official Africa House After Party: Featuring Iyanya, Jeff Akoh, Bisola Aiyeola, Chris Akinyemi, Khaligraph Jones
In addition to workshops, immersive panels, and networking happy hours, Africa House will also present a pop-up shop featuring work and products by Sonia Mugabo (“SM”), a Rwandan fashion brand that employs local artisan talent to make high quality clothing that captures the essence of global trends with an inspired edge that is purely African; UNIFORM, a fashion styling subscription service designed by Chid Liberty, Liberian co-founder of Liberty & Justice, Africa’s first Fair Trade-certified apparel manufacturer; ENZI, an Ethiopian premium footwear brand seeking to challenge global perceptions of Africa through design, and YouNeek Studios, a creative character-based storytelling and entertainment company that produces animation, comics, graphic novels, film, and other media featuring eclectic characters inspired by African history, culture, and mythology.
Click here for more information about Africa House at SXSW.
