The 2026 South African Future Trust Summit brought together a large variety of key players in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. This includes innovators, investors, entrepreneurs and decision makers. The event focused on shaping the future of startups and small businesses in South Africa.
Among the speakers was Mathew Marsden, founder of Startup Club ZA, which was a key partner at the South African Future Trust Summit. He shared his insights on startup challenges, the Big Pitch Competition, and why startups need to differentiate themselves from traditional SMEs.
Startup Club ZA and the SAFT Collaboration
This year’s summit was not Startup Club ZA’s first rodeo. In 2024, they partnered with the South African Future Trust as their startup ecosystem partner, but this year, their participation was bigger, driving more impact.
“When we talk about startups, we are not talking about small businesses. We mean disruptive, innovative, fast-growing companies. They are often tech-led. They might be small, but they want to grow very quickly. To do that, they usually raise investment capital,” says Mathew.
Mathew explained that they were previously asked to put on a pitch event. As someone who runs a community of startups, Mathew called on some great founders and got them on stage. Over two days, we narrowed it down to a final few. At the time, the founders pitched for audience attention.
“Jonathan Oppenheimer pulled me aside and said, ‘Matt, we want to put some material money into these founders.’ He announced a 20-million-Rand prize pool in 2024. It was not a prize or a grant. It was an investment. This meant Oppenheimer companies would become investors on the founders’ cap table. That moment was informal, but it was massive. Few people knew about it unless they attended the Summit,” he explained.
Formalising the Big Pitch
Building on the success of 2024, Startup Club ZA formalised the event series in 2025. Marsden gives us an overview of the Big Pitch journey.
“Startup Club has a large nationwide network. We decided to formalise the event series. We offered a big, audacious number, something never offered in a startup pitch event series in South Africa. We wanted to see what types of founders and innovations would emerge. This year, we had two regional qualifiers. Over 500 companies applied. Nearly 30 people were involved in judging. We selected a top 10 group of finalists. They are participating live at the SAFT Summit 2025. The winner will enter due diligence for a million-dollar investment.”
What Does It Take to Win a Pitching Competition?
Marsden explained that winning is more than having a good product.
“It is hard because it is not just about building the right thing. Technology makes building interesting things easy. But you must build the right thing at the right time for the right audience. Many finalists are solving real problems. Some are banking the unbanked. Others are serving the underserved. Some are addressing gaps in healthcare and education. Others support digital parenting. All of the finalists serve a high purpose. Some have already raised investment, others are seeking it.”
Startups vs. SMEs
In South Africa, SMEs and startups are often placed under one umbrella; however, there is a clear difference. Mathew states that there is a clear difference between startups and SMEs, highlighting that most startups are just thrown into the small business or SME bracket.
“If startups want to access broader ecosystem support, very little exists that caters specifically to their type of business. There is some support, but it is hyper niche. Startups need help on the tech front. They also need help on the business front. They need support in taking a product to market. Often that requires people to change their behaviour. It is not better or worse than SMEs. It is just different.”
The current ecosystem is on the cusp of an AI technological revolution. Building a product has become easier than ever. Combine that with business acumen, and you can build something that changes the world.
The Investment Landscape in South Africa
“People often say, ‘If I were in Silicon Valley, I would get an investor.’ But Silicon Valley is extremely competitive. Capital is available, but investors are hungry for workable ideas. Our mission at Startup Club is to create an investable category here. We want founders to attract early-stage capital. You invest in people before ideas. That means building social capital first, then financial capital follows. Events like the Big Pitch help build appetite for early investment. Without events, you cannot create one-to-one relationships between founders and investors. If founders cannot meet investors and build rapport, capital will not flow to ideas that do not exist yet.”
Through the Big Pitch, Startup Club ZA is building a homegrown ecosystem for startups. By formalising competitions, providing mentorship, and attracting investment, South African startups now have a clear pathway to grow, scale, and make an impact. Marsden’s vision highlights the potential for local startups to thrive and compete globally.
“It is an exciting time to be in this space,” he said. “Startups have access to technology, capital interest, and mentorship. If you marry these with business knowledge, you can build something that can change the world.”
