Three days in Johannesburg bringing together entrepreneurs, startups, SMEs, researchers, investors, corporates, policymakers and ecosystem builders. A first step towards a movement.
Entrepreneurs don't just enter economies. They shape them.
Across the Global South, a new generation of entrepreneurs and SMEs is turning ideas into businesses, creating jobs, solving problems and building new possibilities for their communities.
Their journeys are rarely easy. They depend on access to capital, markets, skills, technology, mentors, institutions and networks. And they cannot do it alone.
The BRICS Startup x SME Summit 2026 is a first step towards building a growing movement connecting the people, ideas and institutions shaping entrepreneurship across the Global South.
From India and South Africa to Brazil, China, Russia, Rwanda and Ethiopia, entrepreneurs are responding to the challenges and opportunities around them in very different ways.
Entrepreneurs, startups, SMEs, researchers, investors, corporations, policymakers and ecosystem builders will share experiences, challenge assumptions, build relationships and explore what it takes to turn ideas into businesses, and businesses into meaningful impact.
This is where the conversation begins.
“Three Days. One Beginning. November is not the destination. It is the starting point.”
Registration runs through the AfricaLics Conference 2026 on the Wits Events platform. Secure your place, then tell us how you'd like to take part using the form at the end of this page.
A startup is more than an idea. It is a journey.
A problem is identified. An idea emerges. People come together. A prototype is built. Customers are found. Capital is raised. Mistakes are made. The business evolves. And, hopefully, it begins to create value, not only for its founders and investors, but for people, communities and economies.
Yet these journeys look very different across countries and ecosystems. We want to move beyond simply talking about startups. We want to understand their journeys, and help build better ecosystems around them.
The question is not simply how do we build more startups. It is: how do we build startups that matter?
A startup can create economic value and social value at the same time. We want to bring together people who believe that the businesses of the future can be commercially viable, socially meaningful and environmentally responsible.
Two special sessions open the conversation. Six workshops and breakaway sessions move it from discussion to action, designed for founders, SMEs, aspiring entrepreneurs, researchers and industry.
Where do ideas come from? What makes someone become an entrepreneur? What problem are they trying to solve?
An open conversation with founders, researchers and ecosystem leaders exploring what happens before a startup becomes a startup, and the people, problems and circumstances that set the journey in motion.
Startups can create jobs, introduce new solutions, open markets, strengthen communities and contribute to economic and social transformation.
This session asks: what role do startups actually play in our economies, and how can we build ecosystems that enable them to create greater impact?
Don't just listen. Get involved.
What does it really take to turn an idea into a business?
Hear directly from founders about their journeys: the highs, lows, mistakes, breakthroughs and lessons they wish they had known at the beginning.
Turn problems into opportunities.
A practical session using design thinking to help participants understand real problems, test ideas and explore whether a solution has the potential to become a viable venture.
How can entrepreneurs use AI without losing sight of the problem they are trying to solve?
Explore how AI can support research, product development, marketing, operations and decision-making, while keeping human creativity, judgement and purpose at the centre.
Practical AI for real businesses.
Discover how SMEs can use AI and automation to improve everyday operations, reduce costs, reach customers and unlock new opportunities.
Where does the money come from, and what are investors looking for?
Meet representatives from VC funds, impact investors, grant-makers, corporates and institutions. Learn about different forms of capital, what makes a startup investment-ready and how to finance growth while creating impact.
What does it mean to invest in businesses that deliver both financial and social value?
An exploration of how capital can support entrepreneurs tackling some of the biggest challenges facing communities and economies.
Forget the traditional exhibition. Startup Square is where the startups take centre stage. Throughout the three days, startups and SMEs from across the BRICS countries and Africa will showcase their businesses, technologies, products and prototypes to an international audience.
Whether you have a physical product, working prototype, technology demonstration or early-stage concept, Startup Square is about putting ideas in front of people who can help take them further.
Bring your prototype. Bring your product. Bring your story to Johannesburg.
The Summit connects participants with some of South Africa's most dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystems through satellite events and ecosystem engagements.
Connecting startups with corporate innovation, enterprise development and market opportunities.
Connecting participants with Cape Town's vibrant startup, investment and innovation ecosystem.
And this is only the beginning. As the Summit grows, we will continue to build new partnerships, new conversations and new bridges between startup ecosystems across the Global South.
The BRICS Startup Summit is designed to create lasting connections between entrepreneurs, SMEs, markets, research, capital and institutions. We are looking beyond November. We are building a platform that can grow.
Meet high-potential startups working across technology, climate, health, agriculture, manufacturing, fintech, creative industries and more.
Create connections between entrepreneurs, companies and investors across Africa, India, China, Brazil, Russia, Rwanda, Ethiopia and other emerging markets.
Help entrepreneurs turn ideas into businesses that create jobs, opportunities, inclusion and positive social and environmental impact.
Meet founders seeking investment, grants, partnerships and market access.
Go beyond panels. Meet entrepreneurs, see their products, test prototypes and understand what they need to grow.
Bring your expertise to workshops, founder sessions, mentoring, research discussions and practical learning.
Support entrepreneurs who are not only building businesses, but solving problems, creating livelihoods and shaping more inclusive economies.
Join a growing community working to connect entrepreneurship, research, markets, capital and social impact across borders.
We welcome organisations that want to actively contribute to the Summit and help build the wider movement.
Become a PartnerAre you building an AI, digital, smart or technology-enabled solution and curious about what opportunities Africa might offer? Then we would love to have you at the Summit.
Your solution does not need to be specifically designed for Africa. If you believe there could be an opportunity for your product, technology or business in an African market, come and explore it.
There are no complicated requirements. We simply ask that you:
The Summit provides the platform, connections and opportunities for engagement. Startups and participating organisations are responsible for arranging and funding their own participation, including the following costs:
Registration deadline 5 November 2026
You don't have to know exactly where your African opportunity lies yet. Come and find out.
The future of entrepreneurship in the Global South is being built now. There is a place for you in this conversation.
Come with an idea. Come with a startup. Come with research. Come with capital. Come with a problem that needs solving.
