5 ways to unlock your tech potential in Cape Town this summer

The Mother City recently clinched second place in Time Out’s “50 Best Cities in the World to Visit” survey, making it no surprise that more than 1.2 million tourists passed through Cape Town International Airport’s doors in 2023.

But Cape Town has also been making waves as one of Africa’s leading tech hubs, and the perfect place to upskill yourself with tomorrow’s tech expertise from leading institutions during the summer months.

Often referred to as Africa’s own Silicon Valley, Cape Town boasts the highest ranked startup ecosystem in South Africa with around 248 startups, representing about 51% of the country’s total beginner enterprises. This makes it the ideal home for remote tech workers keen to keep their skills sharp, and students looking to learn everything from data analytics to web development.

The Western Cape Government has identified information and communication technology as one of the five most in-demand industries and one to play a major role in boosting the overall economy. Website development is at the core of this sector, offering opportunities to specialise across various industries.

According to OfferZen’s 2024 State of the Software Developer Nation South Africa Report, Cape Town is the highest paying city in the country for coders, making it an even more lucrative location for those looking to build a career in tech.

With enough proof that Cape Town is the go-to destination for tech skills and careers, here are five ways to make the most of the opportunities the city offers this summer:

1. Register for a tech expo

A bit early for summer, but still worth noting is the opportunity to explore next-gen tech at TECHSPO Cape Town from 16 to 17 October 2024. Focusing on Internet, mobile, adtech, martech and SaaS, the event is a great way to connect with other tech enthusiasts and expand your network as you walk among the exhibitors. It will be held at the V&A Waterfront Cape Town Avenue Conference Venue.

2. Start and complete a coding bootcamp before the heat of summer

Nestled in the heart of Salt River, Cape Town lies one of the world’s top-ranked bootcamps for aspiring coders: Le Wagon. Based at the Red and Yellow Creative School for Business, it offers a web development bootcamp that equips students with the latest web and artificial intelligence techniques, encouraging an innovative mindset to thrive in any technical role or environment. The next bootcamp starts on 14 October and wraps up mid-December – perfect timing to celebrate your newly honed skills and soak up the summer sun on Cape Town’s beaches. But if the course’s start date doesn’t give enough leeway for your plans, another is in the pipeline from 20 January to 21 March 2024.

3. Attend a startup pitch tournament

The Grand Summit AfricArena is a two-day conference featuring pitches from over 50 of the top startups from its Regional Summit, ranging from seed to growth stages. While many of these pitches will come from coders, it’s also a great opportunity to mingle with the future ‘Elon Musks’ yet to be discovered. The event will be held at the CTICC from 3 to 4 December 2024, with tickets starting at R1 350 per person.

4. Become part of Cape Town’s tech community

Cape Town’s generous pool of memberships, communities and co-working spaces play a key role in supporting the growth of its tech ecosystem. Co-founded by former Cape Talk presenter Kieno Kammies and business partner Stephan Ekbergh, Innovation City is a Cape Town-based learning platform and meeting space for local change-makers and digital nomads to accelerate their growth and drive impactful innovation.

Other cool co-working spaces to meet local and international tech gurus and entrepreneurs include the likes of the V&A Waterfront, Kloof Street and Newlands’ Workshop17, and Neighbourgood in De Waterkant.

Coding bootcamps like Le Wagon also offer monthly in-person Tech Talks that bring together like-minded entrepreneurs, founders and tech workers who are looking to network.

5. Learn more about the city’s tech incubators

UVU Africa is an internationally recognised fintech cluster driving Cape Town’s fintech boom and its rise as the tech capital of Africa. It offers various programmes to empower individuals with technical skills who lack the financial resources to pursue skill-building or whose businesses need funding to provide tech and bio solutions that improve community living conditions.

Another is Silicon Cape: a community of tech entrepreneurs, developers, creatives and angel investors passionate about entrepreneurship and the future of South Africa. Focused on supporting its members and startups, it provides excellent business exposure including opportunities with large-scale companies interested in exploring tech trends.

Cape Town’s weather is at its best during the year’s warmer months, and with so much to do beyond your leisure list, you’ll keep your creativity high into the new year, ready to tackle 2025 with renewed energy and confidence in the tech scene.

Image credit: Pixabay