Can Cape Town tech outsmart London tech?

“As others are building walls, we are building bridges” said Saadiq Khan, the Mayor of London as he was wrapping up his historic visit to the African continent. He uttered those words in Cape Town last week where technology startup founders from London and Cape Town were in attendance.

He was in Cape Town to boost trade links with London and build on extensive connections between the region and the capital’s growing African diaspora. His delegation was here to seek new opportunities in Africa. His visit was also aimed at bringing together London and South Africa’s dynamic tech sectors, developing opportunities for collaboration between the two cities in driving innovation, attracting investment and scaling transformative technologies.

A look into startup companies that were part of the delegation shows that locally developed technologies have a chance to succeed abroad. Although some of them were innovative, very few of them were developing cutting edge technology that is not yet available in the local market.

Here are some of the companies that accompanied the Mayor of London:

Humble AI is a company that enables operational teams to build and deploy AI-powered tools using a no-code platform. They were here to seek partnerships across Africa to help organisations streamline processes, scale faster, and solve local challenges — without needing engineering teams or deep tech.

Chekkit is a London based company that focuses on protecting consumers from the dangers of using counterfeit products while helping consumer goods and pharmaceutical companies boost their sales, better understand their consumers, and recover lost market share.

Deepsearch Labs is a deeptech company that focuses on bridging the gap between desktop and online search with a cutting-edge search engine, delivering insights powered by the latest Machine Learning technologies.

Tech1M is an intelligent Recruitment Engine with AI agents to source, screen, and hire global talents equitably while seamlessly handling cross-border payments and compliance.

The Washing Machine Project is a social enterprise entity that is dedicated to alleviating the burden of handwashing clothes and the often unconsidered consequences this unpaid labour has on people’s lives. The company has developed a washing machine that does not use electricity with an aim of moving people away from handwashing to a more sustainable solution.

iWarranty is an integrated SaaS platform digitising warranty management and making repair services accessible to the masses to reduce e-waste.

MOONHUB delivers immersive, data-led VR training for the facilities management and security sectors to boost retention, reduce onboarding time, and improve performance.

Oktopost helps B2B enterprises bridge the gap between social engagement and revenue. The company turns fragmented social activity into measurable pipeline, enabling marketing and sales teams to build trust, shorten sales cycles, and grow in digital-first economies like Nigeria and South Africa.

Upskill Universe is a digital learning and social impact company behind some of the world’s largest tech-talent academies.

Algomarketing is the global talent partner built exclusively for marketing. The company embeds AI-savvy, data-driven marketers in enterprise teams to slash campaign timelines and multiply pipeline.

This historical visit by the Mayor of London marks an important moment for Cape Town startups. In a world that is dominated by tech from other regions of the world, technology companies in Cape Town have an opportunity to also find ways to create their presence in London.

Already there are Cape Town-based technology companies that have presence in London. This visit will probably enable even more of them to trade in London. For that to happen this visit should be followed by a similar visit to London. Based on companies that were part of the London delegation it seems Cape Town technology has a chance if they stick to developing cutting edge technologies that really make a difference.

One Cape Town-based technology company that was present is MellowCabs - a company that developed electric delivery vehicle. The company demonstrates impactful innovation from the Cape Town region. More similar type technology companies can truly make a difference in London.

Wesley Diphoko is a Technology Analyst and the Editor-In-Chief of FastCompany (SA) magazine.

*** The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of Independent Media or IOL.

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