IncubatorEmpowering entrepreneurs through comprehensive support.
SA
Scout startups across South Africa
Explore startup ecosystems across South Africa and build a clearer view of where new companies are forming.
- Capital
- Pretoria
- Region
- AF
- Population
- 57,779,622
- Currency
- ZAR
Startup ecosystem standing
Where South Africa ranks
| Ranking | Edition | Position | Since last edition | Trust | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Bloomberg Innovation Index | 2019 | #51 | Down 11 | B | Innovation, Research |
 Global Startup Ecosystem Index (countries) | 2025 | #52 | No prior edition | B | Ecosystem, Activity, Finance, Business Climate |
 IMD World Competitiveness Ranking | 2026 | #54 | Up 6 | B | Competitiveness, Business Climate, Performance |
| Global Innovation Index | 2025 | #61 | Up 8 | A | Innovation, Competitiveness, Research, Talent |
| Doing Business (Ease of Doing Business ranking) | Doing Business 2020 | #84 | Down 2 | B | Business Climate |
189 organizations with a profile
Who's based in South Africa
Incubators 83
Incubator
IncubatorEmpowering digital innovation and entrepreneurship in Africa.
IncubatorFostering social innovation through entrepreneurship.
The 3 most prominent of 83. Browse all incubators
Accelerators 44
AcceleratorHarambee Youth Employment Accelerator is a not-for-profit social enterprise based in South Africa that addresses youth unemployment through…
AcceleratorV-Accelerator is an accelerator that focuses on transforming collaboration prototypes into commercial products, utilizing a comprehensive development…
AcceleratormLab Southern Africa is a non-profit technology accelerator based in Pretoria, South Africa, focused on fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in…
The 3 most prominent of 44. Browse all accelerators
Investors 36
InvestorEmpowering responsible entrepreneurs for social upliftment.
InvestorEmpowering Africa's entrepreneurs with catalytic capital.
InvestorEmpowering SMEs through gender-lens investing.
The 3 most prominent of 36. Browse all investors
Venture studios 26
Venture studioInnovating blockchain solutions for impact and digital identity.
Venture studioAfrica's largest startup campus and entrepreneurship hub.
Venture studioInnovative product design and development studio.
The 3 most prominent of 26. Browse all venture studios
Based here, most-ranked first
Universities in South Africa
UniversityListed in 1 ranking
UniversityListed in 1 ranking
Pick what describes you
Your way in
Raising in South Africa
Investors based here, and the programs that take teams at your stage.
Founder toolsFinding startups in South Africa
Accelerators and incubators here see the earliest teams first.
Explore dealflowScouting in South Africa
Campuses and communities are where teams form before anyone funds them.
Become a scoutQuestions about South Africa
How does South Africa rank as a startup ecosystem?
Its best position is #51 in Bloomberg Innovation Index (2019). It appears in 5 rankings tracked on Superscout; the table above lists each one.
How many startup investors are based in South Africa?
Superscout has profiles for 36 investors based in South Africa, including E Squared Investments, 54 Collective VC and IDF CAPITAL.
Are there accelerators or incubators in South Africa?
Yes. Superscout lists 44 accelerators, 83 incubators and 26 venture studios based there, including Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, Raizcorp and Trustlab Blockchain Innovation Studio.
Which universities in South Africa are on Superscout?
2 universities have a profile: University of the Witwatersrand and University of Cape Town.
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Superscout documents South Africa ecosystem information independently from canonical records and linked sources. Missing facts stay missing.
Sources and known limits
A reviewed date is not available for this page.
- Bloomberg Innovation Index, 2019
- Global Startup Ecosystem Index (countries), 2025
- IMD World Competitiveness Ranking, 2026
- Global Innovation Index, 2025
- Doing Business (Ease of Doing Business ranking), Doing Business 2020
Organizations are placed by their recorded headquarters (Google place, ROR or company record). Only organizations with a Superscout profile are counted, so totals undercount the full ecosystem.
The population value has no measurement date in the canonical record and should be treated as approximate context.
Superscout is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the organizations documented here.