30 September 2022 | Hybrid Edition (Grand Africa Café & Beach, Cape Town, South Africa and Virtual) | 4th Edition

The bustling and vibrant Crypto Fest 2022, hosted at The Grand Africa Café and Beach venue at the Cape Town Waterfront in September 2022, was a spectacular convergence of visionaries, enthusiasts, and experts in the world of cryptocurrencies, NFTs, DeFi and blockchain technology.

Nestled against the picturesque backdrop of Cape Town’s iconic waterfront, The Grand Africa Café and Beach provided the perfect setting for this extraordinary gathering. Its lively ambiance and scenic location served as a fitting backdrop for the dynamic discussions, captivating presentations, and vibrant networking opportunities that unfolded throughout the event.

The event formed part of a Week of Innovation as a collaboration with the SA Innovation Summit, the largest startup event in Africa, that took place in Cape Town, 27-29 September 2022.

Under the theme of ‘Don’t Look Up’, based on the satirical movie,  ‘Don’t Look Up’, the event saw about 1,000 entrepreneurs, traders, investors, developers, and pundits alike gather both in-person in Cape Town and virtually, to explore the vast opportunities that cryptocurrencies and their related innovations are creating in the African economy.

In addition to the captivating talks and presentations, the event offered a plethora of enjoyable activities that added an extra layer of excitement.

Attendees were treated to a luxury yacht cruise around the picturesque Cape Town harbor, immersing themselves in breathtaking views while connecting with like-minded individuals.

The NFT gallery showcased a captivating array of African digital art, providing a glimpse into the vibrant world of non-fungible tokens. For gaming enthusiasts, the Metaverse Gaming Zone provided an immersive experience where cutting-edge technology and virtual worlds converged, allowing participants to explore and engage in the future of gaming.

The event also featured engaging exhibitions, offering attendees the opportunity to interact with the latest advancements and innovations in the digital asset space.

Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth in the City of Cape Town, Alderman James Vos opened the event and expressed that – as Africa’s Tech Capital – Cape Town was an ideal host city for the continent’s leading gathering of innovators, affording them an unmatched opportunity to connect, inspire and accelerate the impact that crypto technologies can have on advancing socio-economic growth in South Africa and abroad.

Who Attended?

Photos

Speakers

Exhibition Booths

Networking

Metaverse Zone and NFT Gallery

For the first time, the Crypto Fest included a Metaverse Gaming Zone and an NFT Gallery.
9 NFT artists and marketplaces showcased their African NFT art collections and the NFT Gallery Chain Sponsor was Libex, a South African-owned NFT Marketplace.

Crypto Betting Catamaran

Sponsored by Sportsbet.io/Bitcasino, this was a one of a kind experience as VIPS were treated to a 2 hour luxury cruise around the beautiful Cape Town Waterfront while networking over drinks and enjoying the event talks via live-stream.
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Speaker Videos

Watch the speaker videos below or visit our YouTube channel here.

Opening of the Crypto Fest 2022


Alderman James Vos: Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth in the City of Cape Town

Building NFT Solutions for the African Sun


Mandla Magagula: Chief Technology Officer at Libex

NFTs: My Personal Journey


Sibusiso Leope AKA DJ Sbu: Businessman, Artist, DJ

Keynote Address: The Disruptive Potential, Innovation and Regulations within the Crypto Industry


Wiehann Olivier: Audit Partner and Digital Asset Lead for Mazars South Africa

Keynote Address: FTX on Education and Crypto Adoption in Africa


Nolu Mashologu: Business Development at FTX Africa

Crypto and the Role it’s Going to Play in South African Sport


Sean Roberts: Founder and CEO of Sean Roberts (Pty) Ltd
Kyle Brown: Co-Founder of Eighteen Coffee, Former Professional Rugby Player (South African Sevens player with South African Rugby Union)

Keynote Address: The Future of DeFi in Africa


Michael Jordan: Business Development for Polygon Enterprise

What Crypto Winter?


Simon Dingle: CEO at Inves Capital
Steven Boykey Sidley: Director at Bridge Capital and Author

Opera in Web3


Sebastian Stent: Product Marketing Manager for Web3 at Opera

Panels

Panel: The Impact of NFTs for Artists and Musicians in Africa


Moderator: Anushka Soma-Patel: Product Manager of Ecosystems for Atala Prism at Input Output (IOHK)
Panelists:
Yaliwe Soko: Chairwoman of the United Africa Blockchain Association
Stephen Young: CEO and Co-Founder of NFTfi
Craig Chitima: Digital Designer
Jan Hendrik Viljoen aka Portchie aka Portchie: Artist

Panel: The Rise of the Metaverse and Web3.0: An African Perspective


Moderator: Wesley Diphoko: Editor-In-Chief: FastCompany SA
Panelists:
Ernest Mbenkum: Founder and CEO of Interstellar Inc. and Founder of the Bantu Blockchain Foundation
Norbert Amankwaa Adomako: Chief of Communications at Metis
Modibe Matsepane: Marketing Manager for Africa at Paxful

Panel: Investing in the Future: NFTs and Metaverse Investments


Moderator: Dirk van Loggerenberg: Director at Futureneers Capital
Panelists:
Llew Claasen: Managing Partner at Newtown Partners
Gideon Greaves: Managing Director for Africa at CV VC
Devon Krantz: CEO and Co-Founder of Linum Labs
Ahren Posthumus: CEO and Founder at Momint

Panel: Managing Risk with DeFi Investments


Moderator: Michael Jordan: Business Development for Polygon Enterprise
Panelists:
Daniel Kimber: Co-founder of Bakari AG
Hannes Wessels: Country Head for Southern Africa at Binance
Sebastian Stent: Product Marketing Manager for Web3 at Opera.com

Panel: Web3.0 Gaming: The Potential in Africa


Moderator: Devon Krantz: CEO and Co-Founder of Linum Labs & Web3 Sanctuary
Panelists:
Wayne van Niekerk: Business Development at Linum Labs
Michael Deon:Web 3 | Unity Game Developer | Artist
Glenn Gillis: CEO and Co-Founder of Sea Monster

Panel: Is the Future of Payments Stablecoins?


Moderator: Rayn Derksen: Head: Blockchain & Special Projects at Nedbank
Panelists:
Rikki Barnes: Head: Crypto & DLT Centre of Expertise at First National Bank
Tobie van der Spuy: Co-Founder at Block Markets Africa (BMA)
Badi Sudhakaran: Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at VALR.com
Adele Jones: Lead Architect: Information Security and Blockchain at Nedbank

SPEAKERS

The Crypto Fest 2022 featured well-known African individuals in the realms of cryptocurrency, NFTs, DeFi, and blockchain technology.

Kieno Kammies (Master of Ceremonies) Co-founder of Innovation City

Kieno is a media veteran, having been part of the commercial media

Alderman James Vos Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth in the City of Cape Town

James Vos is the Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth in the

Michael Jordan Actuarial Consultant

Born and raised in South Africa. Fellow of the Actuarial Society of

Nolu Mashologu (Keynote Speaker) Business Development at FTX Africa

Nolu is a crypto enthusiast and entrepreneur and in the last 5

Hannes Wessels General Manager of Southern and Francophone Africa at Binance

Hannes Wessels is the General Manager of Southern and Francophone Africa for

Wiehann Olivier Partner | FinTech and Digital Asset Lead for Forvis Mazars South Africa

Wiehann is a Partner at Forvis Mazars South Africa and also the

Sebastian Stent Product Marketing Manager for Web3 at Opera

Seb Stent is Product Marketing Manager for Web3 at Opera. Opera has

Michael Deon Web 3 | Unity Game Developer | Artist

Michael has recently been featured in Fast Company’s Top 20 under 30

Sibusiso Leope AKA DJ Sbu Businessman, Artist, DJ

DJ Sbu’s introduction to the cryptocurrency world started June 2021 during the

Mandla Magagula Chief Technology Officer at Libex

As a curious and motivated self-learner, I gained an interest in computing

Wesley Diphoko Editor In Chief at Fast Company SA

Wesley Diphoko has been working at the intersection of technology, media and

Llew Claasen Managing Partner at Newtown Partners

Llew is a go-to-market strategist with almost two decades of senior management

Daniel Kimber Co-founder of Bakari AG

Daniel has deep experience in the nuances of legal, regulatory and tax

Yaliwe Soko Chairwoman of the United Africa Blockchain Association

Yaliwe Soko is the Chairwoman of the United Africa Blockchain Association, Founder

Dirk van Loggerenberg CEO of FutureFin

Dirk is the the CEO of FutureFin, a Crypto Asset Management platform,

Ernest Mbenkum Founder and CEO of Interstellar Inc. and Founder of the Bantu Blockchain Foundation

Ernest is a Cameroonian/Canadian entrepreneur, inventor, investor, and computer scientist who has

Sean Roberts Founder and CEO of Sean Roberts (Pty) Ltd

Sean Roberts is a brand sponsorship and athlete manager specializing in aligning

Ahren Posthumus CEO and Founder at Momint

Ahren was awarded the Investec Entrepreneur Leader of the year award (2016).

Arno Carstens Musician and Artist

Arno Carstens is an award-winning musician and fine artist based in Cape

Glenn Gillis CEO and Co-Founder of Sea Monster

Glenn is the co-founder and CEO of Sea Monster. He has a

Gideon Greaves Managing Director for Africa at CV VC

Gideon Greaves, Managing Director at CV VC & CV Labs Africa, is

Craig Chitima Digital Designer

Craig Chitima is an Afro-centric Digital designer, 3D Artist, and educator based

Kyle Brown Co-Founder of Eighteen Coffee, Former Professional Rugby Player (South African Sevens player with South African Rugby Union)

Kyle Gie Brown is an ex-South African rugby union player, playing with

Anushka Soma-Patel Product Manager of Ecosystems for Atala Prism at Input Output (IOHK)

Anushka is the Product manager for Atala PRISM ecosystems at Input Output

Rayn Derksen Head: Blockchain & Special Projects at Nedbank

Rayn Derksen is a blockchain strategist and Web3.0 advocate. She heads up

Adele Jones Lead Architect: Information Security and Blockchain at Nedbank

Adele Jones has over 14 years of hands on information security experience.

Tobie van der Spuy Co-Founder at Block Markets Africa (BMA)

Tobie is a passionate advocate for the regulation and adoption of blockchain

Simon Dingle CEO at Inves Capital

Simon was on the founding teams of 22seven, Luno, Curve, and used

Jan Hendrik Viljoen aka Portchie Artist

Born 23 November 1963 in Pietersburg. After living in Tweeling in the

Steven Boykey Sidley Director at Bridge Capital and Author

Steve has over 35 years experience in diverse areas of business, media

Stephen Young CEO and Co-Founder of NFTfi

Stephen is a token engineer, smart contract developer and designer in the

Norbert Amankwaa Adomako Chief of Communications at Metis

Norbert is the Communications and Community lead at Metis and Founder of

Badi Sudhakaran Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at VALR.com

Badi Sudhakaran is a dynamic and visionary entrepreneur with a remarkable journey

Wayne van Niekerk Head of Ecosystem at Fuel Labs

Rikki Barnes Head - Blockchain Enabler at FNB South Africa

Rikki Barnes has been with FirstRand for 12 years, predominantly in Foreign

Modibe Matsepane Community and Education Manager for Africa at Paxful

Modibe Matsepane is the Community and Education Manager for Africa at Paxful.

Devon Krantz Chairwoman of the Board at Linum Labs

Devon Krantz is a pioneering leader in the Web3 space, currently serving

SPONSORS

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Gold Sponsors

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