Free state located in the heart of south africa has a rich history of entrepreneurship dating back to the early 1900s the area is known for its vast agricultural lands and mining resources which have attracted many entrepreneurs over the years the population of the area is around 28 million with a mix of urban and rural communities in recent years the technological innovations in the area have been impressive with many startups emerging in the fields of agriculture mining and renewable energy companies such as agriprotein which uses fly larvae to produce animal feed and solar turtle which provides solarpowered mobile energy solutions have gained international recognition free state is also home to several established companies including sasol a global energy and chemical company and harmony gold a mining company the area has a rich history of key events including the battle of blood river and the angloboer war local universities such as the university of the free state have played a significant role in the development of the startup scene providing resources and support to entrepreneurs the living wage in the area is around r4500 per month and the unemployment rate is around 29 despite the challenges of high unemployment and poverty the startup scene in free state is thriving the city level gdp is around r100 billion and the rate of new companies starting is on the rise the areas natural resources coupled with the innovative spirit of its people make it an ideal location for startups to thrive however more needs to be done to address the high unemployment rate and provide support to entrepreneurs from disadvantaged backgrounds
PrizesHuge thanks toNotion for sponsoring this Award!