South Africa
2 local programs and 637 in total, including global perks.
The Earthshot Prize
The Earthshot Prize
GBP 1 million to each of five winners; 15 finalists get Earthshot Fellowship support
Environmental prize across Nature, Air, Oceans, Waste and Climate. Nominations accepted from all sectors and countries.
Rice Business Plan Competition
Rice University (Rice Alliance and Jones Graduate School of Business)
Over $1 million in cash, investment and prizes; every competing team wins at least one cash prize
Graduate-level student startup competition in Houston. The 2026 edition offered over $1.5 million in prizes, a minimum cash prize of $950 for every one of the…
EF Hult Prize
EF Hult Prize Foundation
US$1 million seed funding for the winning team
World's largest student startup competition. Teams build startups addressing a UN SDG; winners receive seed funding.
Startup World Cup
Pegasus Tech Ventures
$1 million investment prize for the global winner
Global competition with 100+ regional startup pitch events; regional winners advance to the grand finale.
Open Technology Fund - Internet Freedom Fund
Open Technology Fund
$10,000 to $900,000 for up to 24 months
Funding for technology projects that counter censorship and surveillance and advance digital rights, with awards of $10,000 to $900,000 over up to 24 months.
Y Combinator
Y Combinator
$500k investment + $1M+ perks
Standard deal plus a large bundle of partner credits (cloud, AI, SaaS) for every batch company.
AcceleratorAccelerators
🌍
🌍Google for Startups Cloud Program
Google Cloud
Up to $200,000 (up to $350,000 for AI-first startups)
Google Cloud and Firebase credits over two years, technical training, Google Workspace Business Starter discounts and access to startup experts.
sefa Direct Lending to Small Enterprises
Small Enterprise Finance Agency (sefa)
Loans from R50,000 to R5 million
State development-finance loans for South African SMMEs and co-operatives, with emphasis on women, rural and peri-urban enterprises.
Gov. schemeLoans & Funding
Cloudflare for Startups
Cloudflare
Up to $250,000 in credits
Credits for Workers, R2, Workers AI, security and performance products across tiers.