InvestFest 2025: Entrepreneurs, Investors, Chocolate, Art and Food – Chic-Tribe’s Highlights

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Chic-Tribe Digital Magazine attended InvestFest 2025, hosted by Anglo American’s Impact Finance Network (IFN) on 1 October at Victoria Yards. The festival brought together over 300 entrepreneurs, investors, corporates, and development partners for a day of inspiration, collaboration, and impact-driven investment.

The event, themed “Building Entrepreneurial Resilience”, showcased the growing appetite for impact investment in Southern Africa. From interactive business showcases to engaging panel discussions and investor pitches, InvestFest provided a platform for growth-stage businesses to connect with funders from IFN’s network of over 140 investors, banks, foundations, and development finance institutions.

Chic-Tribe’s personal highlights included:

• The business and investor pitch sessions, where innovative ideas and strategic funding opportunities came alive.

• The panel on “Demystifying Impact Investment for Philanthropic Organisations”, offering fresh insights on aligning social impact with financial returns.

• The Creative Block exhibition by Spier Art Trust, showcasing stunning and thought-provoking artworks

• A delicious selection of dishes from the food trucks, rounding off a sensory festival experience.

“The energy and collaboration we witnessed at InvestFest reinforced the power of bringing entrepreneurs and investors together in meaningful ways,” said Emma Parker, Sustainable and Impact Finance Manager at Anglo American. “Platforms like this create the conditions for partnerships that drive real economic transformation across Southern Africa.”

Since its launch in 2021, the IFN has mobilised over R1.6 billion in third-party capital globally, supporting growth-stage businesses and creating thousands of livelihoods across Southern Africa. Success stories include GoBuddy, a gig economy platform connecting commuters to e-commerce deliveries, and Michanic, South Africa’s leading mobile mechanic service both thriving thanks to IFN support.

With small and medium enterprises representing 91% of formal businesses and employing roughly 60% of the formal workforce in South Africa, platforms like InvestFest are critical for building resilient and sustainable businesses that contribute to economic growth and inclusive development.

Chic-Tribe left InvestFest 2025 inspired, energized, and delighted by the blend of entrepreneurship, culture, creativity, and culinary indulgence a true celebration of Southern Africa’s entrepreneurial spirit.