Xlink was named Technology Company of the Year at the Africa Tech Week Awards 2025, the highest honour of the evening.
Xlink scoops awards of the night at Africa Tech Week 2025
This annual ceremony recognises outstanding contributions to the tech industry across the continent and was held at the Century City Conference Centre.
The Technology Company of the Year award is reserved for a company that has shown strong leadership, innovation, and real impact through technology.
Xlink’s recognition stamps its continued excellence in providing business-focused connectivity and payment solutions that power retail and financial services in South Africa.
The Africa Tech Week Awards were packed with celebrations of groundbreaking achievements in digital innovation. The awards are divided into multiple categories to highlight specific contributions across different sectors of the tech industry.
Other major winners included Trishen Moodley from MAST Services, who won the Africa Tech Leader of the Year award, recognising his strategic vision and influence in the industry.
The Women in Tech honour went to Xoliswa Kakana of ICT Works, acknowledging her work in championing women in the technology sector.
Oscar Molaba from Batanidza Technologies received the Tech Founder Award for his role in launching and growing a company that is making waves in the tech ecosystem.
The Start-Up Award, sponsored by Sentech, went to the creators of the Lemi App, which has been lauded for its simplicity and effectiveness in solving local problems.
Wonga Online won the Fintech Award for its contribution to digital financial services, while Old Mutual received the Tech Impact Award, sponsored by the City of Cape Town,
for its widespread technological outreach. Etapath was awarded for Digital Transformation, recognising its role in helping organisations adapt to the digital age.
The Public Sector Digital Innovator Award went to MMT Inland, a division of the Mint Group, for pushing government systems into the digital space.
PaySolutions was recognised for innovation in cybersecurity, receiving the Security Technology Company award. WeThinkCode took the EdTech Award, celebrating its efforts in training the next generation of software developers.
In health innovation, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals was honoured with the HealthTech Award. The AI Innovation Award, sponsored by iME, closed the ceremony with a nod to excellence in artificial intelligence development.
The Africa Tech Week Awards 2025 not only spotlighted the talent driving technological change but also revealed how much African tech has matured, with companies like Xlink leading the charge.
Sentech on its mission to innovate in data and tech
At Africa Tech Week 2025, Sentech emerged not only as a prominent presence but as a vocal advocate for inclusive digital growth across South Africa and beyond.
In an interview with Penelope Ntuli, the company’s Head of Brand and Communications, the state-owned enterprise laid out its key focus areas: universal connectivity, data sovereignty, cybersecurity, and support for tech startups.
Connectivity for all, regardless of geography
Ntuli emphasised that Sentech’s core mission is to ensure that every person in South Africa, no matter where they live, can access digital services. She described this as the company’s most important responsibility, especially given the country’s diverse landscapes and economic inequalities.
“One of the mandates that Sentech has to carry out is to make sure that they connect all those communities, in areas regardless of where you are in the country, you should be connected,” she said.
To meet this goal, Sentech works with people on the ground, especially in rural communities, through initiatives like the SA Connect Project. This government-led effort aims to roll out broadband to remote and underserved areas, and Sentech plays a leading role in the implementation.
Security and policy in the digital age
Ntuli also addressed the growing concerns about cybersecurity and data protection. She explained that Sentech collaborates closely with both government and private companies to create safe digital environments.
“Policy is very important in guiding how we actually do business… collaboration between the public and the private sector is key,” Ntuli noted.
She expressed optimism about ongoing discussions around cybersecurity and national data frameworks, saying the active engagement from different sectors signals a shared understanding of the risks and the need for coordinated responses.
Backing startups to shape Africa’s tech future
Sentech’s involvement in developing startups was another critical point in the conversation. Ntuli explained that the company actively supports entrepreneurs, especially those working in local communities to expand internet access.
“There are a lot of projects that we do as a company in terms of startups… jobs are going to come from there, from the startups, from small enterprises,” she said.
This support showcases Sentech’s long-standing approach of working with grassroots organisations to bridge the digital divide. By helping emerging businesses grow, the company believes it can play a key role in Africa’s wider tech transformation.
Through these efforts, Sentech is positioning itself not just as a service provider, but as a critical enabler of digital inclusion and innovation.
What went down over the two days
Africa Tech Week 2025 took place at the Century City Conference Centre in Cape Town from 3 to 4 June, bringing together some of the most important players in African and global technology.
The two-day event, hosted in partnership with Sentech, focused on how Africa can secure and scale its digital future through innovation, infrastructure, and inclusion.
The conference officially opened on Monday morning with welcoming remarks from Caitlin Nash, CEO of Golden Thread Markets, followed by the organiser’s address from Topco Media CEO Ralf Fletcher. Sentech CEO Tebogo Leshope then delivered the Platinum Partner Opening Address, reiterating the organisation’s commitment to building a more connected Africa.
“This is not just about internet access,” he said. “It’s about enabling opportunity for every African.”
The keynote address came from Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi, who described South Africa’s strategic push to become a hub for data centres.
He spoke on the importance of digital sovereignty — which means that countries should be able to control how their citizens’ data is stored and used — and explained how the government was investing in greener data infrastructure while making policies attractive to international tech investors.
Day one sessions included a series of panel discussions. Topics ranged from video technology’s role in communication to closing the broadband gap, as well as cyber threats in online entertainment and the growing influence of lawtech in modern legal services.
Mbuso Khoza, CTO of iME, explained how live-streamed interactions were reshaping education and business, while other panels explored partnerships that could bridge the digital divide across South Africa and the continent.
On Tuesday, the focus shifted more towards infrastructure, AI, and payment systems. Itumeleng Segaloe, Chief Strategy Officer at Sentech, opened the day, followed by Beverley Schäfer who spoke on the importance of purpose-led AI for business and society. A standout panel looked at how satellites could be used to connect rural and remote communities to the internet.
This, according to Flenk Mnisi of Sentech, was “the only way to ensure we leave no one behind.”
Later sessions tackled issues such as how to expand broadband using AI, the state of solar innovation in 2025, and how blockchain is supporting financial inclusion. Attendees also heard from Nutanix and Dell Technologies on how partnerships can support digital adoption.
The event closed with the highly anticipated Pitching Battle, where seven startups gave three-minute presentations to a panel of judges. After fierce deliberation, the title of Africa Tech Week 2025 Pitching Den Champion was awarded — adding an energetic close to two packed days of tech-focused dialogue, learning, and networking.
