The SA Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (SAVCA) recently hosted its seventh annual Industry Awards ceremony at the JSE Building in Sandton. The awards celebrate portfolio companies and individuals who have leveraged venture capital (VC) or private equity (PE) to drive growth, innovation, and real impact. Winners were selected across six categories following a rigorous vetting process by respected veterans in South Africa’s private capital sector.

VC Start-up Award: The Virtual Agent

The VC Start-up Award went to The Virtual Agent, recognised for its AI-driven solutions transforming the world of real estate management. This category honours start-ups under five years old engaging in early-stage funding. Nominees included: The Virtual Agent (winner), EMGuidance and Trade Shield.

“Thank you to our Portfolio Managers, IDF Capital, for accompanying us on this journey, and to SAVCA for this incredible honour. As The Virtual Agent team, we are humbled to be presented with this award,” said Terence Sewraj, CEO and Co-Founder at The Virtual Agent.

Small Companies Award: LEAP

In the Small Companies category (revenue under R200 million), the award went to LEAP, a company focused on developing South Africa’s entrepreneurs by providing them with access to markets, funding, skills development and back-office support. Nominees included: LEAP (winner), Lazer Buwa and Sensor Networks.

“It is a great honour to be here celebrating with you all. I could not have choreographed a better job or team of individuals to work with every day. We are led by a fantastic group of women who ensure small businesses across South Africa have the support they need to unlock real growth. This is a huge privilege and honour for us, and we’d like to thank SAVCA for this recognition,” said Peter Colombo, CEO at LEAP.

Medium Companies Award: Aquatico

The Medium Companies Award went to Aquatico, a leader in water quality monitoring and environmental solutions. The business was founded in 1999 and acquired by Agile Capital in 2012. Nominees included: Aquatico (winner), Synerlytic Group Holdings and Pineapple Insurance.

“This award means everything to us, especially following our exit to Bidvest Group just last month. Thank you to the SAVCA team for this recognition, and of course, to the Agile Capital team for being our trusted partners throughout this journey,” said Ryno Erdmann, Aquatico’s founder and CEO.

Large Companies Award: The Logistics Group

In the Large Companies category (revenue exceeding R1.5billion), The Logistics Group (TLG) was recognised for its operational resilience and strategic expansion in South Africa’s critical logistics sector. Nominees included: TLG (winner), RapidDeploy and Robertson and Caine.

“It is such a privilege to be here, and to win this award,” said Martin Anton Potgieter, CEO at TLG. “To all the other nominees, it’s a tough market out there – and there are no easy days for any of us, so I’d like to use this opportunity to say congratulations to all of you. I’d also like to extend our gratitude to our fund managers, AIIM, for backing us and believing in us. Without you, we could not have been able to achieve what we have.”

GP Award: Edward Pitsi

The GP Award, introduced in 2024, was presented to Edward Pitsi of Infinite Partners for his strategic leadership and hands-on support in driving portfolio success.

This category honours a general partner (GP) who has provided exceptional support to a portfolio company and has played an integral role in the success of the transaction and its subsequent growth. Nominees included: Edward Pitsi from Infinite Partners, (winner), Ian Lessem from HAVAÍC and Mosa Molebatsi from Mergence Investment Managers.

“It takes all the pieces of our team to be able to do the work that we do, so I’d like to recognise and honour my team at Infinite Partners for making this all possible. Thank you to SAVCA for hosting us – we are already looking forward to next year’s awards!” said Pitsi.

Chairman’s Award: RapidDeploy

The Chairman’s Award, presented by SAVCA Chairman, Vuyo Ntoi, went to RapidDeploy for its exceptional social impact and life-saving technology in emergency response systems. Earlier this year, RapidDeploy was acquired by Motorola Solutions in a successful exit from its previous VC fund managers, HAVAÍC.

“Our technology powers one third of the 911 call centres in the United States, a feat we would not have been able to achieve without our previous fund managers, HAVAÍC, as well as our current owners, Motorola Solutions. We look forward to continuing saving lives with our cutting-edge technology, while keeping our talent and job creation in South Africa,” said Darran Finn from RapidDeploy.

Closing remarks

Wrapping up the proceedings for the evening was Nicola Gubb, SAVCA’s Interim Executive Director. “Tonight, we did not only celebrate individuals and portfolio companies, but the entire private capital ecosystem that makes all these success stories possible. The stories we have heard tonight, and the excellence we have witnessed, all speaks to the strength and spirit of these asset classes,” Gubb concluded.

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