Mentorcamp is to return for another event in Cape Town either this November or in March next year, according to founder and chief executive officer (CEO) Permjot Valia.
The concept of Mentorcamp is to provide idea validation as well as talent and money infusion to startups, with 46 of the world’s digital experts mentoring local entrepreneurs.
Valia, who was in Cape Town to lend his expertise to ten South African startups pitching at a two-day workshop organised by Saratoga as part of this year’s Net Prophet event, said the idea behind Mentorcamp is to build bridges between startups and investors.
“We build those bridges, with concrete,” he said. “We will connect them (startups) with mentors from around the world for free.”
Valia has so far run events in Canada, and is now looking to build up the concept in Cape Town having been impressed by the quality of startups.
“I’m fascinated by startups,” he said. “I have now invested in 32 around the world, including three in Cape Town.”
His investments in Cape Town are myows, TaxTim and iStyla.
He said the startup scene in South Africa was very different to what he has experience elsewhere in the world.
“It is 100 per cent private sector led, which I have never come across. Here you have got no government involvement,” he said.
“It could be better but sometimes government messes things up. Government per se is neither good nor bad, it depends, its always down to the quality of the people.”
Valia did however encourage the South African government to implement some policies to make the country more attractive to investors.
“Nobody from outside South Africa is going to invest in South Africa if they cannot take their money out,” he said. “None of them (Mentorcamp mentors) will invest without being able to take money out.
“The irony of it is that when you get rid of controls, more investment comes in.”
