What Was Crypto Fest 2024?
Crypto Fest 2024, themed Cryptopia, was the 6th annual edition of South Africa's premier crypto and Web3 festival, held at the iconic DHL Stadium in Green Point, Cape Town, from 10 to 12 October 2024. Organized by Bitcoin Events under Managing Director Sonya Kuhnel, the three-day event was the first time Crypto Fest expanded to a full three days, adding networking tours and exhibitions alongside the main conference. Details sat on the official Crypto Fest page. DHL Stadium, famously used during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, provided a landmark backdrop for Africa's growing crypto community.
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Key Themes and Event Highlights
With 500+ attendees, 30+ speakers, and 10+ sessions, the 2024 edition focused on Bitcoin payments, regulation, DeFi, and Africa's role in the global crypto story.
Event Highlights
- Keynotes: Richard de Sousa (Founder, AltCoinTrader) delivered a keynote on "Staking 101: How to Make Your Crypto Work for You." Hannes Wessels (General Manager, Binance for Southern and Francophone Africa) presented on Bitcoin ETFs and their implications for African investors.
- Panel — Leveraging Bitcoin for Payments in Africa: A standout panel featuring Carel van Wyk (Founder, MoneyBadger), Hermann Vivier (Founder and Chairman, Bitcoin Ekasi), Kgothatso Ngako (Catalyst, Machankura), and Roselyne Wanjiru (Lead Research Analyst, Nile Capital) explored how Bitcoin payments are scaling across the continent.
- Panel — Crypto Payments Innovations: Paul Mitchell (Founder, Blockhouse Consulting), Hannes Wessels (Binance), and Aeryn Quarmby (COO and Co-Founder, Xion Global) discussed the latest developments in crypto payment rails and merchant adoption.
- Fireside Chat — Insights from the OGs: Moderated by James Preston, this chat featured Simon Dingle (pioneering South African crypto entrepreneur) and Richard de Sousa sharing lessons from years of building in crypto across Africa.
- Workshops: Sponsored by ICP Hub SA and RainFin, the workshops covered asset tokenization and regulatory frameworks, giving attendees actionable knowledge for their own projects.
- Cape Town City Tour (Oct 10): Attendees explored Table Mountain, Kirstenbosch Gardens, Constantia Winelands, and the beaches — integrating South Africa's cultural richness into the conference experience.
How Crypto Is Growing in South Africa
South Africa is Africa's most regulated crypto market. The FSCA declared crypto a financial product in October 2022, and by March 2026, 310 CASP licences had been approved. South Africa exited the FATF grey list in October 2025, restoring global investor confidence. The CARF international tax-reporting framework came into force on 1 March 2026. Sub-Saharan Africa received over $205 billion in on-chain value between July 2024 and June 2025, a 52% year-on-year increase. Cape Town's tech and startup scene — sometimes called Africa's Silicon Cape — adds a creative, entrepreneur-friendly energy to crypto events here. For more shows, see CoinGabbar's digital asset events page.
Impact of the Event on Africa's Crypto Scene
Crypto Fest 2024's focus on Bitcoin payments and regulation made it timely: FSCA licensing was under way, and African founders were asking how to build compliantly. The OG fireside chat gave the community a sense of continuity and identity. And by running at a FIFA venue in Cape Town, it gave crypto an aspirational, mainstream setting that attracted attendees from diverse professional backgrounds.
Why Sponsors, Exhibitors and Projects Should Join
- FSCA-licensed exchanges: reach South Africa's 500+ engaged crypto practitioners and investors.
- Bitcoin payment platforms: meet merchants and developers actively building Africa's payment future.
- Tokenization and DeFi firms: educate and recruit from Africa's fastest-growing crypto market.
- Institutional investors: source South African and pan-African crypto deals in a post-grey-list regulated environment.
To get involved, list a crypto event or email event@coingabbar.io.
Why KOLs, Media and Influencers Attend
Cape Town gives every event world-class visual content — Table Mountain, ocean views, a FIFA stadium. Add crypto's biggest African voices and you get a compelling story. Coverage can spread through the crypto press release network.
Why Participants Join
Attendees come for peer-level conversations that go beyond theory. You meet the founders of Africa's top crypto companies, learn from people who have actually built payment systems and navigated regulators, and leave with contacts that accelerate your projects.
Tickets and PR Offers With CoinGabbar
CoinGabbar offers ticket discounts at partner events and free or discounted press release publishing. Email event@coingabbar.io to list your event or explore partnership options.
How the Event Concluded and What Came Next
Crypto Fest 2024 closed after three days that expanded the event's scope, deepened the conversation on Bitcoin payments, and brought hundreds of South African and pan-African crypto practitioners together. Speaker sessions were published on the official YouTube playlist. The event helped Bitcoin Events build toward its 7th and 8th annual editions in later years. Track upcoming shows on the crypto events calendar and our digital asset events page.
Glossary of Key Terms
- AltCoinTrader: one of South Africa's pioneering crypto exchanges, whose founder Richard de Sousa was a keynote speaker.
- Machankura: a Bitcoin payment service that works over USSD on feature phones, enabling Bitcoin payments without internet in Africa.
- ICP Hub SA: the South African node of the Internet Computer Protocol community, focused on decentralized blockchain development.
- FSCA: South Africa's Financial Sector Conduct Authority, which licenses Crypto Asset Service Providers.
- FATF grey list: a Financial Action Task Force monitoring list; South Africa exited it in October 2025.
Disclaimer
This page is for general information only. It is not financial, legal, or investment advice. The event described was held in October 2024; future dates and details may differ. Verify with the official source and do your own research. Crypto assets are volatile.
