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2026 UK AFRICA ECOSYSTEM DAY VIDEO
outcomes and stories
Real founders. Real routes.
Real stories from founders who have expanded into the UK with support
from the programme.
from the programme.
founder & ceo
Summit
Summit is an AI-native investment bank for entrepreneurs. We invest, raise capital and execute global SPVs.
"Sandbox allowed us to test, validate and make the move to the UK in weeks, not years. Ant and his team were the bridge into a completely new market for us. They helped us secure our first hire, validate the market, introduced us to investors and decision-makers, as well as set up entities, secure visas and open bank accounts. This is usually a pain and a distraction, but it felt like bringing on a team member who understood market entry at a founder level, and became a core part of our expansion process. It allowed us to get back to building faster. Viva Ant, viva Sandbox!"
founder & ceo
Shuttlers
Shuttlers is scheduled ride-sharing platform that offers an economical way to work for professionals and organisations in the Lagos metropolis.
"My relationship with the Sandbox team pre-dates Sandbox itself, spanning back to 2020, Anthony's been a consistent supporter of the UK-Africa journey throughout. When we joined the 2026 Ecosystem Week Scale-Up Track, that history translated into something invaluable: direct access to senior decision makers across London's public and private sectors. Those introductions opened doors and is fast-tracking our UK market entry. That long-standing trust combined with strategic access is what makes Sandbox truly unique."
co-founders
Float
Float helps merchants to grow by letting their shoppers split purchases into flexible, interest-free monthly instalments, using the credit they already have on their existing Visa or Mastercard credit card.
"When you decide to take a South African company global, the hardest part isn't ambition, it isn't even the strategy. The hardest part is the structure and the operational effort to get set up. The Sandbox gave us just that: the right introductions, the right advice on setting up in the UK, and a route into the Global Entrepreneur Programme, which led to Float's successful launch into the UK Market. What might've taken us considerable trial and error over years, was instead a well mapped pathway to entry and go-live that reduced time, effort and cost."
founder & ceo
Tix
Tix powers Africa’s most memorable experiences by enabling organisers and communities to sell tickets online, grow audiences, and bring culture to life.
"When we were preparing to expand into the UK market, Sandbox brought in a market entry expert with firsthand experience investing in and helping scale a leading company in our industry. His insights on our expansion strategy and product roadmap proved invaluable. Having access to an industry leader who understood our space at that depth was the kind of cross-border expertise you simply cannot find elsewhere. As we prepare for our UK launch, that guidance continues to shape our approach and remains a genuine competitive advantage."
media library
Watch the corridor in action.
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UK Africa Ecosystem Week 2026
why we built this
"We have been building in this corridor since 2015. The Sandbox is everything we observed, experienced and learned on how you build between the UK and Africa - that has now been shaped into ecosystem infrastructure anyone can now start to use."
Anthony William Catt, Founder & Managing Director of Ventures 54 and Head of Sandbox.
Where founders are looking to access international markets whether to create a global HQ, access commercial opportunities or raise capital. We believe the UK is the best springboard and help deliver real value to Africa's tech ecosystem on the global stage. Our Founder, Anthony's journey to building the UK Africa Sandbox.
2015
Joined first Trade Mission to Khartoum, Sudan
2016
Hosted Sudanese Founder Trade Mission to London
2017
Hosted first Pan-African Trade Mission & Summit in London with British Council
2019
Helped deliver Google for Startups, UK Immersion Africa, Scaleup & Investor Programme
2021
Co-Founder of the London Africa Network, launched to connect people in the UK Africa Corridor.
2022
Ventures 54 founded to consolidate all prior UK Africa work into a single focused ecosystem support vehicle
2023
Sandbox Launches first pilot in South Africa
2026
First UK Africa Ecosystem Week & launch of Pan-Africa Sandbox
funders & partners
UK Africa Sandbox is an initiative of Ventures 54, delivered directly for pan-African activity and funded by the UK Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (DBIST). Our in-country programmes, the UK South Africa Sandbox and UK Nigeria Sandbox, are delivered by V54 Open Impact, the nonprofit arm of Ventures 54, and funded respectively by the UK-South Africa Tech Hub and UK-Nigeria Tech Hub, initiatives of the Digital Access Programme (DAP) under the UK Government's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
