# Johannesburg has overtaken Cape Town as South Africa’s top start-up hub. According to StartupBlink’s 2025 Global Start-up Ecosystem Index, Johannesburg climbed 17 spots globally to rank 122nd, with a growth rate of over 42-percent, while Cape Town fell to 138th place with 13-percent growth. South Africa remains 52nd globally and leads Africa’s start-up scene. The country’s start-up ecosystem received approximately 8.2-billion-rand in funding in 2024. South Africa’s best industry is edtech, where it ranks 35th worldwide.
Johannesburg rises above Cape Town as SA’s top start-up hub