media coverage
March 16, 2017 – The Cointelegraph
Hard Fork Will Slow Bitcoin Price Down
With the ETF decision out of the way, the focus in the Bitcoin community has turned back to the scaling debate. While some proponents of an increase in block size are in favor of a hard fork, South African Bitcoin entrepreneur Vinny Lingham feels that this would negatively impact Bitcoin. More »
February 13, 2017 – SA Good News
HOW SOUTH AFRICA CAME ROARING BACK IN DAVOS, AT “THE TURNING OF THE TIDE”
The SABLE Accelerator (South African Business Link to Experts) aims to further South Africa’s economic interests through global knowledge transfer and the growth of a trusted expert network of expatriate South Africans willing to contribute back to their country of birth through coaching mentoring, consulting, advising, teaching, training, funding or donating. SABLE consultants, advisors and academic faculty include a wide range of successful business leaders, international domain experts, educators, venture capitalists, consultants, authors, professional service providers, government representatives, advertising and marketing gurus, trade and commerce experts, as well as non-profit innovators. More »
June 20, 2016 – MarkLives
The agency helping agencies understand marketing automation
You think you have a killer digital platform, but the person you hoped would fund you sits you down and gives you the hard truth, which is that you are going to crash and burn. Big time. More »
September 15, 2015 – Ventureburn
Everything you need to know about the South African startup ecosystem
The Sable accelerator is an international partnership group dedicated to helping South African entrepreneurs, new venture startups, academic institutions and companies commercialise technology innovations, promote and protect intellectual property, fund new business concepts, finance growth, as well as expand into global markets. Sable is powered by MentorCloud, the cloud-based mentorship platform, which also works with the University of the Witwatersrand Alumni Association, powering their mentoring programme between alumni and students. More »
August 28, 2015 – The Citizen
Help Businesses Tap into Knowledge and Skills in the Diaspora
SABLE can help reverse Africa's brain drain by putting African businesspeople in contact with fellow Africans in the diaspora who are keen to provide support in the form of funding, access to markets, management support, technical assistance or any other help they need. More »
August 28, 2015 – AFK Insider
African Diaspora: There’s More Than One Way To Reverse Brain Drain
To help reverse Africa's Brain Drain, SABLE taps into the vast repository of experiential knowledge of South Africa’s estimated 1.2 million expats and emigrants around the world. More »
June 2, 2015 – VentureBurn
Silicon Valley Network Could Help Boost South Africa
To boost small business and innovation in their own countries, emerging economies should make better use of entrepreneurs from their diaspora — particularly those located in Silicon Valley. More »
May 15, 2014 – Tech Central
The S Africans making it big in America
Yet new South African networking organisations, such as the Sable Accelerator in California, are springing up as South Africans are suddenly appearing in front of microphones as chief executives and university deans and scientific research team leaders. More »
May 14, 2014 – BizCommunity.com
New Partnership Links SA Business with International Prospects
South African Business Link to Experts Accelerator and Powerlinx are teaming up to help South African startups and entrepreneurs grow their businesses through strategic partnerships. More »
May 13, 2014 – Internet Retailer
A South African Business Group Builds Global Connections Through Powerlinx
Online global business networks Sable Accelerator and Powerlinx have teamed up to help startup companies in South Africa make connections with millions of companies worldwide. More »
May 9, 2014 – Ventureburn
SABLE Accelerator Joins Powerlinx to Help SA Startups Expand Globally
Sable Accelerator, an organisation that aims to help South African startups scale globally by providing crucial B2B opportunities, has recently partnered with US-based Powerlinx in order to expand its goal of being a trusted expert network of expatriate South Africans. More »
May 9, 2014 – Human IPO
SABLE Accelerator Looks to Connect SA Startups with Growth Opportunities
The SABLE Accelerator, a global network of expat South African consultants, investors and domain experts based in Silicon Valley, has partnered with Powerlinx to allow South African companies to quickly identify and engage with local and global growth opportunities. More »
May 8, 2014 – TechMoran
SABLE Accelerator Partners with Powerlinx to Match SA Firms with Global Partners
A new deal between the SABLE Accelerator, a global resource network of expat South African consultants, investors and domain experts based in Silicon Valley and New York-based Powerlinx will see SA entrepreneurs get a powerful new way to connect with customers, capital sources and partners globally. More »
May 8, 2014 – Globes
Powerlinx Signs Agreement with SABLE Accelerator
Powerlinx Inc. has signed an agreement with SABLE Accelerator, to provide a scalable way for South African companies, research centers and institutions to quickly identify and engage with strategic growth opportunities domestically and globally. The goal of the agreement is to more rapidly commercialize innovation, attract foreign investment, and develop global markets. More »
April 8, 2014 – AFK Insider
Sable Accelerator Helps South African Entrepreneurs In Silicon Valley
South Africa has produced some famous Silicon Valley entrepreneurs like Tesla’s and Space-X Elon Musk and YouTube’s financier Roelof Botha. But it has not been easy for all South African entrepreneurs venturing in the Valley. More »
March 26, 2014 – My Broadband
Great South African inventions
In a recent presentation at South by South West (SXSW), Stuff Magazine editor Toby Shapshak said that Africa produces the purest form of innovation – innovation out of necessity. More »
March 9, 2014 – eNCAnews
SABLE Accelerator Helping South African Entrepreneurs Abroad (Video)
South African entrepreneurs have become increasingly high profile in Silicon Valley, the California mecca for start-up technology companies.Sable Accelerator is a consulting network of South African expats, headquartered in Silicon Valley. More »
July 25, 2013 – Skills Portal
Embrace Expats Returning with Global Skills
An exciting new trend that sees expatriates returning to the country could bode well for South Africa if government and business choose to harness this influx of global skills. More »
July 19, 2013 – Global South Africans
South Africa Can Turn Brain Drain into a Brain Gain
Survey by Rhodes University and The SABLE Accelerator Reveals 72 Percent of Alumni Living Abroad Feel Their Skills and Knowledge Would be Useful and Valuable to South Africa. More »
July 16, 2013 – Fin24
Sable: Expats Waiting to Come Home
Cape Town - There's a huge pool of global South African talent just waiting to be tapped, with many expats interested in coming back home. This is because the country's talent migration abroad has created a valuable knowledge network and a latent asset base that can boost South Africa's competitiveness. More »
July 16, 2013 – BusinessTech
South African Expats Eager to Come Back: Study
South African expats believe their skills and knowledge would be useful and valuable to the country with many eager on exploring ways to return, according to a new report. More »
July 16, 2013 – IT News South Africa
South Africa – many tech expats ready to reinvest
South Africa’s talent migration abroad has created a valuable knowledge network and an untapped asset base that can further the competitiveness of the country, reports The SABLE Accelerator, a global group of South African expats advancing commercial innovation and exchange for their home country. SABLE (South African Business Link to Experts) is based in Silicon Valley. More »
July 16, 2013 – AllAfrica
South Africa - Many Tech Expats Ready to Reinvest
South Africa's talent migration abroad has created a valuable knowledge network and an untapped asset base that can further the competitiveness of the country, reports The SABLE Accelerator, a global group of South African expats advancing commercial innovation and exchange for their home country. More »
July 16, 2013 – SME South Africa
Sable: Expats Waiting to Come Home
There's a huge pool of global South African talent just waiting to be tapped, with many expats interested in coming back home. This is because the country's talent migration abroad has created a valuable knowledge network and a latent asset base that can boost South Africa's competitiveness. There's a huge pool of global South African talent just waiting to be tapped, with many expats interested in coming back home. This is because the country's talent migration abroad has created a valuable knowledge network and a latent asset base that can boost South Africa's competitiveness. So states a report by the South African Business Link to Experts (Sable) Accelerator, a Silicon Valley-based global group of South African expats who advance commercial innovationand exchange for their home country. There's a huge pool of talent waiting to be tapped, with many expats interesting in coming back home. More »
July 16, 2013 – AfricVisions
Technology: South Africa – Many Tech Expats Ready To Reinvest
South Africa’s talent migration abroad has created a valuable knowledge network and an untapped asset base that can further the competitiveness of the country, reports The SABLE Accelerator, a global group of South African expats advancing commercial innovation and exchange for their home country. SABLE (South African Business Link to Experts) is based in Silicon Valley. More »
July 15, 2013 – IT Online
Turning Brain Drain into Brain Gain
South Africa’s talent migration abroad has created a valuable knowledge network and an untapped asset base that can further the competitiveness of the country, says The SABLE Accelerator, a global group of SA expats advancing commercial innovation and exchange for their home country. More »
July 12, 2013 – brandsouthafrica.us
A new survey of Rhodes alumni living overseas reinforces the premise of the Global South Africans project — namely that the exceptional people who make up South Africa’s diaspora are more than willing to turn what was once lamented as brain drain into brain gain. More »
June 14, 2013 – Ventureburn
The most comprehensive guide to the SA startup landscape ever
The Sable accelerator is an international partnership group dedicated to helping South African entrepreneurs, new venture startups, academic institutions and companies commercialise technology innovations, promote and protect intellectual property, fund new business concepts, finance growth, as well as expand into global markets. Sable is powered by MentorCloud, the cloud-based mentorship platform, which also works with the University of the Witwatersrand Alumni Association, powering their mentoring programme between alumni and students. More »
May 13, 2013 – Ventureburn
Dear African VC, angel: international investors are stealing your lunch
Instead of waiting on local investor sentiment to turn, entrepreneurs are looking beyond the African continent for funding. Through online platforms such as Venture Capital for Africa (VC4Africa), U-Start, The Sable Accelerator and AngelList, capital seekers are finding favour with international financiers. More »
January 22, 2013 – IT Web
De Villiers flies to SA from Clickatell's California headquarters once a quarter to review operations at the company's Cape Town and Johannesburg offices. The former optometrist from Port Elizabeth has now set his sights on Africa's fast-growing mobile money business. Clickatell aims to leverage its extensive penetration of the African mobile communications market to deliver secure financial transactions alongside its traditional messaging business. More »
January 4, 2013 – Silicon Valley Business Journal
And the Executive of the Year for 2012 is...
We're gearing up to unveil this year's Executive of the Year, where we highlight the Silicon Valley executive who stood above the rest in 2012. More »
August 9, 2012 – The Next Web
SABLE Accelerator launches to connect Silicon Valley with South Africa
Headquartered in Silicon Valley, SABLE was formed by South Africans living in Silicon Valley and London, and top South African expatriates who will use their experiences to help their South African business counterparts. It aims to utilize the vast network of knowledge from South Africans across the world to make the country more competitive by stimulating both public and private sector innovation and entrepreneurship. More »
July 26, 2012 – Tech Central
Silicon Valley reaches out to SA
Set to launch officially on 6 August, The Sable Accelerator has secured high-powered backers, including angel investor and entrepreneur Laurence Seeff and a range of CEOs, directors and consultants from firms such as McCann Erickson, Grant Thornton, McKinsey and Hasso Plattner Ventures Africa. More »
November 30, -0001 – Ventureburn
6 reasons why SA’s Western Cape deserves to be called Silicon Cape
Several initiatives in the Western Cape have boosted the region’s profile as startup hub and area of innovation. Some of our favourites include Bandwidth Barn, Silicon Cape Initiative, SABLE, UCT SMILe, RLabs, MIH Media Lab, Start-up Weekends, Pitch London and IBM Innovation Centre. For the complete list be sure to read the full report. More »
December 13, 2012 – Business Report
Innovation Must Become a Culture in SA, says Network Co-Founder
SOUTH Africa may require a chief technology officer to drive innovation from "top to bottom", according to Donovan Neale-May, a co-founder of Sable Accelerator, which links local technology businesses to funders and experts globally. More »
December 12, 2012 – Ventureburn
Sable Accelerator Signs Agreements with SA Tech Ventures, Funds and Groups
The SABLE Network, a recently formed mentoring network of South African experts living in Silicon Valley and other technology hubs, today announced new partner and portfolio company agreements during a visit to South Africa by two of its co-founders. More »
September 27, 2012 – Ventures
Meet The Co-Founders Of Africa's Hottest Mobile App, 2go
South Africa's tech scene is bursting with success stories of tech start-ups. Last month, a new enterprise accelerator programme dubbed the South African Business Link to Experts (SABLE) was launched in US tech hub, Silicon Valley to assist local entrepreneurs in South Africa grow their business and execute their ideas flawlessly. More »
September 21, 2012 – IT Web
Global expertise, local talent
A recently launched global partnership seeks to nurture South African talent, entrepreneurs and innovation. Donovan Neale-May is the president of marketing service company GlobalFluency, the founder and executive director of the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council (a global affinity network of over 6 000 senior marketing and branding executives), a member of Rhodes University's Board of Governors, and a South African.
Neale-May is on a mission to nurture the talent and potential that has seen South Africans like himself make it to the top of their fields all over the world. He has linked up with other high-flying expats to do so. More »
September 2012 – Dataweek
Expats offer SA innovators global clout
A bold new initiative has been started to promote and assist South African innovators to achieve global success, in the form of the SABLE Network (South African Business Link to Experts). The concept taps into the minds of well-positioned South African expatriates to help the country be more competitive in terms of innovation and entrepreneurship across both the private and public sectors. More »
August 20, 2012 – GIBS Info Centre Blog
Silicon Valley reaches out to SA
A new, high-profile group founded by three South Africans now living in Silicon Valley and London has been formed to help grow SA businesses into global firms by providing the connections, advice and investment they need to take their ideas beyond SA's borders. Launched officially on 6 August, The Sable Network has secured high-powered backers, including angel investor and entrepreneur Laurence Seeff and a range of CEOs, directors and consultants from firms such as McCann Erickson, Grant Thornton, McKinsey and Hasso Plattner Ventures Africa. More »
August 13, 2012 – SA Good News
Silicon Valley reaches out to SA
The Sable Network, a new, Silicon Valley-based group, has been formed to connect SA entrepreneurs with successful expats who can provide mentorship, investment and motivation to take their businesses global. By Craig Wilson. A new, high-profile group founded by three South Africans now living in Silicon Valley and London has been formed to help grow SA businesses into global firms by providing the connections, advice and investment they need to take their ideas beyond SA's borders. More »
August 10, 2012 – African Brains
Silicon Valley-Based SABLE Accelerator Forms Trusted Global Network of South African Experts to Mentor and Assist Entrepreneurs, Product Innovators and Universities With New Venture Growth, Technology Transfer and Foreign Market Access.
South Africa's untapped brains trust and knowledge network of expatriate assets around the world will soon be activated to help the country be more competitive in realizing a better return on innovation and entrepreneurship across both the private and public sectors. More »
August 09, 2012 – HumaniPro
Silicon Valley-based South Africans launch SABLE to nurture tech talents
California-based accelerator programme the South African Business Link to Experts (SABLE) Accelerator was on Monday launched in South Africa. Headquartered in California's Silicon Valley,The SABLE Network was formed by South Africans living in Silicon Valley and London, and top South African expatriates who will use their experiences to help their South African business counterparts. More »
August 8, 2012 - bizcommunity.com
SABLE Accelerator Launched to Tap SA Brainpower
“South Africa's untapped brains trust and knowledge network of expatriate assets around the world will soon be activated to help the country be more competitive in realizing a better return on innovation and entrepreneurship across both the private and public sectors.” More »
August 7, 2012 – Silicon Valley Business Journal
New accelerator connects Silicon Valley to South Africa
South Africa was an early home for some recognizable faces around Silicon Valley, like Tesla CEO Elon Musk and outgoing VMware CEO Paul Maritz. More »
August 7, 2012 - IT-Online
Brains Trust Puts SA on World Stage
“South Africa’s untapped brains trust and knowledge network of expatriate assets around the world will soon be activated to help the country be more competitive in realizing a better return on innovation and entrepreneurship across both the private and public sectors.” More »
August 7, 2012 - Business Journal
New Accelerator Connects Silicon Valley to South Africa
“The SABLE, or “South African Business Link to Experts,” accelerator program aims to take advantage of connections within the South African expatriate community in Silicon Valley and elsewhere to connect South African businesses with the help they need.” More »
August 6, 2012 - Marketwire
“Silicon Valley-Based SABLE Accelerator Forms Trusted Global Network of South African Experts to Mentor and Assist Entrepreneurs, Product Innovators and Universities With New Venture Growth, Technology Transfer and Foreign Market Access” More »
August 8, 2012 - Rhodes University
Rhodes Alumnus Puts SA on World Stage
“South Africa’s untapped brains trust and knowledge network of expatriate assets around the world will soon be activated to help the country be more competitive in realizing a better return on innovation and entrepreneurship across both the private and public sectors.” More »
July 27, 2012 - Techsprung
Not so dark after all – Technological bright sparks making the continent proud
“In an admirable exchange of information, ‘The Sable Network’, a group of Silicon Valley and London-based South African execs, is providing young South African entrepreneurs with advice, connections and investments to develop their business ideas into globally-marketable products.” More »
August 6, 2012 - Nearshore Journal
“South Africa’s untapped brains trust and knowledge network of expatriate assets around the world will soon be activated to help the country be more competitive in realizing a better return on innovation and entrepreneurship across both the private and public sectors.” More »
August 8, 2012 - Financial Mail
“A group of South Africans living abroad has created an expatriate support network to help new, innovative SA companies that are ready to launch overseas achieve commercial success.” More »
August 7, 2012 - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal
New accelerator connects Silicon Valley to South Africa- Diana Samuels
A new accelerator program that launched Monday in Palo Alto is trying to help more South African entrepreneurs grow their businesses and bring ideas to fruition, aided by Silicon Valley's resources. The SABLE, or "South African Business Link to Experts," accelerator program aims to take advantage of connections within the South African expatriate community in Silicon Valley and elsewhere to connect South African businesses with the help they need. More »
August 6, 2012 - San Francisco Business Times
Palo Alto incubator for South Africans launched- Lindsay Riddell
The South African Business Link to Experts — or SABLE — officially launched this week in Palo Alto. Its goal: to connect South African entrepreneurs, startups, academic institutions and companies to South African business people living in Silicon Valley, so they can get products to market, find funding and expand globally. More »
August 6, 2012 - Dow Jones Venture Wire
South African Expats Launch Accelerator in Silicon Valley - Deborah Gage
A partnership group staffed by South African expatriates called the Sable Network, or South African Business Link to Experts, has been formed in Silicon Valley to help South African entrepreneurs and start-ups get businesses off the ground and commercialize their ideas. More »
August 4, 2012 - Finweek Magazine
Global network tapping local innovation. Local start-ups need to access international markets
As many of us can testify, the course of our professional careers is determined - to a large extent - by our persona lnetworks and mentors that we meet along the way. Indeed, business coaches and recruitment experts continually harp on the importance of "networking". On an organisational level, networking and connecting with the right people are just as crucial for success - if not even more so. For South African technology start-ups and entrepreneurs, the "right people" are predominantly located overseas at innovation hubs such as the famed Silicon Valley in the US. Yet for most local entrepreneurs, accessing potential funders and mentors in international markets is close to impossible. This is where Sable (South African Business Link to Experts), a new global network soon to launch in SA, is hoping to fill the gap. More » Download the article in PDF »
July 27, 2012 - The VentureBurn.com
The Sable Network: A gateway into Silicon Valley for SA startups
With the imminent launch of The Sable Network, South African businesses look set to benefit from a new network of advisers and investors based in Silicon Valley and London that can help with international expansion. More »
July 27, 2012 - TechCentral
Silicon Valley reaches out to SA
The Sable Network, a new, Silicon Valley-based group, has been formed to connect SA entrepreneurs with successful expats who can provide mentorship, investment and motivation to take their businesses global. By Craig Wilson. More »
July 26, 2012 - 567 CapeTalk
Donovan Neale-May - The Sable Network
US-based by SA-born Donovan Neale-May is launching The SABLE Network that puts South African businesses in touch with SA loyalists living abroad. The Silicon Valley-based SABLE Accelerator forms trusted global networks of South African experts to mentor and assist entrepreneurs, product innovators and universities with new venture growth, technology transfer and foreign market access. Donovan is visiting Cape Town and joined us. More »