PwC Vision to Reality: Then and Now

Vision to Reality in Africa

Back in 2014, PwC launched Vision to Reality in Africa, starting in Cape Town. The City of Cape Town, Wesgro, UCT GSB, the CITi Bandwidth Barn, and World Design Cape Town were all involved. By 2015, the nomination process had started, this time with the SA Innovation Summit as a partner.

The first accurate major results appeared in 2016. 10X Investments took the top spot - with Origin Dynamic Systems and PayFast also among the finalists. PwC also set up a Pitching Den at the SA Innovation Summit, giving these teams a platform to present their ideas.

The Pitching Den and the Vision to Reality program became a launchpad for African startups. Teams pitched to judges at the Summit, met mentors, and had opportunities to find funding to grow their ideas.

Canada program status and current focus

Now, if we look at Canada, the story is a bit different. There, Vision to Reality ran for over fifteen years. In September 2019, the program ended as PwC shifted to new ways of supporting innovation. Just in a different way—now they're focusing more on upskilling and building digital skills, all under the motto 'New world. New skills.'

PwC Canada today reports a large national footprint: more than 6,500 partners and staff across the country, with the PwC network spanning 149 countries and more than 370,000 people worldwide.

Meanwhile, the SA Innovation Summit is not standing still. In fact, there's already talk of a major relaunch in 2026, with a new platform designed to expand Africa's innovation ecosystem. The big tech stories, while in Canada, the program has already finished its run. Now, PwC is putting its energy into digital skills and new ways to support innovation, and Africa's scene is gearing up for something new with the 2026 relaunch of the SA Innovation Summit.