Event report
Back To | Le Bridge 5: Sport Tech Edition
The latest edition of Le Bridge, a collaboration between the French South African Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FSACCI) and French Tech South Africa (FTSA), brought together key players in South Africa’s Sport Tech ecosystem.
Hosted at Decathlon Bryanston Sports Hub on March 13, 2025, the event explored the intersection of sports, technology, and sustainability while providing a platform for Business 2 Business (B2B) networking between start-ups, corporates, and sports professionals.
The event opened with welcome remarks from FSACCI and French Tech. A keynote presentation from Decathlon South Africa addressed Decathlon’s mission, operational challenges, and sustainability initiatives.
A key feature of the event was the start-up pitch session, where emerging businesses presented their solutions for the sports industry. Among the presenters:
Samu Nkomo, Founder & CEO of Athletes Creating Exposure (ACE)
Highlighted how ACE collected performance data from over 500 athletes at the Football Showcase, facilitating global connections between players and industry experts.
Lolo Ndlovu, Co-Founder of The Sneaker Shack
Introduced South Africa’s largest sneaker laundry service, which has cleaned over 150,000 sneakers across 11 locations in major cities.
Following the pitches, structured B2B sessions took place, where start-ups engaged with Decathlon representatives and FSACCI members such as Interwaste, Blueberri, Fliptin, EnviroServ, and Bureau Veritas. These discussions provided valuable opportunities for potential collaborations and business growth.
The event concluded with meaningful networking interactions, reinforcing Le Bridge’s mission to connect corporates and innovators in driving the future of Sport Tech in South Africa.
