The South African Innovation Summit in Cape Town is busy. Like a train station-at rush-hour busy. There are delegates escaping to other worlds via virtual reality headsets, attendees peddling on modified bicycles that blend a smoothie while you ride, and aspirant entrepreneurs showcasing their bright ideas across the various pitching dens at the event. And there’s popcorn. Lots of popcorn.

If you do manage to find a spot away from the rush, where you can just sit back and observe the buzz, what you’ll see is a lot of people standing in groups of two or three having very impassioned conversations. There’s a fair amount of head-nodding, handshakes and exchanging of business cards. They’re innovators on the hunt for investors, business owners looking for new ideas and industry experts keen to share their expertise.