It’s been a year for South African outfit Carry1st. From securing a couple of multi-million dollar investments rounds to cementing their place as the premier publishing partner for mobile developers across the continent, they been able to maintain an upward trajectory across the board. That success has been recognized locally with the company proclaimed as one of the Top 5 Most Exciting Startups in the country.

“This award is meant to cast a celebratory light on the sector as a whole, as well as give an insight into the breadth, depth and ‘good news stories’ of what’s happening out there,” says Heavy Chef Foundation chairman Louis Janse van Rensburg, who also chaired the judging process. Carry1st is the global ambassador we needed in the gaming space, which is fast becoming a big part of African tech culture and is certainly worth representing.

Bathu, EasyEquities, Yebo Fresh and Matchkit were the other big winners of the night, beating out 7 other finalists for the top spots.

Founded by Cordel Robbin-Coker, Lucy Hoffman and Tino Mundangepfupfu, Carry1st is the number one mobile game publisher on the African continent and a go-to growth partner for game developers looking to scale in Africa.

South Africa’s Top 5 Most Exciting Startups is an annual celebration of African startup sector by Heavy Chef in collaboration with Xero and Payfast, as well as UK-SA Tech Hub.