It’s holiday time {{ FIRSTNAME }}! 🏖️ So instead of sending daily, we’ve reduced to just 2 sends per week (Tuesdays and Fridays) from now until 12 January.
We have also changed up the format somewhat. So keep one eye on your inbox as we will be sharing some epic founder stories, predictions and other interesting things over the next 3 weeks.
The Best of Startups 2025
2025 was an amazing year of awesome new SA businesses and tech. And we’re proud to have reached 1.4 million South Africans this year alone.
These are the big stories and hidden gems you may have missed in 2025…
The Top Stories of 2025
1. Mapping SA’s R200bn Township Economy, Pokémon GO-Style
Most townships are not well-mapped, yet locals know them inside and out. This startup uses gamification to put SA township businesses on the map (literally).
The market: 11 million people relying on 150’000 (known) spaza shops
The problem: 95% still operate on cash with no data insights on behaviours
The solution: Gamifying store discovery, Pokémon GO-style
Read how Timbuk2 gamifies the gathering of informal sector data.
2. How to Raise R3bn Investment in SA
FinTech has been brewing for the last few years, and it’s no surprise then that there have been some big fundraising rounds. We examined two FinTechs leading the charge in SA, with substantial funding rounds and rapidly growing customer bases.
The problem: SA’s VC space is young, but FinTechs are doing great work.
The SME gap: Small businesses need R540bn in credit, and Lula is bridging it.
Fragmented systems: Africa’s payment space is a mess, but Stitch is speeding it up.
Read how Lula and Stitch raised R3bn in funding in SA.
3. Securing Comfy SA Retirements
When regulations change, it’s a signal for a great startup opportunity. This startup capitalised and grew fast.
The market: 16–18 million people are employed in South Africa.
The problem: New regulation requires retirement funds to serve them individually.
The solution: A dedicated platform for reaching beneficiaries at scale.
Read about Benefit Counsellor’s counsel engagement platform.
These stories were rad, but they didn’t get the reach, so we’re giving you a chance to rediscover them…
1. How to Sell Your Startup in 3 Years
Rapid experimentation, which included building a business they were going to close, led to an exit within 3 years!
The norm: Most founders take years to build a company up to exit level.
The play: These guys built and sold to a corporate in just 3 years.
The lesson: They did it by building the hardest thing possible, first.
Read how Simon Hartley built and sold Wumdrop.
2. Five Startups You Shouldn’t Have Missed
Solving SA problems in uniquely SA ways… those are the startups that often win. Check out these 5 (some of which have had great success in the USA as well!)…
The flashback: Early in 2025, we still did Fast-Five Fridays (5 startups in one mail).
The insight: There are so many SA startups building a range of great things.
The showcase: Featuring MyBento, Smart Pineapple, LocumBase, Fancam, Prepaid24.
Read all about these 5 SA ventures here.
3. Innovating in Reverse
Luxury brands often resort to destroying leftover stock, as downpricing damages the brand. But what if there is a way to offset it without taking the reputational risk? This SA startup might have just figured it out…
The market: SA clothing retail is a $184bn market.
The problem: But 30% of fashion goes unsold, creating R10 trillion in waste.
The solution: A savvy SA retailer uses data to better price and predict luxury fashion sales.
Read how FARO is upending the SA fashion game.
We covered hundreds of SA ventures during the year (catch up on any you may have missed right here) and can’t wait to do the same again in 2026. 🔥
WHATSAPP’S HOT
They Built What on WhatsApp?!?
Who sends a 5-minute voice note instead of meeting IRL?
Heineken is using WhatsApp to nudge people back into real conversation with a trial programme in Brazil that promotes meeting face-to-face instead.
Here’s how it works:
✅ Send any voice note you received to a private Heineken bot
✅ The bot replies with “Could have been a Heineken” plus a voucher for a free beer
✅ And sends you a voucher for free beers + suggests nearby places to redeem
With 9.4 billion WhatsApp voice notes sent every day, Heineken is tapping into a trend of using WhatsApp for a more real connection.
What would you build with WhatsApp today?
Chat Inc proudly sponsors WhatsApp’s Hot
The trusted WhatsApp people powering WhatsApp and Chat Commerce experiences for some of SA's largest and most respected brands, from Lead Acquisition, Outbound Direct Marketing and enterprise-grade transactional chatbot platforms.
Chat Inc started locally, and today it is trusted by brands globally.
WHEN YOU’RE READY TO GROW
Considering going global?
The Open Letter is really great friends with Finance Isle of Man, an executive agency of the government of the Isle of Man, a self-governing Island in the Irish Sea, because if you ever need to take your business offshore, they’re a good option to go to…
0% standard corporate income tax means you can reinvest all your profits without having to pay tax.
0% capital gains tax means no deductions when you sell or make significant gains.
0% withholding tax on dividends means no deductions on the distribution of profits.
Corporate legal flexibility means it's much easier to run and stay compliant.
UK VAT advantage means easy VAT registration in the UK.
Access to capital: As a white-label region, you get a lot easier access to funding and support than in SA.
We’re friends, in case you ever need to go global.
TRENDING IN AI
3 Things to Try in AI
Not sure where to add AI in your workflow? Worktrace observes your team’s real tasks and recommends concrete automations you can deploy instantly. Try it here.
Still hand-coding email flows? Dreamlit AI lets you build automations and blasts by chatting — no syntax, just vibes. Have a look here.
Wondering how your brand shows up in AI search? GetCito tracks and optimises your visibility across ChatGPT, Gemini and AI Overviews. More info here.
Sidekick Lab proudly sponsors Trending in AI
Need an AI solution that stages data from multiple sources, aligns with your goals, and delivers actionable insights on a streamlined platform?
READY FOR A MOVE?
Jobs in Tech
📱 Application Development Lead @ iOCO
📑 Development Team Lead @ Lucro
🤝 Backend engineer @ graylink
📊 Full-Stack Engineer: Python @ Cogitait
👔 Web Developer @ ITEM
OfferZen proudly sponsors Jobs in Tech
The name in SA tech employment for over a decade, OfferZen needs no introduction, and their ability to get you placed is only as legendary as the time, energy and money they save employers in finding top skills.
THANKS FOR READING
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