Time to profit? Someone gave ChatGPT $100 to play the stock market and, 30 days in, it’s already 25% up. Luck or skill? We’ll know in 5 months when the experiment’s over. 👩🏻‍🔬

In This Open Letter

SA’s R232bn mobile sector has but one flaw – why does data need to expire? This startup has the answer (and it’s gonna be good for your pocket)...

In 1996, Vodacom became the first network in the world to introduce prepaid airtime. 

At that time, only people with credit records and the ability to afford a fixed monthly amount could get a cellphone contract, so it really was a game-changer for the middle and lower classes. 

Fast forward 30-odd years, and we’re all very data and airtime-savvy, except for one lingering pain: We’ve all had our data expire at some point. In fact, South Africans made such an uproar, it’s recently been debated in parliament, with experts from networks being called in to testify as to why data bundles “must” expire. 

The answer: It’s a combination of network load management and legacy systems built in the 90s that introduce limitations. Oh, and to make Vodacom, MTN, etc.’s accounting easier; unused data at month-end becomes a financial liability for them, hence 30-day expiry.

The Opportunity

Smartphone penetration has surged to 91% in SA, and financial services are increasingly mobile-first. So why hasn’t data evolved? Mobile data is still expensive, considering its expiry window. 

For many, it’s the cost of participation in school, work, finance and family. And yet, it behaves like a perishable good with a premium markup.

The opportunity isn’t just to make data cheaper. It’s to make it do more for you. 

The Startup Making Your Data Work for You

Kastelo is a local FinTech that wants to change how South Africans approach their finances. And one of the ways they’re doing this is through the recent launch of GIGS, an MVNO on the MTN network. GIGS offers users prepaid mobile data at R30/GB, but it never expires. 

But the twist is what happens next: Kastello will let you convert your unused data back to Rands that get dropped straight into your Kastelo wallet. From there, you can spend it with your Kastelo card, send it via Kastelo Pay or even withdraw it.

You’re not buying data that disappears. You’re buying data that can be repurposed, reused or reinvested. Noice!

We spoke to Kastelo CEO Nicholas Burke, and GIGS is the wedge into the pockets of South Africans who would benefit from it most, onboarding them onto an ecosystem of products designed around building value. 

Affordable data that not only doesn't expire, but can be converted back into spending power? We’re watching this space.

🔥 Big Tech's ZA Boost SA. Despite investment decline in SA, tech titans Meta and Microsoft are pouring mountains of money into Mzansi. Mmmmm, smells like opportunity.

😲 Who Gets What? SA is shaking up its divorce laws, offering fairer asset redistribution for non-accrual marriages. This change ensures homemakers aren't left in the lurch after years of unpaid work. Some bring home the bacon, others die wors…

⚖️ Don’t Call Me. Vodacom scored a key win in its lengthy legal saga against Nkosana Makate over "Please Call Me," with the Constitutional Court ordering the case be heard by a different panel of Supreme Court judges. Can you believe it’s been dragging on for 17 years already?

🎨 Figma's Wild IPO Ride! Figma's stock zoomed up 227% in its market debut, catapulting it to a whopping $44 billion valuation. Goodness.

📱 Smart Moves. MTN MoMo is shaking up South Africa's smartphone game with its new rent-to-own service. Score a 4G or 5G phone for as little as R10 a day with no credit checks or paperwork. Lekke one.

✅ The Stack. Founders need reliable tools and suppliers. That’s why our Founder’s Stack features full-funnel tech performance marketing by Stream, hardware, software, acceleration and funding with Octoco and loads more vital startup tools & services.

This week in The Founder Collab, a founder building a new FinTech asked about using ESOPs (giving employees options of shares in the company) to attract great people. Within minutes, seasoned founders who’ve built consultancies, SaaS startups and scaled teams across South Africa jumped in.

What followed was an honest, detailed discussion on:

That’s what you get in the Collab: answers from people who’ve done it. Not theory. Not fluff.

That’s why people building new businesses join The Founder Collab: To get help and insights from 100+ South African founders helping each other go faster, every day.

Last Friday, we told you how SA’s female founders are being celebrated, asking which female-led startup speaks to a problem you care about. And everyone’s popular, but dissolvable packaging is quite hot…

🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️ 👵 DIZA (Elder care platform) (20%)

🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🏋️ Sudor (Fitness creator platform) (9%)

🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️ ⚖️ Lawyered Up (AI legal help for SMEs) (29%)

🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🧬 Biocode (Long-COVID diagnostics) (5%)

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🧼 noodees (Dissolvable packaging) (37%)

Your 2 cents…

Indeed, Dylan, great products are being made right here in SA. 🇿🇦

TechConnect: Global job & networking event — Online 6 August, 16:00 — Looking to land a role, find collaborators or showcase your latest dev build? TechConnect is a global Slack-style networking event for developers, AI engineers and data pros. Free to attend, join here.

End-to-end AI workflow 101 — Online 6 August, 17:00 — Hosted by Amy Smith and the team at ecosystem.Ai, this live demo takes you through the full AI workflow — from hypothesis to measurable results — using their Prediction Platform. Free to attend, book here.

Inside your users’ minds — CPT 8 August, 09:30 — Your customers aren’t ignoring you — their brains are. Learn the subconscious filters people use to reject information that doesn’t fit their expectations, and how to build messaging that actually cuts through, at Workshop17. Book here.

Hosting a demo day, panel, founder meetup or tech event? Let us know, and we’ll feature it for FREE.

🛠️ Tool to Try: 2PR turns tweets, Reddit posts or notes into slick LinkedIn carousels — perfect for grabbing attention and boosting engagement.

🧠 That’s Interesting: If human eyes could see the entire electromagnetic spectrum, here’s what that might look like.

🎵 Next Level: These musicians play each other’s instruments during a flawless jazz session — watch the switch.

💼 Hack: Save the job ad when you apply — listings often disappear mid-interview, and you’ll want it for prep or for tailoring answers.

🌐 Wow Site: Whattowatchon.tv lets you browse shows, compare ratings and explore curated lists with clear visual data.

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