Minor slip-up {{ FIRSTNAME | there }}? An AI security system falsely identified a granny as a bank robber, so US cops threw her in jail. It took her lawyer 6 months to convince the judge she was 2’000km away and couldn’t possibly have done it. What? 🤷‍♀️

In Today’s Open Letter

Women normally run family health, but 30% neglect their own healthcare – this local venture helps her sort health admin like never before…

In SA, like anywhere, women typically look after their family’s health.

But it’s often at the expense of their own health: International studies found 30% of moms neglect their own medical care, confirmed by a local study.

Meanwhile, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes and cancer caused 58.7% more deaths over the last two decades. And, less than 10 million South Africans have medical aid – around 15% of the population.

And of these, only around 11% of women use the mammogram screening benefit, while SA’s cervical cancer screening is around 57%, which is well below the global target of 70%.

Why? For most SA women, their medical history is like a scattered jigsaw puzzle. Blood tests in an old Downloads folder, notes buried in a WhatsApp thread or mental mammogram reminders already forgotten by Tuesday.

Could the real opportunity be in addressing the admin associated with proactive health care?

The local app keeping your health on track

Kleo Health is a personal health sidekick that keeps your medical history, appointments and screening plan in one pocket.

The app generates a personalised health plan using the US screening guidelines, the global gold standard for preventative care.

Start by inputting your current status, and it maps out 12 months of biological maintenance. Select specific healthcare screenings and interventions, and the app handles reminders and stores the post-appointment notes – just snap pics of clinical documents to make them encrypted, searchable and easily at hand.

A must for SA women

We chatted to Kleo Health founder Anna Insam, who says that Kleo was built from +250 women’s health experiences alongside her father, Dr Bernhard Insam, a specialist physician and gastroenterologist with over 30 years of experience. And it’s fully aimed at women and their specific health care needs.

The big plan is to build Kleo into an operating system for household health, starting with women because Anna says they make 80% of the healthcare purchase decisions, and expand into the entire family’s health management.

With 10 million South Africans generating our annual R233 billion medical aid contributions, just capturing 0.1% could translate to 10k users known to already spend around R230 million a year on healthcare, already, it could have real legs.

We’re watching this space…

Who still carries loyalty cards in their wallet?

SA venture ET AI Systems is flipping that idea with a WhatsApp-based loyalty programme for small businesses — letting shops reward repeat customers without apps, cards or complex systems.

But here’s what’s really clever:

✅ Customers earn and track loyalty points directly in WhatsApp
✅ Businesses send specials, reminders and offers instantly to subscribers
✅ Rewards are redeemed with a simple code or message at the till

Instead of expensive loyalty apps or paper cards that get lost, this turns WhatsApp into the loyalty programme, helping coffee shops, salons, and small retailers build repeat business through the channel customers already check every day.

What would you build on WhatsApp today?

Most businesses in high-stakes industries have a trust problem they cannot see.

Their product works. Their infrastructure is sound. Their compliance is tight. But somewhere between what they have built and how the market perceives them, there is a gap. Investors hesitate. Enterprise clients stall. Sales cycles stretch longer than they should.

The gap is not in capability. It is clarity.

In regulated industries, trust is not earned through better advertising. It is engineered through strategic positioning, consistent brand architecture, and a narrative that makes complexity legible to the people who matter: investors, partners, regulators, and clients.

The businesses that close this gap do not just grow faster. They compound credibility over time, turning brand into economic infrastructure.

The ones that ignore it keep wondering why inferior competitors with better stories keep winning.

* From our partners. Find all the best service providers for your business in our Founder Stack.

🤫 SA’s Best Kept Startup Secret. Could this small university town be core to SA tech? Well, these 11 Stellenbosch founders have raised R100M+ in just the last 7 years.

🛒 Making A Meal Of It. After 3 decades, Woolworths acquires In2food, its biggest prepared foods supplier, producing 3.2 million packs a week & generating R5+ billion a year. See what it takes to get bought by one of SA’s biggest retailers.

🧑‍⚖️ Bringing Down The Hammer. OpenAI is getting dragged before the courts (again); this time, Encyclopedia Britannica and Merriam-Webster say they scraped over 100’000 online articles to train their LLMs without permission. Goodness.

↗️ Banking On It. Old Mutual’s OM Bank has been picking up 3’000 customers a day since soft-launching in SA in August last year, thanks to switching their existing Money Account clients to the new banking app. Hmm, what’ll a hard launch look like then?

📊 Smarter Decisions in 2026. Finance is the biggest reason SA SMEs fail. Finvoke gives startups and small businesses CFO-level insight — without paying a full-time salary — so you can grow with clarity, not guesswork.*

Yesterday, we showed you CrabaRide’s long-distance ride-share, asking if you’d get a lift to another city. Most say no, because movies…

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🔪 Every horror movie I saw growing up started with a hitchhiker (39%)

🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🌼 Hours getting to know a new friend, I’m in (16%)

🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 I usually don't roll solo, so wont work for me (6%)

🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️ ✈️ I’d rather fly and save time (33%)

🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🤔 Maybe I’ll try it for RTD first (6%)

Your 2 cents…

Yes, Ismail, it’d be interesting to see how they ensure safety and build trust. 🚖

Early-stage SA tech founders: Get R40k+ business-building tools, including data, cloud architecture support, legal and hiring vetting, 1-on-1 strategy and coaching sessions, plus free event tickets, Microsoft Marketplace access and more when you join The Founder Collab.

Win $1m? Startup World Cup Johannesburg finale takes place on 26 June — pitch your startup for a shot at the global finals. Applications are now open.

3+ years revenue? Africa’s Business Heroes Prize offers up to $300k from a $1.5m grant pool plus global exposure. Applications are open.

Growth-stage startup? Google for Startups Accelerator Africa is a 3-month hybrid with equity-free support, AI access and expert mentorship. Apply by 18 Mar.

Want to win $1m? The Pitch by Deel is a global startup competition with a $1 million investment prize — apply from SA now.

Want to promote your event/programme here? Let us know.

🌸 Tool to Try: Zenyra will help you find the ideal perfumes for your mood.

🏝️ That’s Interesting: In 1965, six schoolboys were shipwrecked on a Pacific island for 15 months. Instead of descending into Lord of the Flies chaos, they cooperated, shared duties and even cared for a boy with a broken leg.

🛠️ Next Level: The best advert for a power tool no amount of money can buy.

🗺️ Hack: A visual guide to different land and water formations.

🚶 Wow Site: Little Wanderer is a pixel creature walking 6'000 km home, powered by internet people clicking to give it energy and food.