Never give up? The CEO of edge database startup Turso made the news recently when he hired a prison inmate as a software engineer. Touched by the young man’s story (he’d made some mistakes and wanted to turn his life around), he’s been hired to work remotely from a cell over 5’000km away. Thoughts? Feels?

In Today’s Open Letter

Micro-enterprises in our R200 billion township economy feed at least 11 million mouths per day (probs more) – this startup’s unlocking the funding to help these heroes thrive…

Capitec’s outgoing CEO, Gerrie Fourie, caused a stir recently when he said that when Capitec looks at transaction data, they believe unemployment is closer to 10% rather than the government's official stats of 32.9%. And it relates to the definition of what unemployed means.

Apart from definitions, the comment highlighted that there are many sole proprietors in townships, working hard to earn a living.

Meat vendors, mattress couriers, school supply fulfilments, roadside mechanics, these micro-enterprises are a frontline response to fight poverty. But while the more than R200 billion Kasi economy thrives in ingenuity, it seriously lacks institutional support.

The opportunity

SMMEs remain underserved, capturing just around 13% of total bank credit, while large corporations and consumer borrowers absorb the majority of available financing. And that’s just on the formalised side of the coin.

What about township ventures like spaza operators, informal traders and home-based studios? 

And it’s not like these township entrepreneurs are lacking in business viability. Many deal in repeat business and fast inventory turnover (for instance, 80% of SA’s population visits a spaza shop every day), and service their immediate community needs. 

The challenge isn’t their hustle, but the banking/lending landscape’s structure, including legacy scoring models, requirements for collateral, and lengthy in-branch processes. 

Not to mention that an entrepreneur in a township needs working capital tailored to their reality: Funds quick enough to buy that generator, or stock up on products, or replace a broken tool or machine today, not weeks from now.

SA needs capital to flow when and where it’s really needed…

The local startup funding dreams via WhatsApp

Koola Capital is a funding platform assisting business owners with tailored financing for assets and working capital, powered by WhatsApp. They’re already meeting over 200 township SMMEs across 7 South African townships with over R2 million right where they’re at, with frictionless working capital and asset financing, with amounts varying from R5’000 to R50’000.

With a simple “Hello Koola” message on WhatsApp, users can access finance to suit their unique business needs in as little as 20 minutes. And repayments are pretty frictionless, with multiple options from the closest spaza shop to a recurring payment via Capitec.

Koola’s gearing up to scale, not by marketing, but by word of mouth. Because in the township economy, trust moves faster than ads ever could.

That’s why we caught up with Katie Dodge, Co-Founder at Koola Capital, on the latest episode of the How Would You Build It podcast. And she drops some serious kazi hustle insights, including:

Listen to the podcast here:

Tip: Enter your email on the website and you’ll automatically receive each new podcast in your inbox as it launches.

One of the most famous WhatsApp campaigns in history was a limited-time activation: Mayonaise brand Hellmann’s launched in Brazil with a 2-week-long project called WhatsCook. People could send a pic of what’s in their fridge, and real chefs would give them custom recipes with cooking instructions (using pictures, videos, even sketches) — see the original video ad.

It went viral, reaching 4 million people and generating 500 new recipes, for just $900 in media spend (less than R16k).

Now imagine this with AI. No need for human chefs to be online 24/7 (just some oversight, maybe). A smart AI assistant could instantly identify ingredients, suggest creative recipes, and even send you cooking videos tailored to your fridge. It would scale this campaign from thousands to millions overnight.

Could the next big food brand bring this idea back, AI-powered and global?

Financial advisors usually work for someone. Ours work for you.

Doshguide is South Africa’s first subscription-based financial advice platform, matching you with unbiased financial advisors. 

Our approach:

🙅 No commission on products or assets under management fee

🙅 No sales targets

🙅 No ‘preferred products’

Just real humans giving real advice, who are accountable to you. 

Founders love us because we help them separate personal and business finances, plan better, stress less and finally feel in control.

Manage your money the smart way. 

🐿️ Save It For Later. SA startup Squirrel Away has just launched its app that allows its users to invest in a child's financial future with contributions into ETFs for as little as R10. What a way to give a gift some longevity.

💬 Bluetooth Chat. Former Twitter boss Jack Dorsey's latest app, Bitchat, is ditching the internet and phone numbers for Bluetooth mesh to send messages within a 300-meter radius for free on iOS. Or you could just say something out loud?

📱Going Mobile. Pick n Pay has launched a new app for its mobile network, offering instant eSIM activation, self-RICA, and fully customisable plans, and Smart Shoppers can earn rewards, free data and cashback for long-term use.

🚀 Edge's AI Injection. Microsoft's Edge browser just got an AI-driven "Copilot Mode", enabling a smart browsing experience through topic-based queries and task automation. But can you ask it to download another browser 😉?

✅ The Stack. Founders need reliable tools and suppliers. Our Founder’s Stack gives you the best in IP offshoring and global market access with Finance Isle of Man, all your VC and startup legal sorted by Dommisse Attorneys and loads more vital startup tools & services.

Yesterday, we told you about Yoyo’s new loyalty tech helping SA do rewards a whole new way, asking how many loyalty cards you have. Surprisingly, most have just the one…

⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🤑 None, I rock full price (2%)

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🛒 Just one or two where I regularly shop (59%)

⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 👐 I’m on 8 – so proud (9%)

🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🏋️ I have them all (17%)

🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ ✉️ The only loyalty I have is to this newsletter (13%)

Your 2 cents…

Same here, Nita. As soon as we realised you can’t actually open locked doors with them like in the movies, we were so over them. 💳🥷

Ag, awesome, glad you like it, Charmaine — makes our day! 💚

Did you manage to get your details when Stocard went poof, Richard? We didn’t. 😭

Need capital and exposure? Today is your last chance to enter The Big Pitch 2025, South Africa’s largest startup pitch event with $1 million (R18m) in funding up for grabs. Beyond the cash, this is your shot to meet top early-stage investors, corporate partners, and potential customers — and put your business on the map. Entries close today, 30 July: Apply here.

Ready to take your startup global? The Irish Tech Challenge South Africa 2025 offers €10,000 in grants, a fully funded trip to Ireland, and access to top mentors through Dogpatch Labs. This is a rare chance to plug into Europe’s tech ecosystem, scale faster, and get support aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Entries close 4 August: Enter now.

Want recognition and R500k in growth support? The SA Future Trust Awards 2025 celebrate resilient, high-impact entrepreneurs with R3 million in total prize money, mentorship and national visibility. With alums like RLabs, JobJack and Bento, you know this is a stepping stone worth pursuing. Entries close 31 July. Start your entry.

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