Flying high {{ FIRSTNAME | there }}? A light show in Sydney was cancelled after dozens of drones malfunctioned and fell into the harbour. Tested as a way to potentially replace fireworks, all the drone shows are now called off, while fireworks will carry on until mid-June. Score 1 for gunpowder, then? 🤷‍♀️

Send this to a friend you’d crash into Sydney harbour with. ⛴️

In This Open Letter:

While AI speeds up software production, it enables competitors to catch up faster, making investors more sceptical about putting big money towards it – so this local venture builder’s unlocking SA’s hardware phase…

There's a whole category where AI is less capable, and could actually make for a more attractive investment: Companies building hardware tech products. 

A single iteration cycle of design, simulation, prototype and testing takes weeks to months in hardware, and despite AI and simulation tools compressing some of that (certainly in the design phase), stuff is still stuff, and ditto for the supply chain. 

So the hardware product's moat is still very much in place (even if AI can lower costs on the software layer). Which is the perfect storm, perhaps.

Backing SA’s deep tech builders

Launching and commercialising hardware is complicated and pricey (you’ve got supply chains, logistics, partnerships, IP, fulfilment, marketing and sales, distribution, pricing, etc. to solve), especially from the southern tip of Africa. 

But there is a team that’s done it all before… a few times, actually.

Savant is a deep-tech incubator and venture fund that backs African founders building physical, hardware-driven products, supporting them from concept to investor-ready.

Founded in 2004 by Nick Allen, the incubator's early portfolio included Leatt, whose neck braces went on to save countless lives, reportedly generating $76m in annual revenue with only 115 employees (an incredible SA success story).

Two decades on, Savant has backed 70+ ventures, helped raise over R200 million in capital and generated R3.5 billion in revenue across their portfolio, including AI Diagnostics, which recently raised R85 million post-participation in the Build program.

A new way to build in SA

Savant Build Venture Analysts Kiki Hughes and Daniel Maloba recently told us about Savant’s Build Programme, a fully-funded, three-month intensive accelerator for African deep-tech hardware founders who have a product, some traction, and now need to turn that into something investable.

The programme offers founders workshops and masterclasses covering everything from financial modelling and cap tables, to fundraising and pitch coaching, all building toward a complete investor-ready data room and a Demo Day in front of investors and press.

The programme is also backed by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDAT).

Savant has just opened applications for its 4th Cohort of the Build Programme, and we believe it’s a great opportunity for hardware builders to work with the continent’s best. 

We’re watching this space…

Who still orders dinner on a separate app?

Just Eat Takeaway.com just became the first food delivery platform in Europe to launch a full ordering experience inside WhatsApp — discovery, selection and basket-building all happen in chat, with the app used only for final secure payment.

But here's what's really clever:

✅ An in-app AI assistant interprets natural language
✅ Full chat-to-basket experience, not just a support channel
✅ Piloting in the Netherlands and Spain in Q2 2026

With over 3 billion monthly WhatsApp users globally and 362'000+ restaurant partners, this isn't a side experiment; it's a platform shift where they’re moving the entire transaction to WhatsApp. SA, take note.

What could you build on WhatsApp today?

⛽ Fill Up While You Can. SA's fuel levy relief runs out in June, and the government says an extension is unlikely. The full force of costs is about to hit; suddenly, working from home looks like a win again.

⚠️ America vs AI. US lawmakers are warning of rising anti-tech extremism, from CEO attacks to anti-data-centre protests. Americans are pushing back hard: AI is awesome, but it brings upheaval. Just ask SA, who's had to delay its AI policy to 2027.

🏴‍☠️ Knockoff Nation. Merchants on Temu continue to list counterfeit SA brand goods; Springboks, Sharks, Pirates, Sundowns and Chiefs kits, all fake. Should've seen it coming, the US has been loud about China's lack of IP regulation for years.

👻 Busting Ghosts. Home Affairs is going digital to weed out ghost employees costing the state R3.9 billion a year. A new identity verification system linked to the population register goes live for a two-month trial on 15 June. Late, but welcome.

📧 Cold Email Is Dying. Cold email reply rates have dropped to 3.4%. Warm opted-in email? 42% open rates. The gap between chasing leads and having them come to you has never been wider. SA scale-ups should take note.*

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

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Yesterday, we showed you Antistable organisational resilience, asking about the biggest blind spot in your business. Most here aren’t very sure…

⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🔥 Our people are stretched, no way to measure it (0%)

🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️ 📊 We track financials, but not team strain (31%)

🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🤖 We've added AI without checking if people can handle it (19%)

🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🚪 We only find out there's a problem when someone resigns (12%)

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🤷 Honestly? We don't know what we don't know (38%)

Your 2 cents…

Shame, Aroha, we feel your pain. Companies have to get serious about enabling their teams. 🚪

Most new sales stall at the closing stage, and it's because of a simple behaviour we tend to have when naming prices. So we brought in an SA sales veteran with a track record across 24 African countries to show us how it's done.

And it turns out there are 2 key steps to negotiating price in sales.

☝ Send this to a friend who needs to close some deals. 💰

Chasing a $1m prize? Deel's global pitch competition is open to startups everywhere — one winner walks away with a million-dollar investment. Apply from SA.

Need tools, not just advice? The Founder Collab bundles R40k+ in cloud credits, legal sessions, strategy coaching and a high-trust founder community into one membership. Join now.

Ready to pitch in Cape Town? GEC+Africa 2026 picks 10 African startups and MSMEs to present live in front of investors and ecosystem builders. Register now.

Women-led venture scaling across Africa? KPMG's Female Founders in Africa Competition offers resources, mentorship and networks to help you grow. Apply now.

Young agri founder in an AU member state? The GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize puts up to $50k behind young agribusiness builders — live pitching in Rwanda in September. Closes 28 June. Apply now.

🧩 Tool to Try: PactBet lets friends stake real money on goals.

🦥 That's Interesting: Sloths can hold their breath underwater for up to 40 minutes, which is significantly longer than dolphins! They slow their heart rate by two-thirds. Overachievers in disguise.

🧱 Next Level: This construction worker might be Donald Trump's long-lost twin.

🌑 Wow Site: Check out this interactive map of every solar eclipse from 2024 to 2100. (Who’s joining in for the total one in 2030?)