Tech-savvy more likely to use AI? Not so: A new study found that it’s much easier to convince someone with lower AI literacy to actually try an AI product. Hmm… 🤔

In Today’s Open Letter

The problem with Uber? Weekly payments are a trap that’s leaving peeps stranded and unable to earn – but this startup’s got the juice…

In the e-hailing game, petrol is the lifeblood of drivers: When their cash runs out, they can't put in petrol and, without petrol, they can't accept trips, leaving you without a ride and the driver stranded (and not earning) till they get paid for that week. Eina.

With the price of petrol quite volatile, it’s hard for your Uber, Bolt, Wanatu, etc. drivers to always accurately balance fuel costs with their other living expenses. Weekly payouts are e-hailing’s big liquidity trap.

And with more than 52’000 drivers for Uber and Uber Eats alone, it’s not an uncommon problem. Ask anyone in Cape Town – the true mark of an Uber driver is the yellow empty fuel gauge light.

The opportunity

Can’t we just spot them the cash?

Well, South Africa’s National Credit Act carefully caps short‑term lending at 5% per month on the first loan and 3% per month on subsequent loans in the same calendar year.

But SA’s FinTech ecosystem is gathering steam: Digital payments, instant APIs and embedded finance are rapidly gaining traction (95% of South African consumers have used at least one emerging digital payment method in the last year). 

For these drivers whose income rhythms and expenses are out of sync, this combination of capped short-term loans and emerging financial tools could just be what’s needed to bridge the gap to their next payout.

The local startup getting e-hailing drivers back on the road

Fuelr is building an instant fuel-credit layer for e-hailing drivers. 

Drivers apply via WhatsApp or web, go through a quick 5-minute credit application and consent to their proprietary vetting, which generates a proprietary “Fuelr score”.

Approved drivers then receive a WhatsApp or SMS QR voucher that can only be redeemed at the pump for petrol, currently across a network of over 500 BP fuel stations via a distribution partner. 

Loans range from R500 to R2’500, and are paid back via payment gateway or debit order, giving them a pretty large chunk of kilos, ample to get a driver up and running to get to their next weekly payout.

Validating the play 

We caught up with Brandon Nkabinde, founder of Fuelr, and they’ve already completed a 10-driver pilot and are pushing toward the next 100 to validate underwriting and collections.

Fuelr reframes driver finance as a just-in-time utility. If you can prove earnings and intent in real time, credit does not need to be predatory or slow. 

The next question is: Once you can fund a tank precisely when a driver needs it, what else in the driver’s cost stack becomes “switch-on” finance? Think tyres, services and more…

We’re watching this space.

A full website from just a prompt? Macaly gives you a live, SEO-optimised site with hosting, analytics and database — all built instantly. Wow!

Slotting tasks between meetings? OneTask intelligently fits all your to-dos between calendar events so you always know what to do next — zero micromanaging. Try it.

AI that actually feels alive? Sara AI is an advanced AGI project. Currently, it can remember what you say, recognise faces, ask you questions on its own and can run your smart home. So like Tony Stark’s Jarvis? Find out.

Octoco Group’s venture arm, Yenza, has completed its first investment — welcoming Squirrel Away into the portfolio. Think of it as a FinTech with a fresh take on gifting and financial empowerment for South Africans.

We’ll share the full story in a deep dive next Tuesday — don’t miss it.

Today, the headline is Yenza. 

Born out of Octoco (the Stellenbosch hardware-software engineering team behind some of SA’s most ambitious builds), Yenza backs early teams with capital and unrivalled business savvy and engineering support. 

You get the combination most founders need to move from idea to traction:

✅ Next-level product strategy
✅ Senior engineering
✅ And hands-on venture building.

If you’re building something real and want a partner who ships, not just advises, Yenza is open for applications.

🎓 Keeping an Eye on Students. Local EdTech, The Invigilator, just landed R195 million in funding to supercharge its AI capabilities and global reach. The Invigilator uses AI to assist examiners in verifying students’ identities while flagging suspicious activities during an assessment. AI rounds are heating up!

🔎 Amazon's AI Shopping Buddy. Amazon has launched Lens Live, a new AI shopping feature allowing users to visually search for products in the real world and see items pop up in-app using real-time magic to help shoppers find deals while out and about. All fun and games till your kids get hold of your phone.

🛵 Need for Speed. Checker’s Sixty60 is on an absolute heater at the moment. And while the group’s trading profit increased by 16.6% to R15bn (pretty remarkable), we couldn't help but marvel at their average delivery time of 31 minutes. It might just be the global pace setter for this kind of service.

🤖 Parental Guidance. OpenAI will be introducing parental controls for ChatGPT “in the next month” following the death of a 16-year-old. It is alleged that ChatGPT helped the young man plan and execute his own death. Good to see guardrails getting put in place.

✅ The Stack. Founders need reliable tools and suppliers. That’s why our Founder’s Stack gives you your own CFO for a fraction of the cost with OCFO, WhatsApp marketing with 2'000% ROI powered by Chat Inc, and loads more vital startup tools & services.

Yesterday, we told you how Chat Inc can help brands use Meta’s new pricing models for stellar WhatsApp marketing in SA, asking about the best WhatsApp use case for you. Most say products…

🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️ 🛫 Check-ins, tickets, passes (17%)

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🛍️ Product drops & launches (23%)

🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🧾 Statements, notices, policy docs (11%)

🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️ 🛟 Support + order updates (19%)

🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🎉 Event invites & RSVPs (11%)

🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️ ☝ I have a better idea... (19%)

Your 2 cents…

Ja indeed, Ratang. Pretty sure the guys at Chat Inc give you a dashboard, but native is interesting. 🔥

For sure, Ludwig. Hey, it’s Meta, so don’t be surprised if they add that at some point. Ⓜ️

Indeed, Hers. Too many to list here, but some great ideas in there today. 💡

Nearly everyone has a tap — but far fewer have actual water.

The data shows:

💡 While 88% of people in formal housing have water infrastructure nearby, only 67% receive a reliable supply.

💡 In provinces like Gauteng, Free State and North West, water reliability has declined.

💡 For the 7.6 million people in informal housing, only 12% have any water infrastructure at all. Access isn’t just unequal — it’s collapsing.

🛠 Tool to Try: Kudowall collects and showcases video/text testimonials with a one-time payment — no code, no subscriptions.

🤔 That’s Interesting: Box turtles can completely seal themselves inside their shells.

🔥 Next Level: This Carrom (fingerboard) trick-shot master is insane.

🍔 Hack: Fix your chair height: Feet flat, knees ~90°, elbows ~90° at keyboard; if the desk’s too high, use a footrest — your back will thank you.

🌐 Wow Site: DrawAFish — sketch a fish and watch it swim in a global tank with everyone else’s creations.

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