Startups
Every young South African business radio talked about this month: founders interviewed about what they built, new brands, first funding rounds. Hear them tell it in their own words.
128 businesses · 101 founders on air · 6 stations · last 30 days
Beauty & fashion
Surf and beachwear clothing brand with a range designed by a young entrepreneur
Founded by Will Tremier
Beauty & fashion
Sells natural skin and health products, including superfood smoothies and skincare for acne and pigmentation
Sport & fitness · since 2020
Runs cycling clinics that teach women to ride and then connects graduates to cycling clubs
Retail & e-commerce · Marshalltown
Independent bookshop in Marshalltown selling local and South African books.
Founded by Griffin Scheer
Health
Freeze-dries breast milk for mothers, processing each mom's batch individually and packaging it.
Founded by Melissa Hiels
Fintech
Operates a challenger stock exchange that lists shares alongside the JSE
Founded by Kevin Brady
Health
Offers breath work and sound bath sessions for mental health and wellness, in groups or privately
Founded by Mutidisi Mujapilo
Sport & fitness
Runs a boutique-style fitness facility and community fitness movement for all ages
Food & drink · Franschhoek
Serves a full Asian tasting menu and a lighter à la carte menu, with house-made ingredients.
Founded by Ryan Schell
Beauty & fashion
Designs local knitwear and black-and-white men's fashion, sold through its own stores.
Founded by Maxine Ginsburg
Beauty & fashion
Sells bold, colourful, patterned products from a maker brand with two market stalls
Founded by Kayleigh Higgins and Kaylee Higgins
Beauty & fashion
Fashion jewellery brand with ready-made pieces and a build-your-own silver or gold section
Beauty & fashion
Supplies jewellery to the tourism industry, started by a mother and daughter
Food & drink
Bakes and sells baked goods, run by a former government worker
Founded by Zizi Matakiti
Beauty & fashion
Sells swimwear designed for women after mastectomy, sold online and by direct phone sale
Beauty & fashion
Designs and sells swimwear and resultwear, including prosthetic-supportive swimsuits for women after mastectomy.
Founded by Debbie Combrug
Sport & fitness
Runs High Rocks, a sport that has grown into a global community and participation activity
Funding: Acquired by LVMH for 600 million Euro
Sport & fitness
Offers adaptive strength and fitness training for people with permanent disabilities, including wheelchair users.
Founded by Victor Betendach
Retail & e-commerce
Creative products made and sold online, with items printed on demand
Food & drink · Cape Town
Sells matcha tea and runs matcha stores in Cape Town
Founded by Michaela McClain
Beauty & fashion
Makes swimwear designed to fit and flatter women of all shapes, sizes and life stages
Health
Wellness brand making products from honey and other botanical and indigenous natural ingredients
Founded by Maria Angotzeng Masiu
Other · Cape Town
Printed pink parking fines and novelty parking-violation merchandise poking fun at bad Cape Town parking
Health
Corporate well-being tech platform offering wellness programmes for employers and their staff
Founded by Dina Batista
Tech & software
Parenting app delivering age-specific information to parents of babies on iOS and Android
Founded by Meg Forah
Beauty & fashion
Hair care brand for textured hair, developed with Korean skincare innovator Jun Lim
Founded by Nolu Mkwonza
Agriculture
Makes vegetable powders and vegetable-infused butters, creating markets for local growers
Beauty & fashion
Beauty and grooming brand with about 30 products
Founded by Georgina Hugh
Food & drink
Supplies bakery products to coffee shops, restaurants and hotels
Founded by Frank Low
Sport & fitness
Personal training and weight loss coaching for clients
Founded by Vincent De Aja
Tourism & hospitality · Jakobsby
Quirky fantasy village attraction with miniature castles, fairy houses, waterfalls and gnomes
Founded by Pixie Maritz and Mama Pixie Maritz
Food & drink
Makes and sells wine, with a focus on African wine identity and experience
Founded by Ritabilia Khaikane
Food & drink
Sells premium bottled fine water, selected for its mineral content and taste.
Founded by Nico Peterser
Skincare products developed by a biomedical scientist, discussed in relation to atopic eczema
Founded by Judy Pretorius
Tech & software
Online job platform connecting job seekers with entry-level employers, publishing hiring data
Founded by Hein Billigan
Other
Makes incense sticks from aromatic resins, wood, herbs and oils for calming and clearing spaces
Founded by Neville Clark
Education
Gives neurodiverse tweens and teens an individual learning centre suited to their academic, social and emotional needs
Founded by Val Haysam
Services
Plant styling brand that transforms homes and workspaces into green living spaces
Founded by Kensani Rokoto
Health
Teaches people a lifestyle approach to keeping weight off after a ketogenic diet, through a book and guidance
Tech & software
Builds and trials low-cost railway monitoring technology to deter cable and railway theft
Founded by Franz Struvich
Tech & software
Civic tech platform linking South African citizens with municipalities and government services over WhatsApp
Founded by Aldred Yordani
Retail & e-commerce
Sells plants and gardening advice focused on waterwise gardens for South African gardeners
Founded by Craig DeNicker
Services
Offers emotional intelligence, leadership development and workplace well-being services
Founded by Richard Cullinan
Media & creative · since 2022
Produces new theatre shows, including themed productions, directing and staging them as a small company
Food & drink
Makes slow-fermented bread with quality ingredients and supplies Cape Town restaurants and cafes
Founded by David Donder
Food & drink
Sells burgers and quarters to customers who place orders for collection or delivery
Services · Cape Town
Helps residents navigate municipal queries by taking them straight to the right city department
Founded by Kyle Kanemea
Mobility & logistics
Rents out electric cars, with a fleet supplied to corporate clients such as Woolworths
Founded by Indira Magadagela, India Magadagala and Magada Gela
Funding: Family office Sakum Noto Group Holdings invested to buy the first five vehicles; more capital raised since
Tourism & hospitality · Cape Town
Runs massive outdoor cinema events and curated intimate retreats for people to enjoy experiences.
Founded by Wenu Solsona
Food & drink
Promotes and sells indigenous fruits and vegetables, such as mashlala and makwakwa, and related snacks
Tech & software
Provides affordable high-speed broadband to township and rural communities
Founded by Vuyani Jakana
Energy & environment
Reclaims useful ingredients from human urine to make liquid fertilizer and reusable water.
Founded by Dylan Randall
Services
Offers executive, team and AI adoption coaching to help people shift their mindsets
Founded by Lauren Bright
Education
Driving academy teaching driving skills, mainly to young people, founded by a motorsport enthusiast
Founded by Lorenzo Gualtieri
Tech & software
Femtech app aimed at confronting South Africa's gender inequality
Founded by Mona Lisa Zwambila
Food & drink
Makes artisan cheese, with milk collected fresh from its own farm herd
Food & drink
Runs mobile coffee trailers and permanent cafes serving coffee
Founded by Skye Williams
Health
Multidisciplinary clinic treating joint pain with surgical and non-surgical options
Founded by Dale Creamer and Mark Nork
Clear the filters for the whole month.
Young businesses talked about on South African radio, found hourly in our transcripts. A website is linked only once we've checked it's theirs. What's said about a business is the speakers' view, not locl's.
Updated Monday, 02 November at 18:16 SAST.