Top South African entrepreneurs and startups to watch as we head into 2024
Category Commercial and Industrial News
As we look forward to 2024 and all the possibilities that it has to offer, we are inspired by the vision and successes of some of South Africa's remarkable small businesses and startups. Join 3Cube Property Solutions as we take a closer look at some of our remarkable homegrown entrepreneurs and enterprises.
Taking the electric vehicle market by storm
The momentum behind the electric propulsion market in South Africa may not be growing exponentially yet, but instead of seeing this as a challenge, Ndia Magadagela, CEO of Everlectric, saw it as an opportunity. Magadagela's company sells electric vehicles to various companies, and Woolworths is arguably the most impressive client on their list thus far. The retail giant uses Everlectric's electric panel vans to carry out some of their grocery deliveries. The company's achievements were recently highlighted at the annual Heavy Chef Top 5 Start Up Awards, which were first introduced in 2017.
Working towards better mental and physical health
Joining Magadagela and Everlectric in the 2023 edition of Heavy Chef Top 5 Start Up Awards is Strove, a Cape Town-based company working towards healthier people and stronger businesses. For starters, the Strove platform offers an array of features to motivate employees to partake in healthy exercise. The app also offers mental health support and creates positive competition through leaderboards and challenges. The company was founded in 2020 by Chris Bruchhausen, a triathlete and business science graduate. Having opened their doors in South Africa, Bruchhausen and his team quickly established a presence in the United Kingdom as well.
An inspired approach to human resources
Also getting the nod from Heavy Chef in 2023 is Jem, a Cape Town-based startup that launched in 2020, helping businesses with their HR needs by leveraging the WhatsApp platform. With the help of Jem, employers can send essential documents like payslips to their employees through WhatsApp. This is a win-win for the employer and the employee, as it saves employers time and provides documents on a convenient platform for employees. Jem's offering is fully compliant with the Protection of Private Information Act and provides an ideal opportunity for companies to digitise their HR and payroll processes.
Harnessing AI to help learners
Artificial intelligence has been one of the hot topics of conversation in 2023, and startup company Foondamate is utilising the technology to help learners with their schoolwork. Using the platform, students can ask questions on various topics and get quick, comprehensive answers to guide them in their learning. Foondamate offers each learner a personalised learning experience and an array of features include study tips, practice tests and instant answers to questions.
Helping to enhance township economies
Another company turning heads and securing significant funding from investors is Yebo Fresh. This company is on a mission to help small businesses in South Africa's townships. By building e-commerce infrastructure for these environments, they are stimulating township economies, creating job opportunities and ultimately making a remarkable difference. In June 2023, Independent Media revealed that Yebo Fresh was inviting 3 000 entrepreneurs to join a free skills development and business expansion programme, with the aim of creating more jobs in the township entrepreneurship sector. Interestingly, the article also notes that the township marketplace is thought to be worth more than R160 billion.
The sheer diversity of homegrown talent that South Africa has is nothing short of awe-inspiring. If your small business needs premises that can facilitate its needs on the way to greatness, contact 3Cube Property Solutions. We've got our finger on the pulse of industrial, commercial and retail property in Gauteng and the Western Cape.
Author: 3Cube Property Solutions
