Top 40 Retail Startup Investors in South Africa (September 2026)

Portfolio highlights

• HoneyCoin — HoneyCoin is a web3/web2 ecosystem of products built in a way that abstracts complexity and brings all the value of web3 and web2 to the forefront.
• Myka.Insure — Myka is a insurance sales platform that enables individuals to sell insurance policies to their family, friends, colleagues, and community while earning income . It operates as a micro-entrepreneurship program where anyone (students, gadget sellers, car dealers, parents, retirees) can start their own insurance business with zero investment,flexible hours, and free training . The company is licensed by the National Insurance Commission of Nigeria and provides instant payouts to its partners .
• LittleFish — Full stack enterprise platform that extends your infrastructure, instead of replacing it.

Portfolio highlights

• Cauridor — Cauridor is a Financial Services company.
• Stream — Stream is a company that helps make payments simpler, faster, and reliable.
• Jurisphere — Jurisphere.ai is an enterprise-grade AI platform tailored for law firms and in-house legal teams, integrating document review, legal research, drafting, and workflow automation into a unified workspace. The company's platform uses attorney verified AI workflows to surface relevant cases and insights from large volumes of legal documents,generate and refine contract drafts.

Portfolio highlights

• MDaaS Global — At MDaaS Global, we build and operate modern, tech-enabled diagnostic centres in clinically-underserved communities, starting in Nigeria. Our big goal is to create affordable healthcare solutions for Africa's next billion.
• Chefaa — Chefaa is a GPS-enabled pharmacy benefits platform connecting patients & pharmacies nation-wide to help patients manage all their pharmacy needs. Chefaa uses big data, data ming & machine learning
• Waspito — We are the platform that engages Africa into the conversation and action to drive affordable and accessible quality healthcare across the continent.

Portfolio highlights

• Glif — Interoperable tools for the Filecoin network
• Afterparty — Afterparty is a technology company behind the new Web3 platform enabling creators to directly monetize and manage NFT collector relationships
• Shield USDT — US bank accounts built for international wholesalers and distributors. Same-day USD wires, USDT payments, escrow, and business credit cards.

Portfolio highlights

• Flood — Flood is a marketplace platforms that provides merchant solution, self services and big data solution.
• Letly — Letly is developing an AI‑driven platform for the rental property market that automates tasks related to managing rental listings and tenant interactions. It aims to use intelligent agents to handle tasks such as scheduling viewings, responding to inquiries, and optimizing property management workflows. The platform is currently in a waitlistphase, signaling ongoing development and private access only.
• Cutstruct — Cutstruct is your one source for bulk construction materials purchase. Get the best prices for cement, steel, granite, sharp sand wood, and more.

Portfolio highlights

• Trade Shield — Trade Shield's aim is to increase access to trade credit facilities for those companies that most need them and will benefit the most from them.
• Mia Healthcare — Mia Healthcare is a Hospitals and Health Care firm offering dental services and orthodontic products.
• Breaze Delivery — Optimize your last-mile delivery in SA. Breaze offers same-day delivery, easy Shopify/WooCommerce integration, and live WhatsApp tracking for your brand.

Portfolio highlights

• QOSMIC — Building the Optical Highway to the Cosmos. Ground stations that catch laser beams from space.
• Equal AI — Equal Identity operates as an ID-sharing platform.
• Navi Technologies — Lightning fast UPI payments, instant Cash Loans & Home Loans, smart investments in Mutual Funds & Digital Gold, comprehensive Health Insurance - all in one app.

Portfolio highlights

• wiGroup — Award-winning loyalty and rewards software powering South Africa's largest network. Bank card-linked loyalty, digital gift cards, and vouchers across 27,000+ stores.
• SNAPnSAVE — SNAPnSAVE is a shopping app that gives you cash back when you shop in-store. No paper coupons, no plastic cards and no loyalty points. Just real cash back on items that you buy everyday, leaving you with more to spend on the things you want. Ka ching!
• SweepSouth — Book a home cleaning online from your mobile, tablet or computer. SweepSouth connects you with a cleaner in minutes. Cleaners are experienced, reliable, efficient and insured.

Portfolio highlights

• Aumax — Aumax is a social-first direct to consumer brand.
• UCook — UCOOK is a food and beverage platform that offers meal kit delivery service. It was founded in August 2014 and is headquartered in Cape Town.
• Faithful to Nature —

Portfolio highlights

• BasiGo — BasiGo is an early-stage e-mobility start-up looking to revolutionize the public transportation sector by providing matatu owners with a cost-effective electric alternative to diesel buses.
• Ecoener — Ecoener is a renewable energy company that develops, builds, operates, and maintains electricity generation projects based on clean energy sources. The company works across hydropower, wind, and solar photovoltaic technologies, managing the full lifecycle of energy facilities from early development and engineering to construction and long-termoperation. It also engages in energy commercialization activities that support the sale and distribution of electricity generated from its assets. Ecoener handles project planning, permitting, environmental assessment, and technical design as part of its infrastructure development process. The company operates and expands renewable energy plants across multiple international markets while integrating maintenance and operational management services for its facilities. It also participates in storage-related and hybrid energy projects that combine different renewable technologies to support grid stability and energy supply efficiency.
• ETG — ETG, established in 1967, is one of the largest and fastest growing integrated agricultural conglomerates in sub-Saharan Africa, importing and exporting soft commodities to and from 48 countries including Tanzania, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria and South Africa. It also has supply chain operations in China, India, America, Middle East, andSouth East Asia; merchandising desks in Europe, and; treasury companies in Singapore, Mauritius and UAE. Globally, ETG is present across 48 countries. ETG runs its business under five business verticals: 1. Fertilizer and Farm Inputs: ETG is one of the largest importers and distributors of fertilizers and farm inputs in sub-saharan africa 2. Cash traded products: Pulses, Sesame seed, Cashew and Rice are key commodities in this vertical. ETG is the world largest trader and processor of Pulses as well as world largest trader for raw cashew nuts. 3. Exchange traded commodities: Grains & oilseeds, sugar, coffee, cocoa, maize and soybean are key products in this segment. ETG is one of the major players for maize and soybean in sub-shara africa 4. Consumer Branded (Vamara): ETG operates multiple processing plants across 14 countries to manufacture products that are targeted to African consumers. ETG has 22 brands in its portfolio that offers products from vegetable cooking oil, condiments, and spreads, etc. 5. Logistics: ETG operates a very successful and integrated Logistics platform. ETG has a network of more than 400+ warehouses across 32 countries and a fleet of more than 900 trucks. ETG provided end-to-end Logistics services across sub-Sahara Africa.

Portfolio highlights

• tofu — tofu is an online marketplace for founders, hiring managers, and talent team leaders to find talent.
• Friendlier — Friendlier aims to reduce single-use plastic waste generated by disposable food packaging. We provide businesses with reusable plastic cups and containers, and take care of delivery, pick-up, and washing.
• ChatFeatured — ChatFeatured is a software platform that provides tools for tracking and managing how brands appear in AI search systems. It monitors brand mentions, sources, and visibility across AI platforms. The system analyzes data to identify gaps and content issues. It generates content plans and supports writing and publishing based on search data. Theplatform includes a dashboard that shows performance, citations, and sentiment. It provides site audits with scores and tasks for content and technical review. The service connects with content systems and tools to manage data and updates.

Portfolio highlights

• Slate Milk — Slate is a line of delicious, lower sugar, higher protein, lactose free chocolate milks and lattes for healthy-minded people.
• Hike Medical — Transform foot health with Hike Medical. Our custom insoles and cutting-edge solutions are designed for on-feet workers, enhancing comfort, mobility, and overall well-being.
• Flashpass — Flashpass is an online social media certification designed for universities and startup accelerators.

Portfolio highlights

• Cautio — The future of road safety starts here.
• Ninecamp — Ninecamp is a food and beverage company. They anticipate creating new and unique brands with a strong emphasis on high-quality offerings in product, service, and design.
• Faro — Every garment deserves to be worn. Leveraging technology and a specialised supply chain, FARO enables brands to offload obsolete inventory through stores in non-core markets, ensuring complete traceability throughout the process.

Portfolio highlights

• Tern Group — Tern Group is an AI Platform to hire and relocate top healthcare talents globally, faster and cheaper. TERN is a full-stack solution to source and relocate top-tier medical and engineering talent from India, North Africa, South Africa, and Central Asia and the approach ensures a seamless, ethical, and transparent migration process, drasticallycutting complexity and shaving costs for healthcare systems.
• Peptilogics — Peptilogics is a biotechnology platform company that develops best-in-class novel peptide drugs for unmet medical needs using its proprietary computational discovery platform.
• Alloy Therapeutics — Alloy Therapeutics empowers scientists with access to pre-competitive biologics drug discovery technologies and services across 6 modalities

Portfolio highlights

• ContextQA — Turn months of testing backlog into hours of efficient automated testing solutions success with ContextQA. Prioritize quality without cutting corners.
• Copperhelm — Copperhelm focused on cloud-native cybersecurity.
• Global Worldwide — Global Worldwide have been global leaders in Agriculture, Materials Science, Autonomous Weapon Systems, and Pharmaceutical Testing since our inception in 1945. Each division of the company has led its respective industry through productive, science-based innovation to meet the needs of customers and

Portfolio highlights

• NUMOS — NUMOS is an insurance tech platform.
• Xaver — Xaver enables Financial Institutions to close Europe’s pension gap. By offering an advanced AI-driven B2B platform for life insurance and private pension sales, Xaver enhances the operational and sales efficiency of banks, insurers, and brokers by up to 65% and introduces a new era of white-labeled private pension products.With a leadership teamof experienced industry veterans - Max Bachem, Ole Breulmann, and Dr. Björn Holste - and backing from leading VC funds and a prominent group of former financial institution executives, fintech pioneers, and unicorn founders, Xaver is dedicated to improving the pension situation of Europeans through their B2B offering.
• Faro — Every garment deserves to be worn. Leveraging technology and a specialised supply chain, FARO enables brands to offload obsolete inventory through stores in non-core markets, ensuring complete traceability throughout the process.

Portfolio highlights

• MDaaS Global — At MDaaS Global, we build and operate modern, tech-enabled diagnostic centres in clinically-underserved communities, starting in Nigeria. Our big goal is to create affordable healthcare solutions for Africa's next billion.
• Chefaa — Chefaa is a GPS-enabled pharmacy benefits platform connecting patients & pharmacies nation-wide to help patients manage all their pharmacy needs. Chefaa uses big data, data ming & machine learning
• SweepSouth — Book a home cleaning online from your mobile, tablet or computer. SweepSouth connects you with a cleaner in minutes. Cleaners are experienced, reliable, efficient and insured.

Portfolio highlights

• Mercanis — Source services smarter and drive automation along your source-to-settle process. Discover how Mercanis enables you to collaborate with best-in-class suppliers across your departments.
• Revibe — Buy refurbished & used electronics (Smartphones, Laptops) in UAE at Revibe. Free delivery & 12 months warranty. Certified tech by our experts. Order Now!
• Jungo Software — Experience the future of driving with in-cabin sensing technology. Learn how this accident prevention system saves lives

Portfolio highlights

• Droppa — Droppa is a delivery hub that makes it easier and safer to transport your parcels, goods and furniture using our mobile app and website.
• Carscan — cARscan is an Augmented Reality app with an embedded visual recognition AI to track the visual condition of every motor vehicle during its life-stage.
• Mortgage Market — Mortgage Market is a fintech startup that has created an online marketplace for home loans. Users are able to access a home loan easily via its online platform.

Portfolio highlights

• Ask Gogo — Ask Gogo develops data free application designed to facilitate buying, selling, renting, and job searching without using mobile data.
• DigiSquad — DigiSquad is a team of entrepreneurs in the payments industry striving to expand the reach of digital payment platforms in underserved regions.
• AKELO Group — AKELO Group provides a marketplace for embedded financial services and solutions for corporates, retailers and SME merchants.

Portfolio highlights

• Faro — Every garment deserves to be worn. Leveraging technology and a specialised supply chain, FARO enables brands to offload obsolete inventory through stores in non-core markets, ensuring complete traceability throughout the process.
• Bamba — Today, organizations spend a lot of money on physical data gathering exercises using old-fashioned paper-based methods. These methods result in expensive, severely delayed and incomplete data . With Bamba, a client can launch a data collection exercise anywhere in the world simply from the comfort of their web browser and the client can ensureindividuals respond with complete answers by paying those individuals for that data with mobile airtime in 122 different countries thus far.
• Finclusion Group — Enhancing financial inclusion in Sub-Saharan Africa through data driven lending.

Portfolio highlights

• Livecopper — The best lighting, electrical and plumbing online supplier in South Africa. We also cater to wholesale, retail and trade customers. Visit our online store now!
• Brave Hardy — Shop quality camping, hiking & overlanding gear at Brave Hardy. Exclusive Petromax, OneTigris South Africa distributor. Gear up for your next adventure! Nationwide delivery.

Portfolio highlights

• Lupiya — Lupiya is a financial technology company that provides digital lending services designed to help individuals and small businesses access short-term credit and installment financing. The platform offers mobile-accessible loans that can be used for expenses such as personal needs, business cash flow, or emergency payments, using an online applicationprocess that evaluates creditworthiness through alternative data and behavioral indicators. Lupiya’s services include flexible repayment schedules, automated disbursement, and electronic account management so users can monitor balances and repayment activity within the app or web interface. The company also offers tools for budgeting and payment reminders to support borrowers in managing their credit obligations. Through integrations with local payment networks and banking partners, Lupiya facilitates secure fund transfers and compliance with financial regulations. Its lending infrastructure is tailored to expand access to credit for underserved populations and small enterprises that may have limited access to traditional banking services.
• SweepSouth — Book a home cleaning online from your mobile, tablet or computer. SweepSouth connects you with a cleaner in minutes. Cleaners are experienced, reliable, efficient and insured.
• Alma Clinics — ALMA CLINICS Primary Healthcare with Advanced Blockchain, AI technology. BEST Clinic providing affordable healthcare, Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Portfolio highlights

• Faro — Every garment deserves to be worn. Leveraging technology and a specialised supply chain, FARO enables brands to offload obsolete inventory through stores in non-core markets, ensuring complete traceability throughout the process.
• NutriUnited —
• Augustus — Building the clearing bank for the AI era

Portfolio highlights

• HUNTY — HUNTY is a platform that help people find jobs by connecting them with world class mentors who prepare them for the job search process. And people only pay when they get hired.
• Lastro — Lastro is building Lais, an autonomous AI worker for real estate agencies, starting in Brazil. Our AI agent initially automated lead engagement and qualification via WhatsApp, helping brokerages boost revenue and improve marketing ROI. In each brokerage, Lais acts as a personalized AI “team member” that engages with leads instantly, searches forproperties and answers common inquiries. Brokerages that have Lais in their teams are growing quickly and reporting up to 60% increases in lead conversion rates.
• Wash Wise — Meet Reset Spray: the dry shampoo for clothes. Refresh lightly worn garments in seconds by neutralizing odors, lifting away sweat and body oils, and releasing wrinkles between washes.

Portfolio highlights

• Aya Data — Aya Data provides high-quality data annotation, AI training data, 3D annotations, machine learning solutions and also specialises in geospatial, NLP and computer vision projects.
• Kubik — Kubik makes low-carbon buildings from plastic waste. Bringing environmental dignity to how countries grow.
• Hohm Energy — We make the process of going solar simple. Generate your free, custom solar proposal and get matched with an accredited solar provider in under 5 mins.

Portfolio highlights

• VALR — Buy and sell bitcoin, ethereum & more | Pay anyone for free with VALR Pay
• OfferZen — On OfferZen, Dutch tech companies reach out to you with upfront role and salary info so you can make the right career move.
• Real Time Wine — Share your wine moments. Real Time Wine is the social wine discovery app for everyone who enjoys wine, not just those who understand it. [In App Stores NOW!]

Portfolio highlights

• wamly — Wamly is the recruitment software, It has given us time back to focus on transformational work.
• Cue — Cue is a customer service software company that empowers you with WhatsApp Business solutions to boost customer satisfaction, and drive growth.
• Optique Optometrists — Optique Optometrists provides comprehensive eye care services, including eye tests, prescription glasses, and contact lenses. The company offers affordable eye care solutions and has multiple branches across South Africa. Customers can book appointments online and access a wide range of eyewear options. Optique Optometrists focuses on deliveringquality vision care and ensuring customer satisfaction through professional services and convenient booking options.

Portfolio highlights

• VS Agri — VS Agri is a machinery manufacturing firm offering Agriculture, Construction, Mining Machinery.
• Apex Commerce Partners — Apex Commerce Partners is an e-commerce holding company that focuses on acquiring and growing high potential eCommerce businesses.

Portfolio highlights

• Elimutab — Elimutab - Find the best learning tablets for children and students, including options for 1-year-olds, studying with pens, and work and study needs.
• OX Delivers — Our objective is to deliver affordable transport in emerging markets, creating a self-reinforcing cycle of economic growth and social impact. To achieve this, we are developing the world's first clean-transport ecosystem that combines goods shipment with financial, trading & marketing services. This OX ecosystem will be enabled by ourunique zero-emissions OX truck; the only purpose-designed electric vehicle for emerging markets.
• Rabbit — Transforming transportion in the region. Rabbit is a micro-mobility sharing platform for short-distance transportation using environmentally friendly vehicles.

Portfolio highlights

• Faro — Every garment deserves to be worn. Leveraging technology and a specialised supply chain, FARO enables brands to offload obsolete inventory through stores in non-core markets, ensuring complete traceability throughout the process.

Portfolio highlights

• Swype — Swype creates text input technology for screens. The patented interface enables users to create words with one continuous finger motion across an on-screen keyboard. This approach provides a faster and easier way to write. Swype delivers single-tap, multi-tap, predictive and "swype" motions for both stylus and finger based input.In addition, the application is designed to work across a variety of devices such as phones, tablets, game consoles, kiosks, televisions, virtual screens and more.Seattle based Swype Inc. was founded by Cliff Kushler and Randy Marsden in 2003. Cliff is the co-inventor of T9, the standard predictive text-entry solution used on almost 3 billion mobile phones worldwide. Randy is the developer of the onscreen keyboard included in Windows, with an installed base of over 500 million units
• PaxVax — PaxVax is a vaccine start-up company developing candidate oral vaccines for influenza, and key infectious diseases. It has developed a proprietary oral vaccine technology based on a common virus called adenovirus. The technology removes the delivery hurdles of traditional injectable vaccines, namely the need for cold storage, needles, andadministration by medical personnel.PaxVax was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
• Docusign — DocuSign ensures the security & mobility to digitally transform businesses. Sign docs for free.

Portfolio highlights

• Faro — Every garment deserves to be worn. Leveraging technology and a specialised supply chain, FARO enables brands to offload obsolete inventory through stores in non-core markets, ensuring complete traceability throughout the process.
• Tern Group — Tern Group is an AI Platform to hire and relocate top healthcare talents globally, faster and cheaper. TERN is a full-stack solution to source and relocate top-tier medical and engineering talent from India, North Africa, South Africa, and Central Asia and the approach ensures a seamless, ethical, and transparent migration process, drasticallycutting complexity and shaving costs for healthcare systems.
• Bamba — Today, organizations spend a lot of money on physical data gathering exercises using old-fashioned paper-based methods. These methods result in expensive, severely delayed and incomplete data . With Bamba, a client can launch a data collection exercise anywhere in the world simply from the comfort of their web browser and the client can ensureindividuals respond with complete answers by paying those individuals for that data with mobile airtime in 122 different countries thus far.

Portfolio highlights

• Kweza — Enjoy the Aviator game by Spribe on our website! Find the official version and top betting platforms with Aviator. Get a +120% Bonus and 250 Free Spins (FS) now!
• creditAIs — CreditAIs provides credit scoring tools for micro businesses and individuals that do not fit the existing traditional credit scoring models. It helps borrowers get credit while digitizing credit application processes for microlenders.
• SV Capital — SV Capital offers investors the opportunity to invest in alternative, real-backed assets on the African continent.

Portfolio highlights

• Faro — Every garment deserves to be worn. Leveraging technology and a specialised supply chain, FARO enables brands to offload obsolete inventory through stores in non-core markets, ensuring complete traceability throughout the process.

Portfolio highlights

• Ecodudu — Ecodudu is a waste-to-value company. It uses a proprietary innovation to recycle organic waste into high-protein animal feed and organic fertilizer using the black soldier fly. It harnesses insects (nature’s recycling agents) to address global issues which include waste management, demand for protein, and environmental conservation.
• Owoafara — Financial Technology providing access to loans, savings and insurance for the underbanked
• Shuttlers — Commute better with Shuttlers. Join 100k+ professionals using our safe, affordable bus sharing, vehicle rental, and employee transport services across Nigeria.

Portfolio highlights

• TUNL — Ship globally with ease. TUNL offers affordable, transparent international shipping built for South African brands. Up to 91% cheaper. No surprises.
• Marquee Group — Marquee Group is a sports management focused on Golf and train athletes to achieve goals.
• Right Now Response — The future of repairs starts soon. Counting down to smarter tracking in 2025! There are perks to working 24/7, 365 days a year... Like launching the future of repairs ahead of schedule!

Portfolio highlights

• Khoyn — Khoyn is adding a much needed layer to the development of Africa's digital trade ecosystem. It functions as a Social Point of Sale (sPOS) that allows new age businesses to advertise and sell products directly from within any chat app. We are pioneering a new space of seamless commerce transactions for emerging communities.

Portfolio highlights

• Bizloan — Bizloan provides financial support to micro, small and medium enterprises.
• Credright — Fast, unsecured and hassle free business loans for chit subscribers
• FinReach — FinReach Solutions is a company providing innovative credit guarantee programs to facilitate lending for underserved micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), particularly those lacking collateral or formal credit history. Their solution enables financial institutions to extend credit to entrepreneurs, including women-led businesses andclimate-focused ventures, by de-risking loans through guarantees and leveraging data-driven borrower risk assessment. FinReach aims to expand financial inclusion in India’s lower-tier regions, helping thousands of borrowers access formal finance through partnerships with development finance institutions and global impact investors.

Portfolio highlights

• Planet42 — Having your own car has never been easier. Planet42 is a vehicle rental company offering rent-to-buy car service for private clients.
• LifeCheq — LifeCheq partners with insurers and advisory firms to deliver AI-enabled distribution, boost adviser productivity, and transform how financial advice is delivered.
• SweepSouth — Book a home cleaning online from your mobile, tablet or computer. SweepSouth connects you with a cleaner in minutes. Cleaners are experienced, reliable, efficient and insured.