Shows
The Founder FilesThe Engineer Who Turned Beer into a Water Company – Stephen Walker, Ground 2 TapIn this episode of The Founder Files, we sit down with Stephen Walker, founder and CEO of Ground 2 Tap, the South African engineering company transforming how homes and industries access clean water.From brewing beer in his parents’ garage to building one of the country’s most trusted water-engineering brands, Stephen shares how he bootstrapped Ground 2 Tap from scratch, with no investors, no shortcuts, and a relentless focus on systems, people, and purpose.He opens up about early failures (and leaking pipes), designing his business to scale from day one, and why he believes real success isn’t measured by fun...
2025-11-041h 50
The Founder FilesThe Founder Who Sold Her House for 34 Tons of Salt - Samantha Skyring, Oryx Desert SaltHow do you scale a global brand without losing your purpose?In this episode of The Founder Files, we sit down with Samantha Skyring, founder and CEO of Oryx Desert Salt, the South African brand turning a natural Kalahari resource into an international success story. From selling her home and starting in a Wendy house to landing on shelves in Whole Foods USA, Samantha shares the deeply human story behind building a purpose-driven brand that refuses to compromise on integrity or sustainability.She opens...
2025-10-271h 31
The Founder FilesThe Butcher Who Wants You to Eat Less Meat - Andrew Nel, Frankie Fenner Meat MerchantsHow do you scale a business without selling out its soul?In this episode of The Founder Files, we sit down with Andrew Nel, co-owner of Frankie Fenner Meat Merchant, the Cape Town butchery redefining what ethical meat means in South Africa. From leaving a stable career in finance to leading one of the country’s most respected food brands, Andrew shares the raw realities of building a purpose-driven business in an industry known for its shortcuts.He opens up about how Frankie Fenner su...
2025-10-201h 29
The Founder FilesFrom South Africa to the World: How AURA Is Revolutionizing Emergency Response - Ryan Green, AURAWhat does it take to build a tech company that literally saves lives, and scale it from South Africa to the world?In this episode of The Founder Files, Cameron Coutts sits down with Ryan Green, Co-Founder and CPO of AURA, the emergency-response platform transforming how people access help anywhere, anytime.Ryan shares the story behind AURA’s rise from an idea inside a security company to a global safety platform trusted by insurers, banks, and e-hailing giants:• How AURA started by solving South Afri...
2025-10-131h 44
The Founder FilesHow Humanity SA Built a 7-Figure Business with Zero Experience - Shaun Raaff, Humanity SAWhat does it really take to build a business from nothing: no experience, no funding, and no plan, and still make it work?In this episode of The Founder Files, Cameron Coutts sits down with Shaun Raaff, the co-founder and CEO of Humanity SA, a people-first talent and consulting group that’s reshaping the way recruitment and employer branding is done in South Africa.Shaun shares the real story behind Humanity SA’s journey:How he went from PE teacher to entrepreneur with no business background.The eight year...
2025-10-061h 35
The Founder FilesLife After the Exit: Rebuilding, Reflecting, and Investing Smarter - Ariel Navarro, OneCartWhat really happens after you sell your company?In this episode of The Founder Files, Ariel Navarro (Past co-founder of OneCart, acquired by Massmart/Walmart) opens up about life after exiting his business: the highs, the lows, and the lessons he wishes every founder knew.We dive into the emotional rollercoaster of stepping away, the reality of burnout, the money mistakes no one talks about, and how Ariel is rebuilding his life and career with new clarity and purpose.If you’re an entrepreneur chasing an exit (or recovering from one), this conversation is...
2025-09-291h 22
The Founder FilesPowering Africa: How Open Access Is Scaling Clean Energy, James Irons - Open Access EnergyHow do you take a renewable energy startup and scale it into one of Africa’s leading clean power providers?In this episode of The Founder Files, we sit down with James Irons, as the past co-founder of SolarAfrica, how he grew it into one of SA’s leading energy players before exiting. From early struggles with cancelled projects to raising capital and powering mines, factories, and communities, James shares the behind-the-scenes journey of scaling a business at the heart of Africa’s energy future.We dive into: • Why Africa’s energy crisis is also its biggest opportunity • The challenges o...
2025-09-221h 51
The Founder FilesHow RIYP Became South Africa’s Fastest-Growing Exporter - Uzair Essack, RiypHow do you turn debt and risk into global growth?In this episode of The Founder Files, we sit down with Uzair Essack, founder of Riyp one of South Africa’s fastest-growing exporters in agriculture and logistics. From being a million rand in debt in his early 20s to building a business that ships fresh produce across the globe, Uzair shares the raw realities of scaling under pressure.He opens up about why he risked his last money to fly to Qatar in search of opportunity, how he reinvented the exporter–farmer model, and why he b...
2025-09-151h 43
The Founder FilesThe Family Business Brewing Change in Coffee - Daniel Pretorius & Lulu Larche, 4WKSHow do you build a coffee brand that blends sustainability, taste, and habit change?In this episode of The Founder Files, we sit down with Daniel and Lulu, co-founders of 4WKS, the coffee brand redefining convenience and sustainability. Built around the philosophy of “four weeks”, their pods are designed to fully break down in 28 days, align with the perfect window to enjoy coffee at peak flavor, and represent the time it takes to build a new habit.From tackling the waste problem in coffee culture to inspiring mindful consumption, Daniel and Lulu shar...
2025-09-081h 36
The Founder FilesReinventing Recruitment: How Wamly Built a Global Solution - Francois de Wet, WamlyHow do you turn a simple idea into a global HR solution?In this episode of The Founder Files, we sit down with Francois de Wet, founder of Wamly, an HR tech company transforming the way businesses hire. What started as a video interview platform has evolved into a full end-to-end hiring solution used in 147 countries.From navigating customer churn to learning the power of community-driven product building, Fran shares the real lessons behind scaling Wamly, co-creating with clients, and staying adaptable in a fast-changing market.We dive into:• How Wamly pi...
2025-09-011h 43
The Founder FilesFrom 1 Café to 12 Brands: The Story of No Name Hospitality - Ariel Segal, No Name Hospitality GroupHow do you build a hospitality group that reshapes an entire city?In this episode of The Founder Files, we sit down with Ariel Segal, co-founder of NoName Hospitality Group, the team behind some of Cape Town’s most exciting restaurant brands. Starting with Jared’s Espresso Bar, Ariel and his brother spotted a market gap inspired by Australia’s coffee and dining culture and went on to create 12 unique brands employing over 400 people.From tackling supply chain challenges to transforming Sea Point into a thriving culinary hub, Ariel shares the realities of building and scalin...
2025-08-251h 15
The Founder FilesFrom Burnout to Breakthrough - The Stories and Insights That Are Rarely PublicWhat really happens behind the scenes when building a business? In this episode of The Founder Files, we bring you a powerful montage of founders sharing raw, unfiltered stories about the highs and lows of entrepreneurship. From scaling companies to massive success, to hitting breaking points and redefining their purpose, these conversations reveal the real human side of building something from nothing. Through moments of vulnerability, resilience, and growth, these founders open up about the challenges that shaped them; from navigating burnout and personal sacrifice, to making bold hires and facing unexpected threats to their businesses.
2025-08-181h 23
The Founder FilesHow Plentify Is Solving Load Shedding With AI - Jon Kornik and Kailas Nair, PlentifyCan a smart geyser help fix Africa’s power grid?In this episode of The Founder Files, we sit down with Jon Kornik and Kailas Nair from Plentify, a climate-tech startup rethinking how everyday devices like geysers can stabilize energy supply across Africa.From load shedding challenges to global partnerships, Plentify is on a mission to use AI, behavioral science, and demand management to transform how we power our homes. Jon and Kailas open up about the complexity of building hardware and software solutions in emerging markets, and what it takes to make climate impact commercially viable.We dive in...
2025-08-111h 30
The Founder FilesWhy Xero Acquired This South African StartupWhat does it take to build a product that fits so well, it practically sells itself to users and acquirers alike?In this episode of The Founder Files, we sit down with Vangelis Kyriazis, CEO and co-founder of Syft, a financial reporting platform that was ultimately acquired by Xero.From side hustle beginnings to global acquisition, Vangelis shares how deep product understanding, team trust, and client-centric thinking helped Syft scale, and why staying simple was their greatest strength.We dive into:• Building a product that complemented Xero perfectly• Leading through uncertainty during acquisition• Creating internal systems that scale with your t...
2025-08-041h 47
The Founder FilesHow This Founder is Redefining Health With AICan AI actually help us prevent burnout, before it starts?In this episode of The Founder Files, we sit down with Chris Bruchhausen, founder of Strove, a startup redefining preventative health through cutting-edge AI.From elite sports science to employee wellness, Strove is on a mission to improve performance by helping people feel better—before they crash. Chris shares how they built their early team, how they think about strategic partnerships, and why hiring the right people is more important than ever.We dive into:• Using AI to improve mental and physical health• Why preventative care beats crisis mode• Hiring A...
2025-07-281h 29
The Founder FilesTeam First: How Great Founders Build Strong StructuresEveryone talks about building a great team, but what does it actually take to lead one?In this special montage episode, we unpack the real, unfiltered experiences of founders as they scale from solo operators to structured leadership teams. From replacing "founding family" with professionals, to managing complexity with just 50 people, to figuring out how big your team really needs to be; this one is packed with practical wisdom.We dive into:• Managing operational chaos with lean teams• Hiring and retaining A-players• Elevating leadership without losing control• Compensating and keeping global talent• Rethinking team size and what scale really meansThis...
2025-07-1455 min
The Founder FilesWhy Saying No Helped Them Scale From Freelancers to Global Clients - Angelo Zanetti, ElementalIn this episode of The Founder Files, we’re joined by Angelo Zanetti, co-founder of Elemental, a custom software development agency that’s quietly grown into a global force serving clients across South Africa, Europe, and the UK.Angelo takes us through the 20-year journey from two self-taught devs to a 25-person team, navigating everything from messy pivots to failed products and bold repositioning. But beneath the surface is a rare founder philosophy: simplify complexity, serve with excellence, and grow by focus; not by fluff.We dive into:• How Elemental grew from freelancers to a full agency• Their bold move fro...
2025-07-071h 28
The Founder FilesThe Startup Lending Millions Without Raising More Equity - Daniel Goldberg, BridgementIn this episode of The Founder Files, we sit down with Daniel Goldberg, founder of Bridgement, the fintech startup that’s quietly funded over R2 billion to SMEs across South Africa.Bridgement isn’t just another lending platform. They’ve raised once, scaled sustainably, and built powerful partnerships with banks and asset managers without chasing flashy VC rounds. But what does it really take to grow a capital intensive fintech in one of the toughest markets in the world?We go deep into:•Building a scalable fintech with just one equity round•How to raise debt smartly without giving up control...
2025-06-301h 22
The Founder FilesBehind the Deal: The Founder’s Guide to Buying and Selling BusinessesEveryone loves a big acquisition headline—but what happens behind the scenes?This episode reveals the deals, doubts, and decisions founders don’t usually talk about.----------00:00 Introduction01:50 Mike Scott, SMB Mastery21:58 Patrick Rogers, Clara26:51 Simon Hartley, Wumdrop31:24 Greg Smith, Dis-chem Life43:43 Sean Sanders, Altify----------This episode is brought to you by Metavolve.Metavolve is a team of focused experts committed to helping entrepreneurs like you scale their businesses successfully. Reach out to our team to learn more: https://metavolve.co/To support The Founder Files:🔔 Subscribe and turn post notifications on⭐ Leave a comment to let us know your thoughts💭...
2025-06-2354 min
The Founder FilesFrom Collapse to Comeback: The Altify Story - Sean Sanders, AltifyIn this powerful episode, Sean Sanders—founder of Revix and now Altify—opens up about navigating one of the most intense crises a startup can face: losing customer funds after a major crypto collapse.We follow the rollercoaster journey that led to a high-stakes merger, a full rebrand, and a reimagined mission to democratize access to private markets.We go deep into:•How to lead during a trust-breaking crisis•What true accountability looks like in leadership•Navigating the emotional toll of a startup failure•Merging companies under pressure•Reinventing your identity as a founderThis episode is a masterclass in grit, resilien...
2025-06-161h 30
The Founder FilesThe Truth About Start Up Growth No One Tells You About-Tinashe Ruzane, FlexClubTinashe reveals what it really takes to build and sustain a startup in Africa—where capital is scarce, exits are rare, and profitability is everything. From walking away from a high-growth but unsustainable model, to forming game-changing partnerships with local giants. This episode is a gold mine of:-strategy-mindset-realism It’s about building businesses that last—not just ones that look good on pitch decks.---------- Book a curiosity call with Cameron: https://www.metavolve.co/curiosity-callThis episode is brought to you by Metavolve.Metavolve is a team of focused experts committed to helping entrepreneurs like you scale their busine...
2025-06-101h 47
The Founder FilesHow Jem Built Financial Wellness Into Payroll and Why Banks Should be Worried - Simon Ellis, Jem HRIn this round-two episode, we’re joined again by Simon Ellis, co-founder of Jem HR, to unpack how the company is making big strides in delivering HR and employee benefits to thousands of employees across South Africa.Since our last chat, Jem has refined its product, redefined its positioning, and raised significant funding. But what does that process actually feel like as a founder?We go deep into:- What achieving product-market fit actually takes- How to communicate change when your vision moves faster than your team- The challenges of balancing innovation vs. focus with a co-founder- Structuring your bu...
2025-06-021h 33
The Founder FilesPivoting from Hyper Growth to Stability - Peter and Simon Magner, IridiumIn this episode, we reunite with Simon and Peter from Iridium, two years and 100+ episodes after their first TFF episode.Since then, their accounting business has scaled from 17 to 60+ people across multiple divisions—automation, advisory, and accounting.But here's the twist: after years of hyperscaling, they’re now shifting gears to focus on operational stability, refining systems, and removing themselves as bottlenecks.We unpack how they’re building a business that can scale without them—and why that’s the true mark of success.---------- Book a curiosity call with Camer...
2025-05-261h 34
The Founder FilesThe Brutal Truth About How To Build and Scale a Business - Daniel Novitzkas, SpecnoDaniel Novitzkas returns to The Founder Files to unpack how Specno scaled from a two-man startup to building over 200 ventures.We go deep on Daniel’s brutally honest approach to product-market fit, why early-stage startups need to stop chasing perfection, and how to validate real solutions with paying customers from day one. Daniel also breaks down Specno’s three business units—from venture building, to corporate innovation, to scaling global talent.This episode is packed with hard-won insight on building tech startups, thinking like a founder, and why talking to users is still the most underrated move in tech....
2025-05-121h 46
The Founder FilesThe Secret to Building a World-Class Sales Engine - Phillip Tillman, KonsiseIn this episode, I sit down with Phillip Tillman, founder of SurTech and Konsise, to explore the real-world challenges of building and scaling software businesses in the African market.We unpack the founding story of SurTech, a specialist distribution business in the SaaS space, and dive deep into what it takes to build a high-performance sales function from the ground up.Phillip shares practical insights on:- The power of cold calling and why rainmakers still matter- How to cultivate strong salespeople and structure a sales engine that scales- Understanding the customer buying cycle and aligning your team around...
2025-05-051h 45
The Founder FilesHe Cracked Last-Mile Delivery in South Africa’s Toughest Markets - Godiragetse, Delivery Ka SpeedIn this episode, I sit down with Godiragetse, founder and CEO of Delivery Ka Speed, to explore how he’s building one of South Africa’s most exciting township logistics businesses.What started with bicycles and WhatsApp has grown into a company now partnered with global giants like Alibaba, Temu, and Shein, delivering across four provinces—and aiming to go national.We dive into how Godi pivoted from food delivery to logistics, broke even in just three months, and tackled the challenge of managing customer complexity while scaling fast.
2025-04-281h 09
The Founder FilesHow He Built a Business That Actually Helps the Planet - Jasper Eales, SealandIn this episode, I sit down with Jasper Eales — co-founder and creative director of Sealand Gear — to unpack the journey of one of South Africa’s most iconic sustainable brands.Sealand Gear is a proudly local business based in Cape Town, known for its world-class upcycled bags, apparel, and accessories. But behind the brand is a powerful story of resilience, purpose, and a deep commitment to sustainability.We dive into:- What it really means to build a sustainable business- How Sealand secured global certifications (after a 6-year process!)- The tough realities of scaling production while staying true to you...
2025-04-211h 40
The Founder FilesThe Truth Behind Building a Business in South Africa’s Townships - Jessica Boonstra, Yebo FreshIn this episode, I sit down with Jessica Boonstra — founder and CEO of Yebo Fresh — for a powerful conversation about leadership, resilience, and what it really takes to build a business in South Africa.Yebo Fresh’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary: from a small B2C e-commerce startup before COVID, to pivoting overnight into emergency meal delivery with NGOs, and eventually emerging as a key player in the township spaza shop economy. Now acquired by the Smollan Group, Jessica and her team are scaling at an entirely new level.We talk about what it’s l...
2025-04-141h 36
The Founder FilesThe Secret to Creating Unforgettable Customer Experiences in the Digital Age - Yaron Assabi, DSGYaron Assabi, founder and CEO of Digital Solutions Group (DSG), has spent 27 years evolving his business from one of South Africa’s first e-commerce players during the dot-com boom into a group of companies that power customer experiences for major retailers.Yaron shares his journey from running a single business unit to leading multiple companies with CEOs reporting to him. He breaks down what it takes to create a truly data-driven, customer-centric business, how to gather and act on feedback, and how to build a system where anyone in the company can manage a customer relationship from a...
2025-04-071h 28
The Founder FilesMaking Life Cover Fast, Affordable, & Scalable With AI - Greg Smith, Dis-Chem LifeIn this episode of The Founder Files, we sit down with Greg Smith, the co-founder and CEO of Onespark, now known as Dis-Chem Life. Greg takes us through the journey of building one of South Africa’s most disruptive insurtechs, and the exciting partnership and 50% acquisition by Dis-Chem.We also discuss scaling, how founders become bottlenecks, and how Greg shifted to "founder mode" to unblock his team. Greg highlights the challenges of maintaining quality and culture during rapid growth and the strategic value of the Dis-Chem partnership in accelerating su...
2025-03-311h 40
The Founder FilesHow to Scale an Agency That Can Say NO to Clients - Felix Norton, Woww DigitalFelix Norton is the founder and MD of Woww Digital, one of SA’s award-winning marketing agencies. With 40 people across SA, Europe, and the UK, Felix shares how they’ve scaled, niched down, and built a sales process that converts — achieving a 33% website conversion rate!We dive into how Woww stands out in a saturated market, the lessons from working with a sales coach for 2.5 years, and how they’re scaling using the Traction framework.This episode is a must-watch for agency owners and founders looking to grow smarter.----------
2025-03-241h 34
The Founder FilesHow I Turn Market Crashes & Industry Shifts Into Growth Opportunities - Nick Durrant, BluegrassIn this episode, I sit down with Nick Durrant, founder and CEO of Bluegrass Digital—a Cape Town-based software development firm that started in London 23 years ago. With two decades of entrepreneurial experience, Nick has navigated market shifts, economic crises, and industry disruptions while growing and scaling his businesses.We dive into:- How his side project became one of South Africa’s top 5 publications- Adapting to major economic crises like 2008, COVID, and now AI- Evolving sales models and forging strategic channel partnerships- Lessons from decades of resilience, reinvention, and growthIf you want to learn how to adapt, pivot, and...
2025-03-171h 34
The Founder FilesWhy is Entrepreneurship in South Africa So Challenging? - Katlego Maphai, YocoWhat an honour to sit down with a South African fintech, whose hardware most of us have already been in contact with.Katlego Maphai is the CEO and co-founder of Yoco, the market leader for SMB payments in South Africa.Expect to learn:What Yoco doesKatelgo’s insights on the structural and systemic issues preventing entrepreneurs from succeeding in this countryWhat he is optimistic about in South AfricaHow he guides the sense of purpose, meaning and contribution into the values and culture of the companyWhen you should formalise your approach to strategyHow Katlego’s busi...
2025-03-101h 49
The Founder FilesFrom Losing 95% of Revenue to Scaling a Successful Fintech - Chris Ball, Finch TechnologiesEvery founder who’s scaled beyond product-market fit knows the challenge: where do we focus our attention next?In this episode, I sit down with Chris Ball, co-founder of Finch Tech, to unpack how his team is navigating this exact question.We dive into how Finch scaled their products and built their business model, the tough decisions around which growth strategies to pursue, how Chris and his co-founders protect their team from the noise and the biggest challenges they're facing right now in their growth journey.This conversation is a must-listen for anyone fa...
2025-03-031h 29
The Founder FilesPineapple's Genius Strategy to Disrupt The Insurance Industry - Ndabenhle Ngulube, PineapplePineapple Insurance has taken the South African insurtech space by storm, and today, we’re diving deep into their journey with co-founder Ndabenhle Ngulube.From their viral marketing campaigns to their unconventional branding strategies, we explore how Pineapple carved out a unique position in the market. Ndabenhle shares insights into their customer segmentation, growth strategy, and the genius behind their long-term vision.We also break down how they scaled to a 215-person team, the evolution of their company structure, and how they use OKRs to drive execution across all levels. Plus, the challenges of building a...
2025-02-241h 38
The Founder FilesDisrupting The Telco Oligopoly - Calvin Collett, Melon MobileWe all love a good disruptor who shakes things up in an industry dominated by a few big players.Meet Calvin Collett, the CEO and founder of Melon Mobile. You might not have heard of Melon Mobile yet, but they’re about to make a big splash in the telecommunications industry.In just 18 months, Calvin went from having no employees to a team of 47 people! That’s incredible, especially in a highly competitive and established industry.We’ll dive into how he did it, talk about his sales and marketing strategies, and how he prioritised them in his business, as wel...
2025-02-171h 39
The Founder FilesScaling a High-Volume, High-Impact Fintech Business - Mark Collie, AirvantageIn this episode, we chat with Mark Collie, the co-founder of Airvantage.Expect to learn what they were able to unlock with alternative credit scoring with mobile network operators and their consumers, how to run effective exco & management meetings, how to build a high-performance culture with almost zero employee turnover and more!We also get into a macro-level view of Africa’s digital & financial evolution, organizational design, strategy, and execution management.This episode is filled with practical insights that any founder can use. Enjoy!...
2025-02-101h 27
The Founder FilesHow to Build an Authentic Brand That Scales - Nic Eve & Marcel Hattingh, Donkey Long TongIn this episode, we dive into the story of Donkey Long Tong, a uniquely South African business founded by Marcel Hattingh and Nic Eve.
Donkey Long Tong manufactures long braai tongs and they’ve scaled into the US, UK, Canada and Australia!
We get into how they’ve got their brand and marketing right to leverage word of mouth at scale and protect their brand.
We also talk about how they’ve achieved a lean manufacturing process and smooth operations, and how they’ve developed a strong culture where their employees take ownership of their work.
In between all that, so...
2025-02-031h 56
The Founder FilesHow to Properly Navigate Leadership Handovers - Nemanja Stabic & Dawie de Klerk, DigiataEvery business eventually reaches a pivotal moment: transitioning away from being heavily dependent on its founders. This phase often involves leadership handovers, which can be both challenging and transformative.
In this episode, we dive into this very process with Digiata, where Nemanja, the new CEO, joins us alongside Dawie, the co-founder and former Managing Director.
Together, they share how they've successfully navigated this transition, from restructuring the organization and redefining decision-making processes to maintaining and evolving the company's culture. We also explore the dynamics between the CEO's vision and the founder's original vision for the business.
This insightful conversation...
2025-01-271h 33
The Founder FilesHow Two Entrepreneurs are Bringing Connectivity to Millions - Calvin Le Mottée & Wesley Dorning, SebenzaSebenza is making it possible for commuters to get free wifi in taxis and busses, in exchange for interacting with their platform. Whether that’s watching an ad, playing a game, or filling out a survey, users get rewards Sebenza bucks which they can they use to access the wifi in these vehicles.
In this episode, we chat with Calvin Le Mottée and Wesley Dorning, the co-founders of Sebenza.
Expect to learn:
- How they were able to find the fit in the mar...
2025-01-131h 30
The Founder FilesPioneering Earned Wage Access in South Africa - paymenowWelcome to the first episode of The Founder Files where we have 4 guests at once!
Today we get insights from the founders of paymenow, a fintech that has pioneered earned wage access in South Africa.
Learn how they chose private equity over VC to secure the right investor, hit key milestones for early profitability, and simplified an incredibly complex product to unlock growth.
We also dive into hard lessons from geographical expansion and how they turned mistakes into a scalable model.
This episode is packed with insights on scaling smarter, staying lean, and building for success.
2025-01-061h 42
The Founder FilesBiggest Challenges and Successes From South African EntrepreneursThe last season of The Founder Files has seen some amazing success stories, but behind every success are the many challenges you often don’t hear about.
In this special montage episode, we highlight some of the biggest challenges and successes, and the lessons we can take away from them.
Sit tight and enjoy the last episode of 2024!
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This episode is brought to you by Metavolve.
Metavolve turns highly capable African founders into confident business leaders by helping them develop clear and comprehensive business strategies that ma...
2024-12-3051 min
The Founder FilesMoments That Blew Us Away - The Founder Files HighlightsOver the past episodes of The Founder Files, we've been inspired, amazed, and completely blown away by the stories and insights from some of the brightest entrepreneurial minds in South Africa.
This special montage brings together the most jaw-dropping, game-changing, and unforgettable moments from our podcast.
From Melvyn Lubegas's unique approach to B2B outreach that always gets a response, to Daniel Guasco going from 0 to exit in 156 days.
This is sure to be an entertaining episode filled with the most awesome things we've heard this year.
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This...
2024-12-2359 min
The Founder FilesScaling a Non-profit Organisation - Tracey Chambers, Taking Care of BusinessToday we're doing something different as we hear from a non-profit organisation for the first time on the podcast.
In this episode, we chat with Tracey Chambers, the co-founder and CEO of Taking Care of Business. TCB helps families escape the cycle of poverty by equipping unemployed and aspiring entrepreneurs with the skills and resources they need to unlock their full potential.
We get into the philosophy of why Tracey left her corporate job to start an NPO, and why you would start something where you’re helping other pe...
2024-12-161h 36
The Founder FilesBootstrapped to R2 Billion and Disrupting Banking Oligopolies - Harry Scherzer, Future ForexWelcome to the 100th episode of The Founder Files!
It’s amazing to hit this century milestone and we’re excited to keep releasing more episodes and providing valuable conversations.
Harry Scherzer, CEO and co-founder of Future Forex, joins us today to talk about his company which has grown to almost 100 people in just 4 years, processes R2 billion in transactions a month and is completely bootstrapped.
In this conversation, we cover:
- How have they managed to grow something so quickly out of the gate?
- How their focus on customer service and experience has helped them stand out in t...
2024-12-091h 22
The Founder FilesThe Distributor Behind The World's Biggest Brands - Jan Parmentier, Supernova BrandsWhat does it take to become a trusted supplier for the world’s biggest brands and retailers?
In this episode, we sit down with Jan Parmentier, CEO and co-founder of Supernova Brands, a value-added distributor that supplies nearly all South Africa’s big retail chains.
With over 1,500 products in circulation, Jan has spent the past decade building a deep understanding of the import/export industry. Now, they’re expanding into six Southern African countries while navigating the complexities of supply chain operations and market dynamics.
Jan shares the challenges of shaping a strong company identity, the pivotal rebrand that unlock...
2024-12-021h 38
The Founder FilesRapid Scaling South Africa’s Largest D2C Solar Provider - Andrew Middleton, GoSolrIn just 3 years, GoSolr became the biggest direct-to-consumer solar provider in South Africa and has invested billions into rooftop residential solar.
Today, we have the privilege of hearing from Andrew Middleton, the CEO and co-founder of GoSolr. He'll share insights on how they've achieved their remarkable success and the key lessons he's learned along the way.
We discuss the surge in demand during South Africa's worst load-shedding period and how the company had to pivot its sales approach as urgency declined.
We explore the challenges of fundraising for a business with high-cost inventory—an intriguing conversation, given Andrew's background in...
2024-11-251h 34
The Founder FilesScaling Africa's Largest Click and Collect Network - Lars Veul, PargoOnline shoppers, stores and retail companies all love Pargo, a South African logistics company transforming the e-commerce landscape with over 4000 pickup points in South Africa and a recent 500 more in Egypt.
Today we are joined by Lars Veul, the co-founder and CEO of this rapidly growing business.
Lars shares Pargo's journey—from founding to scaling—offering insights into their successes and missteps along the way.
We explore how the Pargo team initially lost focus by trying to tackle new problems that customers brought to them. Lars explains how this shift impacted the business and, despite a financial setback, why they...
2024-11-181h 19
The Founder FilesTop 6 Mindset Shifts From Africa’s Top FoundersAn important part of entrepreneurship that many founders overlook is mindset. So for this episode, we’ve compiled our favourite mindset shift insights and shares from this season so far.
If you found any of these insights valuable, be sure to watch the full episodes:
1. Grant Friedman, Africrest Properties: https://youtu.be/ywQSWiXQb74
2. Simon Hartley, WumDrop: https://youtu.be/q8wV9qxFqFA
3. Matt Putman, iKhokha: https://youtu.be/K5fOq9Agg_U
4. Justin Drennan, Parcelninja: https://youtu.be/5BS8itb9yUE
5. Mike Scott, NONA: https://youtu.be/-ehxp0ycjWo
6. Emilian Popa, Ilara Health: https://youtu.be/dlQH3ffwj2M...
2024-11-1153 min
The Founder FilesBuilding One of SA’s Most Successful Fintech’s - Matt Putman, iKhokhaToday I’m joined by Matt Putman, CEO and co-founder of iKhokha, one of South Africa’s most inspiring FinTech success stories.
We kick things off by exploring how iKhokha pivoted from hardware to software, which led to a defining shift in product-market fit and reshaped the company’s future. From there, we cover the complexities of scaling, from attracting talent to raising investment—especially as a Durban-based business outside the major tech hubs.
Matt also opens up about his own leadership evolution, the mindset shifts he’s had to embrace, and how he now approaches organizational design. Whether it's trans...
2024-11-041h 44
The Founder FilesGrowth Through Passion, Serendipity, and Innovation - Paul Raphaely, NOMUIn this episode, we sit down with Paul Raphaely, the co-founder and CEO of Nomu, South Africa’s celebrated food brand known for its premium spices, skinny hot chocolate, and more.
From launching the brand with just 12,000 Rand to exporting to over 30 countries, Paul shares the unfiltered story of how Nomu grew from a small kitchen project into a household name.
Discover how Paul and his wife, Tracy, turned countless challenges—including economic crises and the demands of scaling—to their advantage through relentless innovation, self-belief, and a dose of serendipity.
This is a must...
2024-10-281h 29
The Founder FilesEmpowering Healthcare Providers Across Africa - Emilian Popa, Ilara HealthIn this episode, we sit down with Emilian Popa, co-founder of Ilara Health, to explore how he's tackling one of Africa’s biggest challenges—access to quality healthcare.
Emilian shares his journey of providing essential diagnostic tools, pharmaceuticals, and practice management software to small informal and formal clinics in Africa.
We discuss the complexities of growing a healthcare business in fragmented markets, finding product-market fit across different aspects of the business, and how technology is reshaping healthcare in underserved regions.
We dive into building a strong management team and trust in leadership and Emilian also opens up about his pers...
2024-10-211h 38
The Founder FilesScaling One of South Africa's Biggest E-Commerce Exits - Justin Drennan, ParcelninjaLogistics is often the least exciting aspect of e-commerce. That’s where Parcel Ninja comes in, taking care of all the logistical hassles for e-commerce businesses.
By providing top-notch logistics services, Parcel Ninja empowers small to medium-sized e-commerce players to have the same logistics capability as the largest players in South Africa.
In today’s episode, we dive deep into the success story of Parcel Ninja with co-founder and former CEO Justin Drennan.
We begin by discussing the autonomy and freedom Justin enjoys post-exit and what that means for entrepreneurs. He shares insights on h...
2024-10-141h 45
The Founder FilesBuilding and Scaling Africa's Largest Last Mile Delivery Service - Simon Hartley, WumdropIn this episode, we get to chat with Simon Hartley, the founder of WumDrop, which is Africa's largest last-mile on-demand delivery service.
Simon shares his incredible journey from launching a B2C retail business to pivoting into the B2B delivery space, unlocking product-market fit and scaling to success.
We dive into the challenges of growing a logistics business, raising funds, investing in technology, and dealing with the pressures of scaling—while managing the constant threat of burnout.
Simon also shares insights about WumDrop’s acquisition by MassMart in 2021 and what it’s been like navigating a three-year earnout period...
2024-10-072h 17
The Founder FilesUnlocking Growth for SMEs - Dov Girnun and Daniel Moritz, Merchant Capital SAMerchant Capital is South Africa's leading non-bank alternative lender for SMEs. In this episode, we discover how they grew from zero to 10 billion rand in loans for their clients over the past 12 years.
You'll learn how they initially financed this venture, scaled the business through partnerships, invested in hiring the country's top CTO, and successfully navigated a culture shift.
We also get insights into their innovative business model and product, explore the challenges they faced, and discuss hiring and culture strategies you can apply to your own business.
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This episode is brought to you...
2024-09-301h 40
The Founder FilesScaling Efficiently, Building Systems and Hiring a Management Team - Cheri Afonso, HouseHoppersIn this episode of The Founder Files, we dive deep into the scaling journey with Cheri Afonso, the CEO and co-founder of HouseHoppers—a relocation concierge business that's revolutionising the moving industry.
Cheri shares her powerful story of building a business that thrives on operational excellence. From restructuring her role as CEO to managing branches across multiple geographies, Cheri takes us through her journey of mastering processes, building a management team, and ensuring customer satisfaction—while navigating the complexities of logistics.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
- How HouseHoppers revolutionised industry standards and achieved product-market fit
- The ke...
2024-09-231h 28
The Founder FilesZulzi’s Secrets to Rapid Growth and Quick Delivery - Donald Valoyi, ZulziImagine ordering groceries and getting them delivered in 15 minutes. Well, Zulzi does just that!
In this episode, we dive deep with Donald Valoyi, the founder and CEO who's turning the retail world on its head. You'll discover:
- The secret sauce behind Zulzi's lightning-fast 15-minute deliveries
- How Valoyi navigated hypergrowth and cash flow challenges
- The game-changing strategies that keep customers coming back for more
- Insider tips on staying ahead in a cutthroat market
- The bold move that gave Zulzi total control over its supply chain
In between all of that, we hear about the challenges...
2024-09-161h 44
The Founder FilesScaling a Property Business from Scratch - Greg Blend & Grant Friedman, Africrest PropertiesIn this episode of The Founder Files, we chat with Greg Blend and Grant Friedman from Africrest. From starting with nothing but ambition and a few naive assumptions, they scaled their property business to managing over 3.3 billion rand in assets!
We delve into how they managed to scale their business without initial capital.
We also explore their unique approach to sourcing feedback from tenants and customers at scale, ensuring that property improvements are based on tenant input and preferences.
Additionally, they share insights on building robust systems during rapid expansion and scaling their...
2024-09-091h 31
The Founder FilesLessons From Years Of Success & Failure - Daniel Guasco, Team Africa VenturesIn this unique episode, we dive into the highs and lows of a seasoned entrepreneur, Daniel Guasco.
Best known as the co-founder and co-CEO of Groupon South Africa, Hyperli, and Team Africa Ventures, Daniel has also made his mark as the founder of Click2Sure and an investor in many businesses.
In this episode we get into his first major high and low, going from having one of South Africa’s most successful Steers franchises to losing everything, and how he recovered.
He tells the story of how he went from start to ex...
2024-09-021h 47
The Founder FilesBuilding a Fintech for Financial Inclusion - Thomas Brennan, FrancOnly 7% of South Africans invest, but Franc is on a mission to change that. In this episode, we dive deep with Thomas Brennan, the co-founder and CEO of Franc, an investment marketplace that's making it easier than ever for South Africans to grow their wealth.
Join us as we explore how Franc cracked the code to product-market fit in a market where investing is rare. Thomas shares insider insights on customer acquisition, scaling strategies, and what it took for Franc to become a standout success.
We also uncover how Franc fosters a culture of innovation...
2024-08-261h 35
The Founder FilesScaling A Cybersecurity Company Worldwide - Sam Hutchinson, SendmarcSendmarc solves a problem that every single business faces; email security. In this episode I sit down with the co-founder and CEO, Sam Hutchinson.
Sam has been an entrepreneur since the age of 16. He successfully exited an email marketing company, and his experience there allowed him to start Sendmarc.
Sam shares how he built out the sales function of the business, his honest accounts of scaling internationally and the struggles they've faced, how to target the right partnerships and how he is still learning about his channel and distribution partners.
Whether you're a...
2024-08-191h 32
The Founder FilesTop 5 Growth Lessons From Africa's Top FoundersWe understand that a 2-hour podcast can be a lot of content to consume. So today, we have a special episode highlighting our favourite lessons from Africa's top founders about scaling and growth.
If you found any of these clips valuable, be sure to watch the full episodes!
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This episode is brought to you by Metavolve.
Metavolve turns highly capable African founders into confident business leaders by helping them develop clear and comprehensive business strategies that make building a great sustainable business less complex. Reach out to...
2024-08-1255 min
The Founder FilesVC Strategies & Startup Growth in Africa - Bongani Sithole, Founders Factory AfricaIn this episode of The Founder Files, we sit down with Bongani Sithole, the Co-founder and CEO of Founders Factory Africa (FFA). As one of the largest early-stage investors on the African continent, FFA has made significant strides, investing in over 70 startups in under six years.
Bongani shares the innovative approach that sets FFA apart from traditional venture capital firms. Instead of relying on the conventional LP model, FFA used corporate partnerships for their capital.
We delve into the state of early-stage investment in Africa, exploring the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Gain a deep understanding of how Bongani scaled...
2024-08-051h 19
The Founder FilesDeep Dive Into Venture Capital & What It Takes To Succeed - Clive Butkow, Conducive CapitalThis is an exciting episode, because I had the opportunity of hosting one of South Africa’s most esteemed venture capitalist, Clive Butkow. Clive is the ex-founder and CEO of Kalon Venture Partners, which he left to Start Conducive Capital. He is an expert in building, scaling and investing in businesses, and he has a Silicon Valley exit, a VC firm and more than 10 highly successful startups under his belt!
In this episode, we dive deep into the world of venture capital. We discuss the industry and business model of VC, how it operates, what VCs need to succeed, an...
2024-07-291h 34
The Founder FilesTransforming Enterprise Payment Systems - Nolan Daniel & Shadab Rahil, Payment24Payment24 is a fintech SAAS business that services the oil & gas industry. Their growth has been impressive and they currently operate in 20 countries, across 4 continents. I got the pleasure of talking with the co-founders Nolan Daniel and Shadab Rahil.
Shadab and Nolan started out with a “if they buy it, we’ll build it” mindset but after some time they integrated all the separate products they built into one modularised product. They take us through the transition from being development driven to product driven.
We hear the story of how Standard Bank acquired 40 percent of the company and what that u...
2024-07-221h 32
The Founder FilesUnlocking Entrepreneurial Success - Allon Raiz, RaizcorpGet ready to learn from an extremely accomplished entrepreneur who is in the business of building successful businesses. Allon Raiz is the founder and CEO of Raizcorp, an incubator that is focused of growing entrepreneurs in all life cycle stages, they offer programs from pre-entrepreneurial education right through to scaling.
In this episode we get into why Raizcorp has been labelled the only genuine incubator in Africa by The Economist and what they do different to other incubators, with some talk about the industry as a whole.
You get to hear Allon's approach to building...
2024-07-151h 40
The Founder FilesBuilding A Business With Social Impact - Jonathan Berkowitz and Elan Band, Motion AdsWhen social impact meets entrepreneurship, you get something beautiful. Motion Ads has done just that.
This week Jon Berkowitz and Elan Band join me to share insights about their business, that provides delivery drivers with extra income by turning them into moving billboards.
We talk about the struggles in starting a business around a concept that didn’t exist before and the challenges in building trust with drivers and brands. We also cover their 0 - 1 journey, and how they almost went bankrupt but secured an enterprise client just in time!
Get behind the sc...
2024-07-081h 54
The Founder FilesScaling A South African FinTech Company - Thomas Pays, OzowAre you working hard enough? A question this episode is guaranteed to make you ask yourself!
It's an honour to welcome Thomas Pays. Thomas is the co-founder of Ozow, the South African market leader for account to account transactions.
Thomas takes us through the founding story of Ozow and the dark times he endured in the first 2 years. Although he thinks the company is still in infancy, he highlights the companies impressive growth to an 8 figure monthly revenue, but also how far they still have to go.
Find out how people and culture has played a significant role in...
2024-07-011h 38
The Founder FilesHow To Build A Billion Rand/Year E-commerce Business - Luke Jedeikin & Claude Hanan, BashThis week, we are thrilled to welcome, Luke Jedeikin and Claude Hanan, the founders of Superbalist and Bash, two extremely well known South African e-commerce businesses.
They take us through the journey of Superbalist, discussing its inception, growth to an impressive 1 billion rand per year, and eventual exit.
We also delve into the personal challenges they faced when they left a high-performing business just as hard lockdown began, leaving them with little to do, and how the situation forced them to confront their identities.
They take us through the genius strategy of Bash...
2024-06-242h 05
The Founder FilesY Combinator, B2B Sales & Strategic Partnerships - Melvyn Lubega, GO1This week we welcome Melvyn Lubega, Co-Founder of go1, an L&D business valued at over 2 billion dollars!
We begin by exploring Melvyn's journey, delving into the source of his strong drive and ambition. We then talk about his experience at Y Combinator, one of Silicon Valley's top accelerators.
Throughout this episode, Melvyn offers valuable insights on B2B sales, the importance of growth through partnerships, and finding the balance between product-driven and sales-driven growth.
This episode, packed with essential topics for any B2B business, is one you won't want to miss.
2024-06-171h 51
The Founder FilesSimplifying Legal Complexities for Startups - Patrick Rogers, ClaraEver been frustrated with the complexities of legal tasks in your startup? This episode is for you.
This week we welcome Patrick Rogers, co-founder and CEO of Clara, who is transforming legal services for startups.
Patrick’s journey from corporate lawyer to startup founder highlights the need for accessible legal solutions tailored for venture-backed businesses.
While sharing how Clara went from an idea to a global enterprise, Patrick discusses why founders should deeply care about the problems they aim to solve and make transparency with customers a fundamental principle.
The episode al...
2024-06-101h 38
The Founder FilesFundraising and Scaling a SaaS Business - Christiaan van den Berg, JOBJACKA lot has changed since we last had Christiaan van den Berg from JOBJACK on the podcast! In this episode, Christiaan returns to share their impressive journey from pre-product market fit to scaling a successful SaaS business.
In just a year, JOBJACK, now a leading recruitment platform in South Africa, has attracted over 3 million users, raised significant funding, and doubled their team.
To understand how they did it, we get into:
How JobJack found their traction and selected winning markets.
The secrets behind creating a great user experience.
Identifying repeatable value propositions for sustainable...
2024-05-271h 47
The Founder FilesInvesting in Consumer Brands with Purpose - Paul Cook, Silvertree BrandsIn this episode, we welcome Paul Cook, the co-founder and managing director of Silvertree Brands. Join Cameron as he dives into Paul's incredible journey of building not just one, but a portfolio of purpose-driven, direct-to-consumer, and niche e-commerce businesses.
Listen as they discuss:
The innovative strategies behind Silvertree Brands' growth and portfolio selection
Lessons learned from good and bad business models
The critical importance of customer experience in scaling a business
Transitions founders face when merging with larger groups
The founder to CEO journey and founder exits
Tune in for an engaging and insightful conversation...
2024-05-202h 07
The Founder FilesScaling from South Africa to USA - Steve Uria, SWEAT1000 & Switch PlaygroundIn this episode, Steve Uria, the founder of SWEAT1000 & Switch Playground recounts his journey from Cape Town to New York, sharing key lessons and missteps in scaling a business internationally. From conducting due diligence on a napkin to navigating the complexities of franchising, Steve's candid story provides a roadmap for entrepreneurs looking to make a global impact
Fuelled by passion and a relentless pursuit of wellness, Steve's story is not just about scaling a business—it’s about building a lifestyle that reaches across borders. Tune in for an unmissable blend of inspiration, practical advice, and the raw...
2024-05-131h 49
The Founder FilesThe Key Connections Between Lead Generation and ScalabilityMarket Positioning, Competitive Advantages and Customer Experience - and in that order. These are the three pillars that make generating and converting leads significantly easier, which in turn provides the engine for your scalability. This week we speak to Brett Perlstein, the CEO and Founder of SearchKings Africa. SearchKings is a Premier Google Partner that specialises in Google Ads and their main value proposition is to help businesses generate more revenue with a focus on generating greater quantities of leads of a higher quality. Combining Brett's expertise as a Chartered Accountant, a Google Ads expert and the Founder of a s...
2022-10-0333 min
The Founder FilesHow Culture Evolves as a Business ScalesEnjoy the episode and don't forget to follow and rate the podcast!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------This episode is brought to you by Metavolve. Metavolve is a team of focused experts who want scaling entrepreneurs like you to succeed 👉 contact our team Do you have a scaling business and valuable insights about your industry? Be our next guest!
2022-09-1932 min
The Founder FilesMaking Culture and Values PracticalWorking on your culture is not the same as doing team-building events or social engagements like after-work drinks. These are connected, but culture is truly the collective behaviour of the people within your organisation. Now this is an inherently intangible topic and can be really complex or even "impractical" for certain people, but the simplest way to understand and unpack culture is to focus on two main things: values and behaviour. The most important point though is that if it's not translated into behaviour, then it's just talking and not culture. These are the insights discussed with Helene Smuts, the...
2022-09-0927 min
The Founder FilesHow Receiving 1000 No’s Gets You From Having a Product to Building a BusinessBuilding a business is more complex than just having and selling a product or service. The first step towards having a business is to make sure that you're well positioned in the market so that your target customers know that you can address their need(s) and/or solve their problem(s). The simplest way to do this is to find out why your target customers DON'T want to buy from you so you can understand their perspectives, objections and real needs in more detail.This simple yet profound piece of advice comes from Elan Lea, the Founder and CEO...
2022-09-0532 min
The Founder FilesA Real Story of Preparing to ScaleWhat does scaling a business actually mean? How do you know that your business is getting ready to scale and you're not just on a growth curve? These are questions we ponder with Rob Nichol, the Founder and CEO of Centr. (an off-site monitoring and surveillance company). The difference for him is that he can see a "hockey-stick" effect in his revenue growth. He's also confident he has problem-solution fit within his current market and he's looking to expand into new markets. The other main indicator is that the oscillation of sales one week and operations the next (a common...
2022-08-2926 min
The Founder FilesThe Value of Personal Branding in B2B Sales and MarketingWhy should the Founder of a B2B business care about their personal brand on LinkedIn? Surely the brand of the company is more important than the brand of the Founder?Yes and no. The yes part is that you want the company brand to become bigger and more encompassing than your personal brand within your target market, but that's relevant when you're a scale-up not a start-up. When you're a start-up, most people don't contact "your business" they contact you. This means that the more powerful your personal brand is, the more your key stakeholders know who you are...
2022-08-2134 min
The Founder FilesRethinking Customer Experience Through UXWe all know the "what" of customer centricity, but not many Founders are well versed in the "how." That's why we're speaking to Marie Whittington, a designer extraordinaire and the Co-Founder of Pepperplane, a design studio that specialises in UI/UX design. In this episode, we chat about how customer experience has evolved in the digital age and why many business leaders still struggle to see things from a user/customer perspective. We discuss what UX and UI mean, and why these capabilities are important. We get some insight into Pepperplane's approach to developing world-class UIs and find out how w...
2022-08-1534 min
The Founder FilesBonus Episode - Hiring Mistakes and Best Practices with Cameron CouttsIn this bonus episode, we chat with our host, Cameron Coutts, about hiring. The reason we chose this topic is that it's come up frequently in recent episodes. Being an Industrial Psychologist, Cameron has expertise in the hiring space and provides some valuable insights to help Founders and leaders make better hires. Tune in to this bonus episode to find out more about this specific topic!----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------This episode is brought to you by Metavolve. Metavolve is a team of focused experts who want scaling entrepreneurs like you to succeed 👉 contact our team Do you have a scaling business and valuable insi...
2022-08-0824 min
The Founder FilesWhat Sets a Great Founder Apart From The RestIf you had to choose only one episode of The Founder Files to listen to, then this is the one.Whether it's decisions, prioritisation, time management, habits or approaches, there are certain things that the best Founders do that put them a cut above the rest. This includes everything from hiring and delegation to prioritisation and personal productivity habits. Paul Smith and Ryan Osher are our guests this week providing insights on and to entrepreneurs. They are the Founders of Civitas, a network where Founders and CEOs come together to connect, learn and help each other solve their most complex...
2022-08-0144 min
The Founder FilesHow to Maintain Focus and Strategic Clarity as the Founder of 2 BusinessesAs a founder, being focused on a clear strategy and direction is hard enough, but when you're the founder of 2 businesses then it becomes critically important to make sure you're using your time well. This is a topic we discuss with Steve Pinto as he explains how clear values, goals, strategies and decision-making frameworks have helped grow 2 businesses side by side. Steve is the Founder and CEO of New Reality and CTRL Robotics. New Reality is a VR company that helps businesses train their employees in ways they have never experienced before. CTRL Robotics is a company that provides a...
2022-07-251h 01
The Founder FilesTristan Van Moerkerken - Optimized: The power of a rebrand in driving performance and resultsHow do you get your employees to be motivated and driven in the right direction? How do you ensure that your sales and marketing efforts are deliberate and build momentum? How do you make sure you're connecting with the customers you want to be connecting with? How do you ensure that what you become known for is what you WANT to be known for?These are all questions that were answered when Tristan Van Moerkerken decided that a rebrand was needed for his business. Even though it was a big investment, he's felt more clarity on the direction of his...
2022-07-1837 min
The Founder FilesSamantha Hogg-Brandjes - GinjaNinja: The importance of an external coach for strategic guidanceWhen you're the sole founder of a business, how do you know that you're doing the right things and moving in the right direction? What do you do if you feel like you don't have all the skills needed to get your business to grow? How can you get someone to help hold you accountable to do the important but not urgent things?These are all questions that Samantha Hogg-Brandjes - the Founder and CEO of GinjaNinja, a PR company for tech and ICT businesses - asked herself before she decided that a business coach is what she needed to...
2022-07-1157 min
The Founder FilesSpecial Episode: Review of Season 1 with Cameron & BrettAfter publishing 13 episodes, we realised that we had just done a full quarter of the year in interviews. Just like quarterly strategy reviews, we thought that this was ideal timing to pause and reflect on our learnings from each episode we've done so far. This is a special episode where Cameron and Brett (the Founders of Metavolve) discuss everything they learned from each guest and what stood out to them as unique about their stories. Enjoy this special episode because the format of future episodes is going to be a little different from now on!----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------This podcast is brought to yo...
2022-07-041h 06
The Founder FilesE13 - Lauren Dallas: Future FemalesHaving clarity on your Mission, Vision and Values is critical to the successful growth of your business because these philosophical elements define the direction you're headed in and provide clarity as to what your stakeholders should expect from you. This lesson is lived, learned and taught by Lauren Dallas (the Co-Founder and CEO of Future Females), who explains that the clarity Future Females has on its own identity is one of the main reasons they have been able to grow into 55 countries in less than 5 years.Future Females is a business network that exists to empower and support female entrepreneurs...
2022-06-2752 min
The Founder FilesE12 - Peter Magner: Iridium Business SolutionsBuilding strong relationships is at the core of Iridium Business Solution's ethos and this holds true in their approach to customer-centricity. This value is so strong that they gave up proportions of up to 100% of their fees to help their clients weather the storm of COVID. This in turn built a reputation of trusting relationships in the market, which was the launchpad of Iridium's growth.Iridium was able to do this proactively because they're a cloud accounting firm. This means that they already had access to the financials of their clients, and due to their advisory unit, they were able...
2022-06-201h 11
The Founder FilesE11 - Kimberley Taylor: LoopThe concept of failure is almost spoken about too much in entrepreneurial circles, but our next guest - Kimberley Taylor - brings it home in quite a relatable way by being compassionate with herself when she fails to meet her own high expectations in relation to her mental health goals like waking up at 5am or meditating for 40 days in a row. The same principles apply to initiating change and experimentation in your business because the whole point is to be kind to yourself when you do inevitably fail. Because let's face it, if you don't fail then it wasn't...
2022-06-1354 min
The Founder FilesE10 - Takalani Madzhadzhi: Ashanti AIWhen you're a founder and/or a leader of a small business, the state that you're in becomes directly reflected in the business. What this means is that if you are positive, energised and optimistic then you will see positivity, energy and optimism in your business performance. The same goes for negativity, doubt and stagnation. And this is why mental health is so important for leaders and entrepreneurs. This is a lesson shared by Takalani Madzhadzhi, the Founder and CEO of Ashanti AI, a data science and artificial intelligence lab that helps businesses become more profitable by solving their most...
2022-06-0649 min
The Founder FilesE9 - William Miller & Renaldo De Jager: DealersOnline"It gets exponentially more complex having to deal with a big team rather than one, two or three people, as you have to adapt your leadership style to individuals rather than taking a blanket approach." Now, this is a lesson that I got from our next guests, the founders of DealersOnline, William Miller and Renaldo De Jager.So DealersOnline is a SaaS business in the automotive industry that helps dealerships respond to rapid changes in markets and consumer behaviour. DealersOnline started because William - who worked in the dealership environments in many sales roles - had enough of the problems r...
2022-05-3056 min
The Founder FilesE8 - Simon Ellis: SmartWageWelcome to The Founder Files! In this week’s episode, we chat with Simon Ellis, the Co-Founder and CEO of SmartWage. SmartWage is a cloud-based HR & Communications platform that focuses on making deskless workplaces in Africa more efficient and engaged. Through WhatsApp, SmartWage helps employers connect with their deskless employees digitally, giving them the ability to digitise payslip delivery, leave management and employee communications. Although he is a qualified accountant, having worked at Deloitte London in the Equity Capital Markets team for almost 4 years, he is an entrepreneur at heart. He's worked with multiple start-ups to help them raise capital, ha...
2022-05-2346 min
The Founder FilesE7 - Ilse Dippenaar: Up.EdWelcome to The Founder Files! In this week’s episode, we chat with Ilse Dippenaar, the Founder and CEO of Up.Ed. Up.Ed is an Edtech company that was founded to help high-school children engage in deep learning. Besides their easy-to-use platform, their pedagogy is their differentiator because it uses a baseline assessment to measure where the learner is rather than starting them in a generic curriculum. Secondly, the platform is able to detect where in one's learning journey there was a mistake, misunderstanding or gap in knowledge so that it can specifically help you learn what you don't kn...
2022-05-1656 min
The Founder FilesE6 - Theran Knighton-: MygrowWelcome to The Founder Files! In this week’s episode, we chat with Theran Knighton-, the Co-Founder and Chief Humanising Officer of Mygrow. Mygrow is a web- and app-based emotional intelligence development platform. Through a combination of rigorous neuroscience, positive psychology, e-learning pedagogy and user experience design, Mygrow helps individuals to be more emotionally healthy, teams to function more effectively and cultures to develop into more powerful environments. Theran is a self-proclaimed creative and academic, although what he does will justify his proclamation! Theran is a filmmaker by trade and an academic/philosopher by heart. What this means is that he...
2022-05-0951 min
The Founder FilesE5 - Mark Baker: MygrowWelcome to The Founder Files! In this week’s episode, we chat with Mark Baker, the Founder of Mygrow. Mygrow is a web- and app-based emotional intelligence development platform. Through a combination of rigorous neuroscience, positive psychology, e-learning pedagogy and user experience design, Mygrow helps individuals to be more emotionally healthy, teams to function more effectively and cultures to develop into more powerful environments. Mark is an Organisational Psychologist who spent 15 years consulting and facilitating the development of leadership and culture through emotional intelligence in organisations of all sizes and complexities before coming to the conclusion that he needs to bui...
2022-05-0249 min
The Founder FilesE4 - Sbonelo Mbatha: PetroCONNECTWelcome to The Founder Files! In this week’s episode, we continue the conversation with the other half of the Co-Founding team of PetroCONNECT: Sbonelo Mbatha. PetroCONNECT is a professional services business in the fuel retail industry that does 3 main things: facilitate the transition of ownership of service stations, develop entrepreneurial readiness in fuel retail through their academy and provide management accounting services to service stations. We discuss race relations and ways to navigate sensitive social issues in business. Sbonelo shares his experiences and learnings in having to adapt to macroeconomic shifts in an industry and environment that is highly sen...
2022-04-2533 min
The Founder FilesE3 - Mark Harper: PetroCONNECTNew week, new episode! In this week’s episode, we chat to Mark Harper. Mark is the Co-Founder of PetroCONNECT, which is a professional services business in the fuel retail industry that does 3 main things: facilitate the transition of ownership of service stations, develop entrepreneurial readiness in fuel retail through their academy and provide management accounting services to service stations. Mark shares how COVID, riots, government regulation and war affects his industry and business, but more interestingly he shares an optimism and self-belief around his own resilience and adaptability. In his words, “if there are no challenges, there are no oppor...
2022-04-181h 01
The Founder FilesE2 - Ian Saker: Mineware ConsultingWelcome back to The Founder Files! In this episode, we're chatting to Ian Saker, the owner of Mineware Consulting. Mineware is a SaaS business specialising in the mining industry that collects, verifies and interprets data from mining operations in order to build business efficiencies, make processes more transparent, predict risky events through AI and even save lives. Ian shares how rapid business growth isn't as glamorous as people think it might and how quickly (and painfully) they had to pivot during COVID. This sharp rise in success catalyzed a shift in perspective for him as a leader, which allowed him to...
2022-04-1147 min
The Founder FilesE1 - Francois de Villiers: SognageWelcome to the very first episode of The Founder Files!We're kicking off with Francois de Villiers, otherwise known as Cois or by his alias Rhepuls. Francois is a Drum & Bass producer and DJ, and the Co-Founder of Sognage. Sognage is a nightclub, entertainment venue and recording studio. Francois shares his journey of founding Sognage during the hard lockdowns of COVID and the leadership lessons he learned on the way. During the chat, Francois explained how he learned to allow others in the business to critique existing ways of doing things, which allowed the whole organisation to improve. As a l...
2022-04-0438 min