MASHSTARTUP

Few founders have reshaped South Africa’s beauty industry like Mathebe Ngwenya . What began as a digital platform connecting customers to beauty services has evolved into Beauty on TApp — a thriving online retailer and a growing network of four brick-and-mortar stores across the country. It’s a story of conviction, discipline, and belief in what’s possible when you build with purpose. The journey...

What does it really take to turn a pair of clippers and a dream into one of Africa’s most loved grooming brands? In this episode, we sit down with Sheldon Tatchell , the founder of Legends Barber , to trace the journey from cutting hair on a stoep in Eldorado Park at just 14 years old, to building a business with 70+ stores , 620 employees , and a footprint across the continent. Sheldon shares the...

When Tshegofatso Dludla started tutoring high school students in maths and science, she noticed something that stuck with her: it wasn’t just that learners were struggling—it was that they didn’t understand why these subjects mattered. For many, the learning felt abstract, boring, and disconnected from the world they lived in. That frustration became fuel. Together with her husband, Tshego created...

What if the key to transforming township economies isn’t outside investment—but collective buying power? In this episode, I sit down with Brian Makwaiba , founder of Vuleka , the multi-award-winning platform helping township spaza shops and informal businesses compete on equal footing. We unpack how Vuleka’s hybrid online-offline model makes bulk buying simple, builds credit profiles for unbanked...

What does it take to turn a deeply personal struggle into a Pan-African healthtech startup that’s reimagining how we access mental healthcare? In this episode, I sit down with Onkgopotse Khumalo , founder of Amari Health , to unpack her journey from the world of finance and consulting to building one of South Africa’s most intentional healthtech startups. After losing a close friend to suicide and...

Some brands are born to be more than just businesses—they become cultural icons. The Wing Republic , founded by Tlhompho Mokoena , has spent over a decade proving exactly that. What started in 2014 as a single pop-up stand has grown into one of Gauteng’s most recognized food brands. From the early hustle at festivals and food markets to a brick-and-mortar home in the heart of Braamfontein, The Win...

What does it take to build real power for Black founders in South Africa’s tech ecosystem — and create a future where professionals of colour have equitable access to knowledge, networks, and funding? In this episode, I sit down with Ntsako Mgiba , founder of Darkies in Tech — the country’s largest vetted community of Black founders, investors, and ecosystem builders — to unpack the journey from a...

In South Africa and across the continent, millions of women still face healthcare that is expensive, fragmented, and impersonal. For far too long, care has been treated as a service, not a relationship. And when the system fails, it’s community — not institutions — that women turn to for support. Zoie Health was born in that gap. Built from lived experience and guided by community insight, Zoie is...

This episode is a deep dive into what it really takes to build ventures that last — and why starting with the human being behind the idea is the most powerful form of entrepreneurship. Ian Calvert, co-founder of FURTHER and former Global Project Leader at Red Bull Amaphiko, joins us to explore why personal growth, resilience, and purpose should come before traction, funding, or scale. For nearly a...

What if the real power in Africa’s startup ecosystem isn’t capital — but control of the narrative? This episode is a reckoning with how stories are told, who gets to tell them, and what gets left out. Andile Masuku, co-founder of African Tech Roundup, joins us to unpack the tension between media, community, and innovation — and why reclaiming the narrative is essential if we’re serious about build...

In this powerful episode of the Mashstartup Podcast, we sit down with one of South Africa’s most formidable media entrepreneurs — Thabile Ngwato . As the founder and CEO of Rapid Innovation Group , the force behind Newzroom Afrika, Ray Content Hub, Bluestream Technologies and Emerge , Thabile is not just telling the story — she’s rewriting the rules of who gets to tell it. From her start in radio...

Meet Tshepo Mohlala, founder of TSHEPO—the premium denim brand worn by presidents, royalty, and everyday believers in quality and identity. But this isn’t just a story about jeans. It’s about a young man from Tsakane who dared to dream bigger than the limitations placed on him. It’s about betting on yourself—even when the odds are stacked. And most importantly, it’s about building something that l...

Ayanda Dladla is the co-founder of Mowash – a mobile car wash platform turning everyday inconvenience into innovation. What started as long Saturday waits at local car washes became the spark for a tech-enabled service that connects customers to car washers on demand. In this episode, Ayanda shares how his background in engineering shaped the foundation of Mowash, why he believes township business...

What does it take to build something that lasts — not just in profit, but in purpose? Lethabo Mokoena , the founder of Walk Fresh , unpacks the lessons, phases, and grit behind building a township-born business that’s stood the test of 10 years. What began in a backyard in Daveyton is now a movement, a trusted brand, and a symbol of what’s possible when vision meets relentless execution. Lethabo r...

What does it really take to walk away from stability and build a life on your own terms? In this episode, I sit down with Kay Radebe — a Mechanical Engineer turned Social Media Strategist and Entrepreneur — to unpack the bold pivot that reshaped her career and purpose. After leaving behind a comfortable corporate job, Kay bet on herself and built a platform that educates and empowers young South A...

What does it really take to build a solution that changes lives? Murendeni Mafumo , founder of Kusini Water , a groundbreaking South African social enterprise using macadamia nut shells and nanotech to purify water for communities across the country. From developing his first prototype to scaling an innovation that now produces millions of litres of clean water every month, Murendeni shares the re...

Fezile Dhlamini is the founder and CEO of Green Scooter , the company behind Africa’s first electric motor-tricycle — the Zbee. In this episode, Fezile shares how he built a locally assembled electric vehicle business from the ground up, with no external funding, and why he believes the future of mobility lies in practical, affordable, and sustainable solutions. We explore his early challenges bre...

Tsitsi Primrose Marote, co-founder of Guardian Health — a platform reimagining maternal healthcare in South Africa through AI, data, and community-driven innovation. From academic research to award-winning innovation, Tsitsi’s journey is rooted in a deep desire to solve real challenges faced by women in public healthcare systems. In this episode, she shares how Guardian Health is transforming how...

Matric Live is a mobile-first learning platform that has supported over 600,000 high school learners — the majority from under-resourced communities — with free, accessible, and engaging tools to prepare for matric. Built by co-founders Kagisho Masae and Lesego Finger , the platform is reshaping how South African students experience education, and was recently crowned FNB App of the Year 2024 for...

Simon Hartley — the entrepreneur behind Wumdrop, a last-mile delivery startup that grew from humble beginnings into a game-changing logistics platform, eventually acquired by Makro. Wumdrop started with a simple idea: deliver nappies on subscription. But when Simon and co-founder Roy Borole handed scheduling power to customers, they uncovered a much bigger opportunity — on-demand, tech-enabled log...

Tshepo Moloi — founder and CEO of StokFella , a fintech platform reimagining South Africa’s stokvel culture through innovation, technology, and community-driven design. Inspired by his own experience in a traditional stokvel, Tshepo saw the inefficiencies firsthand — from manual records to limited investment potential — and set out to build something better. StokFella is now a fast-growing platfor...

Zanele Abraham Matome , the visionary founder of Welo Health — a platform revolutionizing healthcare access across South Africa and the SADC region. From growing up in communities with limited healthcare, to building a nationwide gig-economy model connecting nurses, doctors, and patients, Zanele shares her remarkable journey of purpose, innovation, and resilience. We dive into her early lessons as...

Bulelani Balabala is the founder of the Township Entrepreneurs Alliance (TEA), a platform that has supported over 50,000 township entrepreneurs with access to skills, mentorship, and markets. From humble beginnings selling sweets and fat cakes to building one of the country’s most impactful entrepreneurship platforms, Bulelani has made it his mission to empower the 1.8 million informal businesses...

Startup Club ZA is changing the game for South African founders—fostering connections, unlocking opportunities, and accelerating growth in the local startup ecosystem. In this episode, we sit down with founder Mathew Marsden to talk about the journey of building SCZA , the lessons learned along the way, and the community’s impact on scaling startups. We also dive into their latest milestone— launc...

Resonate Hub is changing the game for entrepreneurs, equipping them with the sales skills and business strategies needed to thrive. In this episode, we sit down with founder & CEO Michelle Lima to talk about her journey—from learning sales in her parents’ business to building a global platform that helps entrepreneurs scale. We dive into the mindset shifts needed for growth, the biggest mistak...