The Founder Files

This week, we welcome Nic Frangos, whose fingerprints are all over some of South Africa's biggest business moments—yet you've probably never heard his name. Nic became Unilever's youngest senior manager in the world before stepping into entrepreneurship to build Mercedes Information Technology (MIT), the country's most successful technology group. He went toe-to-toe with IBM and gl...

In 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 sho...

How 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...

How 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-driv...

What 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 globa...

What 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 be...

What 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 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, Ja...

How 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...

How 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 flavo...

How 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 pro...

How 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 un...

What 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 no...

Can 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 transfor...

What 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...

Can 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...

Everyone 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 b...

In 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 repositionin...

In 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 g...

Everyone 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...

In 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-br...

Tinashe 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...

In 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 in...

In 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...

Daniel 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 build...