Johannesburg - As the world of tech continues to lend itself to different facets of our daily life and changing the way business is done, one could say the end for traditional brick-and-mortar businesses are near and 4IR is slowly but surely replacing the old ways of doing things.
Although this tech wave has been embraced for quite some time in other parts of the world, the South African tech space in recent years has jumped on the bandwagon with tech startups making their mark on an international level.
Here are some of South Africa’s top tech startups that have successfully exploited innovative opportunities provided by technology and have come out to enhance people’s day to day lives.
uKheshe
Ukheshe is a smartphone app and QR code card that allows its users (informal merchants, traders, street vendors and casual labourers) to accept real-time digital payments from cardholders or different payment apps, without needing a bank account. Ukheshe is now Masterpass certified which means it can accept payment from Zapper and most banking apps.
Zande Africa
Zande is a fintech company providing credit and logistics solutions for spaza shops around SA. Zande established itself as an online logistics and finance provider four years ago to enable spaza shop owners to order stock for delivery. Now it is set to launch its first physical store, a "spaza hypermarket" in Orange Farm, south of Johannesburg.
Droppa
A Johannesburg based on-demand platform for trucks and bakkies startup was founded in 2016. The app allows members of the public, and now retailers too, to source trucks and bakkies to deliver goods on their behalf. About 300 drivers, from the Western Cape and Gauteng (where the startup currently operates) are currently signed up to the platform.
RapidDeploy
Founded in Cape Town in 2014 by Steven Raucher and Brett Meyerowitz
The startup’s cloud-based software enables public safety officials to reduce emergency response times and improve situational awareness.
Bank Zero
Bank Zero is a new app-driven bank and a company that has developed its own app ecosystem and patented card technology. It has also developed crucial anti-fraud technologies and has received a banking licence from the South African Reserve Bank.
The South African tech space is fast evolving to be a force to be reckoned with and if this is a sign of things to come then the future of South African tech is certainly in good hands.
IOL TECH