South Africa’s online dating scene is shifting in 2026 as users move away from endless swiping toward niche apps focused on values, safety, and real connection.
Forget funding: 5 things South African tech entrepreneurs really need to start caring about
And it’s probably not bitcoin.
I’ve mostly been on the fence about getting overly involved or saying anything overly opinionated about this, as I’ve always sensed a bit of ignorance and arrogance in how we’ve (as South Africans and stakeholders) gone about this. The best example of this is branding this endeavour as Silicon Cape in the hope that we can replicate Silicon Valley’s success. Whilst this had a nice marketing ring to it, it was never going to be a sustainable or viable thing; evidence of this is how the initial hoo-ha and excitement has almost completely died down.
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