Ventureburn

The year of mobile? 9 of Africa’s most exciting startup investments of 2015

If you ever doubted the significance of mobile innovations in Africa, then this year’s developments are likely change your mind once and for all….

This inspiring entrepreneur proves startups can be born from anywhere

Kanayo Okwuraiwe is an entrepreneur that has been through an incredible amount of hardship over the last few years. Even with these problems, he sees disaster…

Banking on ecommerce growth in SA — Q&A with The Foschini Group’s Brent Curry

Even though South Africa’s ecommerce sector is estimated to estimated to make up only one percent of the total market for consumer goods, we’ve…

The rise of African startups is a business opportunity, not a threat

We are in the middle of a tech startup frenzy, with research suggesting that South Africa alone is home to more than 5 000…

Changing climates, changing fortunes: what African elections mean for investors

Electoral cycles have long been a sticky issue for Africa’s business communities. Elections often evoke fears that a regime change will bring uncertainty and…

4 tips startups need to keep in mind when raising first round funding

Being a startup founder can be downright challenging. Whether it is developing a sound business plan, building a team, or acquiring customers, you will…

Invest in training your employees — 6 ways it will pay off for your business

In a difficult economic climate, the training and education budget is often one of the first areas of the business to suffer cutbacks. After…

These are the 5 winners from the Seedstars World Cape Town event

Seedstars World has crowned the five winners from its Cape Town event. The five were chosen from a pool of 10 finalists who took…

Meet SenseVirtual: the dedicated VR startup shaping frontiers in Africa

On the back of the popular gaming show, E3, in Los Angeles last month, Virtual Reality (VR) is a really hot topic right now….

7 renewable energy startups trying to revolutionise the way Africa keeps its lights on

Africa has a serious energy problem. This is ironic considering the abundance of natural resources available, from coal in South Africa to oil in…

7 productivity apps South African small business should know about

The head of products at MWEB, Rihana Hoosain, gives small business owners the low-down on some of the latest and greatest tech solutions to…

Special Podcast: Ventureburn survey, are startups thriving or struggling?

This week we bring you yet another special podcast edition, as the Burn team delve into the results of the recent Ventureburn Startup Survey….

Konga’s bold attempt to revolutionise online payments in Nigeria

Nigeria boasts over 80 million mobile internet users doing all kinds of stuff online. Yet, as big as the Nigerian tech landscape is, getting…

Ventureburn survey sheds light on SA’s tough, but pioneering startup industry

Stuart Thomas, Matthew Buckland and Graham van der Made contributed to this article. Startup life isn’t as glamorous as it’s sometimes made out to…

From lab to launch: the quest to build startup success in SA’s innovation capital

Venture capitalist and founder of popular US seed fund Y Combinator Paul Graham once wrote that the recipe for startup “clusters” is having a…

Running a lean startup? Here are 9 free tools that could help

Some entrepreneurs don’t have a choice when launching a lean or bootstrapped startup. They may struggle to find financing, but wish to still proceed…

Why it’s so important for startups to nurture leaders from within

One of the greatest challenges for a startup founder is growing the startup into an organisation that is far beyond his own strengths and…

Ampion Venture Bus: an NGO’s mission to drive impactful innovation in Africa

There are various initiatives through which entrepreneurs can come together to ideate, develop, test and launch a product (and company) in Africa, but none…

How much can small business learn from customer self-service?

In the “old days” just a few years ago, it was a good idea to arrive two hours before your domestic flight in order…

Rise of the consumer — is South Africa’s Private Shopper in the pound seat?

Taking your business else-where can have some negative connotations, unless of course you are talking about taking it online, in which case you are…

This is why I won’t run another startup

Earlier this year, I closed my startup. So now I get to reflect on what I’d have done differently. Hindsight is unfair and inaccurate,…

Why Africa’s ‘largest retailer’ Jumia calls itself a startup

In February, I put Nigeria’s two leading ecommerce giants Jumia Nigeria and Konga to the test. The results showed some concerns about the quality…

5 effective communication tools every SME needs in the bag

Regardless of the size of your company or how long you have been in operation, it is essential that you have communication tools in…

Productivity On A Large Screen

Everlytic Launches Cutting-Edge AI Studio with WhatsApp Chatbots for Smarter Communication

Everlytic’s new API Communicator feature enhances customer engagement across multiple channels

Savant Launches Savant Build Cohort 3 to Accelerate Deep-Tech Innovation in the Green Economy

Simplicity at scale: The role of leadership in agile transformation

Microsoft launches new Surface devices in new AI era

Honor Magic V3 launches, four things to know

Honor Magic V3, a Guinness world record attempt

Nio Firefly brings Galaxy design to compact EVs

Google Cast and other Christmas goodies for Rivian

GM switches-off Cruise control on $10bn robotaxi project