The Most Inspiring Startups to Watch Out For in South Africa

Headboy’s Industries Inc. is a product-development company and its latest invention, DryBath® Gel, by founder Ludwick Marishane, is as ground-breaking as it is practical. DryBath® Gel is a product that cleans the skin without using water—essentially it’s a body wash sans the shower. The gel also eliminates body odor, doesn’t harm the natural cells of the skin, and one small 15-milliliter sachet is the equivalent of one shower or bath. The best part is that the company provides the product to communities without water at a lower price, or if possible, for free.

The Bottles App, from South African Software House, is the latest in delivery apps. Similar to food delivery apps, the app delivers alcohol straight to your door, within 60 minutes. Similar to Uber, the order can be tracked and the total fee can be split between other users. So next time you run out of drinks at a party or function, just pick up your phone.

ONEOFEACH is a high-end fashion label established by mother and daughter team Tamburai and Pauline Chirume. The beautiful items are all inspired by Africa and all materials are sourced from within the continent. As so many “original” African items are manufactured in China, the Cape Town-based team aims to create truly unique items with an African origin. ONEOFEACH combines beautiful fabrics, leather, and suede to create one-of-a-kind products, including handbags, belts and jewelry.

Domestly.com is creating work through connecting domestic cleaners to homeowners and tenants. The Domestly app was named the Most Innovative App in Africa at the AppsAfrica.com Awards Ceremony. Whether a cleaner is looking for work, or a homeowner is in need of domestic help, all they have to do is register on the site or the app and get connected to hundreds of relevant employers and job seekers.

Native Décor, started by Vusani Ravele, creates innovative home décor products that are functional as well as good-looking. All the designs are inspired by South Africa and have a minimalist feel. The products are mostly manufactured from timber and Perspex and there are flat-pack, self-assembly options available as well.

Comfy Mummy Rocking Chairs was founded by a mother for mothers and manufactures nursery feeding chairs. Sarah Jeffreys started the company as she realized a need for a chair in which mothers could nurse their babies comfortably, and without struggling to get out of the chair while holding their child. The nursing chairs are also aesthetically pleasing and of a high quality. Clients can customize their chairs by choosing the fabric to match the décor scheme of their homes.

Thabiso Mokomele from Gugulethu started designing and selling t-shirts to his peers while still in high school, both as a creative outlet and as a way to fund his education. After receiving a lot of positive response, Thabiso decided to manufacture on a larger scale, and taught himself everything there is to know about fashion design. T Squared clothing’s edgy, streetwear designs are handcrafted, stitched, and 100% locally produced.