Case Studies

Silulo Ulutho Technologies: Luvuyo Rani

A Khayelitsha-based company adjusts its business model — twice — to suit the market, and reaps its rewards.

Exactech: Antonio Pooe

Keeping expenses down is critical for all businesses, and has been a contributor to the growth of cyber forensics company, Exactech.

Cognician: Barry and Patrick Kayton

Creating a market from scratch is incredibly difficult. But if the solution is right, it’s not impossible.

Motribe:Nic Haralambous and Vincent Maher

Timing, experience and a gap in the market come seamlessly together for the founders of social networking platform, Motribe.

Brand Inscentives: Gillian and Darryl Meiring

A husband and wife team realises that even the best, most innovative product won’t sell itself.

Yuppiechef: Paul Galatsis, Andrew Smith and Shane Dryden

An online retail store delivers more to its customers than just the hottest cooking gadgets.

Lemon Décor: Ricky and Kevin Frankental

Two brothers focus on providing solutions and excellent service to differentiate themselves in a price-competitive industry.

Easy Security: Smart Kunene

Real business acumen isn’t knowing everything — it’s understanding where your gaps are and filling them.

Uthukon Concierge: Thuli Sithole

Thuli Sithole uses her organisational skills, the fact that she is well-travelled, and her perfectionist streak, to organise her clients’ lives.

Bos: Grant Rushmere

A start-up with no budget takes on established players with big budgets.

Synaq: Yossi Hasson

IT giant Internet Solutions acquires stake in local Linux business, Synaq.

Avocado Vision: Finding Fortune at the Bottom

Doing well by doing good has seen this foresighted entrepreneur’s business grow during a time of worldwide economic turmoil.

Bizcommunity: Andre Rademan and Ken van Ginkel

The founders of Bizcommunity spotted a gap in the market and created an online success story. You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone in South Africa’s marketing, advertising and media sectors who is not a subscriber. With more than 3,4 million page views per month, it’s the go-to portal for everybody who wants to know what’s happening in these industries.

Bidorbuy: Andy Higgins

Bidorbuy has more than 1,1 million unique visitors, around 700 000 items for sale and 80 000 successful sales every month. Not bad for a business that had its origins on the floor of a London flat, bombed in the dot.com crash and survived the local Internet drought.

A Thousand Watts: Jonathan Lang

Extending your service offering is appealing but often comes at a price

Colmant Cap Classique: Jean-Philippe Colmant

An entrepreneur proves that it’s possible to change direction half-way through life and achieve business success in an unknown industry.

Drug Detectives: Dr Andrew Nathaniel And Andreas Roussos

Two partners use innovative new technology to develop and market a unique world-first drug detection product.

The Lapdesk Company: Shane Immelman

An entrepreneur uses an innovative product to show it’s possible to make a profit – and make a difference.

Motion: Brett Furlong

Google a company called Motion and you’ll find news articles with headlines declaring “massive growth” and interviews recounting how Motion aggressively penetrated an already saturated market. Yet type in the URL and the website of the company – once billed as South Africa’s largest multibrand office automation supplier – and it cannot be displayed. Motion, which in September this year had 350 employees and 13 offices nationwide, is no more. Entrepreneur investigates what went wrong

Banditos: Doris And Kian Macrae

A couple turn their passion for chilli into a booming local and international business.