Mark Levitt

BBD will be at DevConf 2026, with Nhlanhla Lucky Nkosi and Omer Elgoni taking the stage in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Lucky will be exploring how agentic AI is reshaping what’s possible in the browser, while Omer will be looking at how we can design more intuitive software interfaces, and why code should be built for people, not just machines. Catch their talks at DevConf Johannesburg on 12 May and DevConf Cape Town on 14 May. #bbdsoftware #conference #bbdspeakers

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Endeavor Entrepreneur company Ozow has partnered with Happy Pay to bring Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) functionality into a wider South African merchant network. Moves like this reflect a broader shift in how checkout is evolving in digital commerce. For merchants, the focus is shifting from simply offering multiple payment methods to designing checkout experiences that respond to changing consumer behaviour. This trend is part of a wider move toward embedded financial services, where credit, payments, and user experience are becoming more integrated and less visible as separate steps. As competition in e-commerce increases, the checkout is becoming one of the most important conversion levers. Ozow continues to sit within this broader shift as one of the players expanding how payment infrastructure connects into the wider commerce experience. Article in the comments. Alison Collier Antonia B. Jacqui Gogele Lyle Eckstein Rachel Cowan FCCA Wesley Billett

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We just killed the PDF lease agreement. For years, rental asset managers have accepted a painful truth. Processing a single new lease manually takes 90 minutes. That is 90 minutes of tedious data entry, chasing FICA documents, and tracking down physical signatures. When Ryan and I built Talozen, we knew this had to stop. We didn't just want to build another property CRM. We wanted to completely eliminate the paperwork. Today, we are thrilled to launch the brand new Talozen website. We designed it to show exactly how South African agencies are safely scaling their portfolios. It breaks down how we turn that 90-minute administrative nightmare into a 15-minute digital workflow. You can see exactly how to: • Generate accurate contracts in just 3 minutes. • Put your FICA and POPIA compliance on autopilot. • Quadruple your leases without adding to your administrative payroll. Technology should do the heavy lifting so your team can get back to building relationships. Take a look at the new site here: https://www.talozen.com/ What is the first manual property management task you would automate if you could? Let me know below!

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Payment Gateways in South Africa: Pricing Breakdown & How to Integrate For E-Commerce Entrepreneurs turn to global platforms like Shopify and Squarespace for their ease of use, sleek design templates and integrated e-commerce functionality. But very quickly, a technical wall emerges. These platforms are built to work seamlessly with Stripe and Shopify Payments. Both are unavailable to South African merchants. Luckily there are a variety of alternative trusted payment processing providers to choose from in South Africa. Here is a short overview of 6 payment gateways that operate in SA together with applicable fee comparisons. https://lnkd.in/dhWX4JRm #paymentgateways #southafrica #ecommerce #ecommercestrategy #ecommercetips #webdesign #webdevelopment #stitchwebdesign

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Cape Town-based BNPL startup Happy Pay has raised $5M in seed funding to scale its merchant-funded payment model. Instead of charging users interest or fees, Happy Pay flips the script—shifting the cost of instalments to merchants through what it calls an ad-subsidised payments network. With over 600,000 users, the model blends payments and targeted commerce, where revenue is driven by completed transactions, not clicks or impressions. Backed by Partech with participation from Futuregrowth Asset Management, 4Di Capital, E4EAfrica, Equitable Ventures, Summit.Deals, The University Technology Fund, and Felix Strategic Investments, this could signal a new direction for BNPL in emerging markets. https://lnkd.in/ea5Bt-FN

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Pepkor's play isn't just retail - it's data transformation. Gugu Lourie's latest piece in BusinessDay highlights how their +more programme, with 13M+ members, is the engine. By tracking 52M+ customer baskets, Pepkor is weaving its 5,000+ stores into a single, powerful data platform. This isn't just a loyalty card; it's a strategic move from holding company to an integrated, value-optimizing ecosystem. The future of retail isn't just on the shelf; it's in the platform known as +more. #Retail #DataStrategy #BusinessTransformation Pepkor Holdings Limited #LoyaltyProgrammes #SouthAfrica https://lnkd.in/d-4btrKW

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Is your growing Cape Town business being held back by generic, off-the-shelf software? If your team relies on endless spreadsheets and manual workarounds, it's a sign you've reached a critical crossroads. Continuing to force your unique workflow into a one-size-fits-all box stifles efficiency and limits your competitive edge. But how do you know when it's the right time to invest in a solution built just for you? Our new, in-depth guide provides a complete decision-making framework for ambitious SMEs. Inside this definitive guide, you will learn: The 5 clear signs that you've hit the "off-the-shelf ceiling." - How to analyse the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), not just the sticker price. - A strategic framework to evaluate your scalability and competitive needs. -Answers to FAQs about the cost, timeline, and process of custom software development. This isn't just a technical decision; it's a strategic one that can define your future growth. Stop letting your software dictate your business processes. #CustomSoftware #SoftwareDevelopment #CapeTownBusiness #SMEgrowth #DigitalTransformation #BusinessStrategy #BrunelStudios https://lnkd.in/dgs9anQd

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Exciting news! 🚀 Lockhat Incorporated has strategically partnered with Combinely, the AI Co-Worker! We've invested in this pioneering startup to become the exclusive marketers of their groundbreaking product in South Africa. This partnership allows us to offer our clients the latest in accounting technology, a tool that not only saves significant time but also provides continuous monitoring and in-depth research capabilities. This means we can focus on building the future of the industry, together. For further details email: imraan@coas.co.za. #StrategicPartnership #AICoWorker #FutureOfAccounting #LockhatIncorporated #Combinely

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Human-in-the-Loop AI: Scale Smarter, Stay Compliant AI is transforming businesses across South Africa, from Sandton fintechs to Cape Town creative agencies. But speed alone isn’t enough. Accuracy, trust, and legal compliance are critical. At Vertalogic, we design Human-in-the-Loop (HITL) AI systems. Here’s what that means: AI handles the heavy lifting, drafting reports, messages, or analyses Humans retain final approval, ensuring accuracy and nuance. Compliance with POPIA’s automated decision safeguards is built in. The result is operational efficiency without risk — smarter decisions, stronger client trust, and defensible workflows. Draft-Only™ systems, legal-by-design processes, and measurable ROI — that is the Vertalogic approach. AI should be a strategic asset, not a liability. Build with confidence. #AI #HITL #POPIA #BusinessGrowth #Vertalogic #DataGovernance #ExecutiveAI

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In South Africa, WhatsApp isn’t just a messaging app - it’s the country’s default digital infrastructure. That’s why REVBOT works. 95% of WhatsApp messages are read within 3 minutes. Local payment tools like SnapScan make checkout frictionless. Always-on engagement, with no office hours. REVBOT isn’t automation for the sake of it. It’s a sales assistant built for how South Africans actually live, work, and buy - simple, fast, and mobile-first. The result? Conversations that feel human, scale effortlessly, and close deals while you sleep. 🔗 Read the full breakdown: https://lnkd.in/dEtMF7K8 Henri Bam, Rian Marais, Amber Bird #DigitalStrategy #RevenueGrowth #PerformanceMarketing #LeadGen #revX #MarketingThatWorks #B2BGrowth

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Venture capital plays a pivotal role in accelerating early-stage startups across South Africa and Africa. From pre-seed to Series C, understanding each stage and aligning with the right investors is key to scalable success. Read our full guide to navigating VC funding effectively: https://lnkd.in/drymMma7 #VentureCapital #StartupFunding #AfricaTech #SouthAfricaStartups #TechInvestment #ScaleUp #VCInsights

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What I care about most in a framework is whether it stays out of the way while still giving me the essentials. Laravel hits that balance well. Even years ago it was the first framework I came across that I genuinely enjoyed using. It keeps internal dashboards and workflow systems straightforward without forcing a heavy architecture, and once a project grows, that balance really starts to matter. Visit the Zivatech Laravel services page here: https://lnkd.in/dskieWig #LaravelDevelopment #WebApplications #SABusiness

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South African startup Flood is redefining digital commerce in emerging markets with its innovative “SuperApp-as-a-Service” platform. Designed to empower banks, telcos, and offline brick-and-mortar retailers, Flood bridges the gap between online and offline commerce by creating marketplaces tailored to large audience businesses. Unlike traditional e-commerce models, it focuses on SMEs and local retailers, making them discoverable and connected to broader digital platforms. Founded by serial entrepreneurs André de Wet 马上就做 and Shashank Jain, Flood provides a zero-code, SaaS-based, API-driven infrastructure that allows enterprises to scale marketplaces with ease. Its features include merchant onboarding, loyalty programs, in-store pickup, discovery tools, and real-time analytics, all designed to drive engagement and create value for both consumers and businesses. This unique approach ensures that SMEs, often overlooked in the digital space, gain visibility and access to new revenue streams. The platform has demonstrated remarkable traction, onboarding 8,000 merchants in just three months during one of its engagements and achieving daily usage rates of up to 28 percent of the population. Having raised US$2.5 million in a recent seed round, following a US$1 million raise in 2024, Flood is now set to accelerate its market expansion. The funding will fuel new partnerships with telcos and challenger banks while supporting the rapid onboarding of thousands more offline merchants. Currently active in South Africa, India, and the Maldives, Flood has bold plans to expand into Ghana, Mauritius, Panama, Puerto Rico, Turkey, and Tanzania. By monetizing through integration and transactional fees, Flood is not only creating sustainable revenue models but also pioneering a new way of thinking about digital commerce in emerging markets—one that goes beyond logistics to meet local realities. #DigitalCommerce #EmergingMarkets #Innovation #SuperApp #RetailTech #Fintech #SaaS #AfricanTech #MarketplaceSolutions

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Card payments remain South Africa’s most common payment method, but momentum is shifting. Insights from the Payfast by Network State of Pay report show rising adoption of mobile wallets and BNPL, reflecting a new balance between convenience, flexibility and trust. Through a strategic partnership with Payfast, merchants can navigate this evolution by integrating the broad range of payment methods today’s consumers demand.  This collaborative approach ensures your customer experience is future-proofed against the accelerating pace of digital adoption. Read the full report in the comments. #PayfastByNetworkInsights #EcommerceTrends #StateOfPay 

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Access to capital shouldn't be a mystery.  At the SME Funding Summit 2026, we’re bringing together South Africa’s top funders, investors, and industry experts to give you the ultimate funding playbook. Whether you're a startup or an established business looking to scale, you’ll walk away with the tools, connections, and confidence to secure the funding you need. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/dtdGVziF #SMESouthAfrica #SMEFundingSummit #EmpowerSMEGrowth #SMEFundingSolutions

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Suzuki Auto South Africa partnered with Spitfire Inbound to unify their inbound marketing into a single, scalable HubSpot-powered ecosystem. By aligning data, automation, and insight, they delivered personalised customer journeys at scale, without adding complexity. The impact? A 20.75% year-on-year increase in units sold and measurable market share growth💥 Read the full blog to see how smart journeys delivered real results: https://hubs.la/Q046SQGc0

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