The Founder Files

In this episode, I sit down with Godiragetse, founder and CEO of Delivery Ka Speed, to explore how he’s building one of South Africa’s most exciting township logistics businesses.What started with bicycles and WhatsApp has grown into a company now partnered with global giants like Alibaba, Temu, and Shein, delivering across four provinces—and aiming to go national.We dive into how Godi pivoted from food delivery to logistics, broke even in just three months, and tackled the challenge of managing customer complexity while scaling fast.He shares how founders often become bottlenecks, and how stepping into “full founder mode” helped him unlock his team’s potential.We also get into how he’s built a culture of ownership, getting employees 100% bought into the mission, and why customer service is still their biggest edge—especially in township markets.Securing multinational clients has changed the game for Delivery Ka Speed—and Godi reveals what this means for their future growth.This episode is packed with real talk on scaling, pivoting, and building something that truly serves its market.---------- Book a curiosity call with Cameron: https://www.metavolve.co/curiosity-callThis episode is brought to you by Metavolve.Metavolve is a team of focused experts committed to helping entrepreneurs like you scale their businesses successfully. Reach out to our team to learn more: https://metavolve.co/---------- To support The Founder Files:🔔 Subscribe and turn post notifications on⭐ Leave a comment to let us know your thoughts💭 Share your thoughts on LinkedIn and tag Cameron Coutts----------00:00 Introduction03:36 What Is Delivery Ka Speed?06:26 Who Is the Target Market and Customer?08:37 Handling Complexity in Managing Customer Relationships and Sales14:12 The First Route to Growth19:22 Realizing They Needed to Pivot24:41 Managing Customer Experience as We Scale34:12 Bottlenecks That Come From the Founder’s Intuition37:36 How to Get Employees 100% Bought In44:23 How to Focus on the Right Things52:49 How to Turn Your Customers Into Advocates57:33 Securing Big Multinational Clients and What It Changes for the Business01:00:40 What Does the Future Look Like for Delivery Ka Speed?01:04:27 Who Is Godi?

In this episode, I sit down with Jasper Eales — co-founder and creative director of Sealand Gear — to unpack the journey of one of South Africa’s most iconic sustainable brands.Sealand Gear is a proudly local business based in Cape Town, known for its world-class upcycled bags, apparel, and accessories. But behind the brand is a powerful story of resilience, purpose, and a deep commitment to sustainability.We dive into:- What it really means to build a sustainable business- How Sealand secured global certifications (after a 6-year process!)- The tough realities of scaling production while staying true to your values- The operational challenges of upcycling — and how they manage supply consistency- What it means to be a “Sealander” and build a values-driven company culture- And finally, what inspires Jasper to keep pushing this mission forwardThis one is for the builders who care about purpose and performance — and anyone curious about what it takes to scale a brand with integrity.---------- Book a curiosity call with Cameron: https://www.metavolve.co/curiosity-callThis episode is brought to you by Metavolve.Metavolve is a team of focused experts committed to helping entrepreneurs like you scale their businesses successfully. Reach out to our team to learn more: https://metavolve.co/---------- To support The Founder Files:🔔 Subscribe and turn post notifications on⭐ Leave a comment to let us know your thoughts💭 Share your thoughts on LinkedIn and tag Cameron Coutts----------00:00 Introduction04:11 What Is Sealand?06:30 The Founding Story of Sealand22:03 How to Hire A-Players29:34 Educating the Market Before We Could Sell41:03 Transparency and Sustainability Reporting at Scale51:15 Moving Away From D2C — and Then Returning59:32 Selling Face Masks During COVID and the Impact It Had01:04:47 Comparing Sealand’s Scale in 2021 vs. Today01:12:32 The Biggest Challenges Sealand Has Overcome01:28:30 The Main Challenges Sealand Is Currently Facing01:33:46 The Future of Sealand and What Lies Ahead for Jasper01:36:18 What Inspires Jasper01:39:02 Reflection

In this episode, I sit down with Jessica Boonstra — founder and CEO of Yebo Fresh — for a powerful conversation about leadership, resilience, and what it really takes to build a business in South Africa.Yebo Fresh’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary: from a small B2C e-commerce startup before COVID, to pivoting overnight into emergency meal delivery with NGOs, and eventually emerging as a key player in the township spaza shop economy. Now acquired by the Smollan Group, Jessica and her team are scaling at an entirely new level.We talk about what it’s like growing a team from 6 to 60 people in 3 weeks, leading a business of over 220 people today, and navigating real South African challenges — from fraud, crime, and gangsterism to building trust as a white Dutch woman working within township communities.This episode is storytelling at its finest. It’s about the human side of entrepreneurship, the lessons Jessica learned the hard way, and the humility it takes to lead with compassion while staying hard on performance.If you're an entrepreneur, leader, or South African who believes in building something that matters — this one’s for you.---------- Book a curiosity call with Cameron: https://www.metavolve.co/curiosity-callThis episode is brought to you by Metavolve.Metavolve is a team of focused experts committed to helping entrepreneurs like you scale their businesses successfully. Reach out to our team to learn more: https://metavolve.co/---------- To support The Founder Files:🔔 Subscribe and turn post notifications on⭐ Leave a comment to let us know your thoughts💭 Share your thoughts on LinkedIn and tag Cameron Coutts----------00:00 Introduction04:09 What Is Yebo Fresh?05:19 How Jessica Cracked the Township Market08:36 The Founding Story of Yebo Fresh19:46 Challenges of Being a White Dutch Woman in the South African Market23:39 Navigating Difficult Investor Conversations31:22 Understanding the Problem and Customer on a Deeper Level42:37 The Tough Journey of Building the Business Model49:21 Scaling Challenges: Crime, Fraud, and Gangsterism in the Supply Chain58:30 Balancing Compassion and Leadership01:01:28 South Africa’s Greatest Strength: Its People01:08:05 The Future of General Trade: Digitizing With AI and Yebo Fresh’s Role01:17:12 How Jessica Had to Evolve as a Leader to Scale the Business01:22:51 Choosing to Stay in a Consciously Incapable State01:32:29 Jessica’s Advice for Entrepreneurs

Yaron Assabi, founder and CEO of Digital Solutions Group (DSG), has spent 27 years evolving his business from one of South Africa’s first e-commerce players during the dot-com boom into a group of companies that power customer experiences for major retailers.Yaron shares his journey from running a single business unit to leading multiple companies with CEOs reporting to him. He breaks down what it takes to create a truly data-driven, customer-centric business, how to gather and act on feedback, and how to build a system where anyone in the company can manage a customer relationship from a single source of truth.But his insights go beyond business. As a cancer survivor who chose to forgo chemotherapy and instead transformed his health through lifestyle changes, he reflects on how that experience reshaped his leadership, his approach to culture, and his outlook on the future.This is a conversation about resilience, evolution, and the mindset needed to scale and sustain success in an ever-changing world.---------- Book a curiosity call with Cameron: https://www.metavolve.co/curiosity-callThis episode is brought to you by Metavolve.Metavolve is a team of focused experts committed to helping entrepreneurs like you scale their businesses successfully. Reach out to our team to learn more: https://metavolve.co/---------- To support The Founder Files:🔔 Subscribe and turn post notifications on⭐ Leave a comment to let us know your thoughts💭 Share your thoughts on LinkedIn and tag Cameron Coutts----------00:00 Introduction03:21 What Is DSG?12:15 The Current Scale of DSG14:29 Tips for Maintaining a Strong Customer Experience21:42 How Yaron Thinks About Bringing on New Clients25:46 Handling Customer Experience Challenges While Scaling44:51 How to Get High-Quality Customer Feedback51:29 Building a System Where Anyone Can Manage Customer Relationships from a Single Source of Truth58:13 Surviving Cancer Without Chemotherapy—How It Changed Yaron01:22:01 The Future of DSG and Yaron01:23:43 Two Key Pieces of Advice for Entrepreneurs

In this episode of The Founder Files, we sit down with Greg Smith, the co-founder and CEO of Onespark, now known as Dis-Chem Life. Greg takes us through the journey of building one of South Africa’s most disruptive insurtechs, and the exciting partnership and 50% acquisition by Dis-Chem.We also discuss scaling, how founders become bottlenecks, and how Greg shifted to "founder mode" to unblock his team. Greg highlights the challenges of maintaining quality and culture during rapid growth and the strategic value of the Dis-Chem partnership in accelerating success.If you’re an entrepreneur navigating the challenges of scaling, building partnerships, or dealing with the growing pains of business growth, this conversation is packed with invaluable insights for you.---------- Book a curiosity call with Cameron: https://www.metavolve.co/curiosity-callThis episode is brought to you by Metavolve.Metavolve is a team of focused experts committed to helping entrepreneurs like you scale their businesses successfully. Reach out to our team to learn more: https://metavolve.co/---------- To support The Founder Files:🔔 Subscribe and turn post notifications on⭐ Leave a comment to let us know your thoughts💭 Share your thoughts on LinkedIn and tag Cameron Coutts----------00:00 Introduction03:32 OneSpark’s Partnership with Dis-Chem Life08:50 What Is OneSpark?12:02 How OneSpark Uses AI for Advanced Risk Analysis18:31 Breaking Down the Tech Behind OneSpark25:26 Finding Product-Market Fit and Overcoming Challenges32:06 The Hard Part After Landing Your First Sale42:17 The First Major Bottleneck And How They Fixed It57:38 How Greg Is Elevating His Management Team01:02:52 Why Quality and Customer Experience Get Worse Before They Improve01:10:00 The Cultural Shift of Integrating with a Corporate Giant01:17:19 How OneSpark’s Strategy Is Evolving01:29:23 The Future of Dis-Chem Life01:33:16 Why Choosing the Right Co-Founders Is Critical01:38:46 Final Reflections

Felix Norton is the founder and MD of Woww Digital, one of SA’s award-winning marketing agencies. With 40 people across SA, Europe, and the UK, Felix shares how they’ve scaled, niched down, and built a sales process that converts — achieving a 33% website conversion rate!We dive into how Woww stands out in a saturated market, the lessons from working with a sales coach for 2.5 years, and how they’re scaling using the Traction framework.This episode is a must-watch for agency owners and founders looking to grow smarter.---------- Book a curiosity call with Cameron: https://www.metavolve.co/curiosity-callThis episode is brought to you by Metavolve.Metavolve is a team of focused experts committed to helping entrepreneurs like you scale their businesses successfully. Reach out to our team to learn more: https://metavolve.co/---------- To support The Founder Files:🔔 Subscribe and turn post notifications on⭐ Leave a comment to let us know your thoughts💭 Share your thoughts on LinkedIn and tag Cameron Coutts🔗 Connect with Felix:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/felixwnorton/🔗 Connect with Cameron:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefounderfilespodcast/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameron-metavolve/---------- 00:00 Introduction03:43 What is Woww Digital?07:36 The Founding Story08:38 Building a Successful Agency with Great Clients11:54 How to Compete and Stand Out as an Agency21:40 The Problem with Trying to Be Everything to Everyone25:16 Landing a Project with Ogilvy29:09 Scaling Woww Digital33:19 Expanding into International Markets40:39 Shifting from Time-Based to Value-Based Pricing44:23 The Strategy Behind Expanding into London47:58 How to Compensate and Retain International Talent56:08 Building a Sales Engine That Lets You Choose Your Clients1:10:34 The Sales Questions That Convert Best1:14:39 Gaining Clarity, Control, and Time Freedom as a Founder1:22:26 What’s Next for Felix and Woww Digital1:27:26 Current Challenges on the Journey1:30:38 The Biggest Lever for Woww’s Success1:32:57 Final Reflections

In this episode, I sit down with Nick Durrant, founder and CEO of Bluegrass Digital—a Cape Town-based software development firm that started in London 23 years ago. With two decades of entrepreneurial experience, Nick has navigated market shifts, economic crises, and industry disruptions while growing and scaling his businesses.We dive into:- How his side project became one of South Africa’s top 5 publications- Adapting to major economic crises like 2008, COVID, and now AI- Evolving sales models and forging strategic channel partnerships- Lessons from decades of resilience, reinvention, and growthIf you want to learn how to adapt, pivot, and scale in an ever-changing world, this episode is a must-listen.----This episode is brought to you by Metavolve.Metavolve turns highly capable African founders into confident business leaders by helping them develop clear and comprehensive business strategies that make building a great sustainable business less complex. Reach out to our team to learn more:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://metavolve.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠----To support The Founder Files:🔔 Follow The Founder Files EVERYWHERE⭐ Leave a review right here💭 Share your thoughts on LinkedIn and tag Cameron Coutts----00:00 Introduction03:14 What is Bluegrass Digital?10:36 The Scale of Bluegrass Digital15:41 Nick’s Other Businesses18:03 Navigating a Declining Market35:16 How Did The Business Model Change When Moving to Digital?41:40 From A Dying Market to Top 5 Publications in South Africa44:30 The Founding Story of Bluegrass Digital54:02 Pros and Cons of A Partner Channel Model01:01:37 Omni-channel Approach To Generating New Leads01:09:16 How Nick Successfully Navigated The Credit Crisis of 2008 01:20:19 How The World Has Become So Disruptive From A Macro Perspective01:22:45 The Impact Covid Had on The Business and How Nick Adapted to That?01:25:20 The Impact of AI Business01:29:31 The Future of Bluegrass Digital01:31:50 Advice to Other Entrepreneurs

What an honour to sit down with a South African fintech, whose hardware most of us have already been in contact with.Katlego Maphai is the CEO and co-founder of Yoco, the market leader for SMB payments in South Africa.Expect to learn:What Yoco doesKatelgo’s insights on the structural and systemic issues preventing entrepreneurs from succeeding in this countryWhat he is optimistic about in South AfricaHow he guides the sense of purpose, meaning and contribution into the values and culture of the companyWhen you should formalise your approach to strategyHow Katlego’s business and role have changed over the years, and also how he has changedThis is a fundamental example of how entrepreneurs evolve as their businesses evolve. As the scale increases, our perspective and our vision change as well.Katlego is an amazing example and role model of what it means to be a leader and CEO of an entrepreneurial business in SA.----This episode is brought to you by Metavolve.Metavolve turns highly capable African founders into confident business leaders by helping them develop clear and comprehensive business strategies that make building a great sustainable business less complex. Reach out to our team to learn more:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://metavolve.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠----To support The Founder Files:🔔 Follow The Founder Files EVERYWHERE⭐ Leave a review right here💭 Share your thoughts on LinkedIn and tag Cameron Coutts----00:00 Introduction03:59 What is Yoco?10:06 Breaking Down The Yoco Hardware20:53 Getting A Cash Based Economy To Move To Digital Payments28:33 A Big Mistake Founders Make34:11 Why is Entrepreneurship in SA So Difficult?43:41 Structural Challenges Holding South African Entrepreneurs Back53:21 How Yoco is Breaking Down The Barriers to Entrepreneurship56:23 Katlego’s Pessimism and Optimism About Entrepreneurship in SA01:07:20 Translating The Company Vision Into The Culture01:22:06 Moments When Everyone Doubted Katlego01:27:11 When is The Right Time to Formalise Your Strategy?01:30:51 How Has Yoco, Katlego And His Role Changed Over The Years?01:42:31 Where is Yoco Going as a Company?01:46:36 Reflection

Every founder who’s scaled beyond product-market fit knows the challenge: where do we focus our attention next?In this episode, I sit down with Chris Ball, co-founder of Finch Tech, to unpack how his team is navigating this exact question.We dive into how Finch scaled their products and built their business model, the tough decisions around which growth strategies to pursue, how Chris and his co-founders protect their team from the noise and the biggest challenges they're facing right now in their growth journey.This conversation is a must-listen for anyone facing the overwhelming options of what got you here vs. what will get you there. If you're in the scale-up phase, you'll find huge value in how Finch is approaching this pivotal stage of business growth.----This episode is brought to you by Metavolve.Metavolve turns highly capable African founders into confident business leaders by helping them develop clear and comprehensive business strategies that make building a great sustainable business less complex. Reach out to our team to learn more:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://metavolve.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠----To support The Founder Files:🔔 Follow The Founder Files EVERYWHERE⭐ Leave a review right here💭 Share your thoughts on LinkedIn and tag Cameron Coutts----00:00 Introduction02:41 What is Finch Technologies?13:23 Where is Finch At Now?16:12 Understanding The Business Model21:40 How Does Finch Get This Data?39:10 Expanding Further Along The Value Chain43:26 Product-Market Fit Journey47:43 Current Scaling Challenges53:57 Splitting Focus Among The Team01:00:10 Do We Really Want To Build a Large Team?01:06:58 Struggling to Get Out of Customer Service01:14:17 Which Direction Should Finch Grow Into?01:22:54 What Does The Future Hold For Chris and Finch?01:25:45 Why be an Entrepreneur?01:27:51 Reflection

Pineapple Insurance has taken the South African insurtech space by storm, and today, we’re diving deep into their journey with co-founder Ndabenhle Ngulube.From their viral marketing campaigns to their unconventional branding strategies, we explore how Pineapple carved out a unique position in the market. Ndabenhle shares insights into their customer segmentation, growth strategy, and the genius behind their long-term vision.We also break down how they scaled to a 215-person team, the evolution of their company structure, and how they use OKRs to drive execution across all levels. Plus, the challenges of building a strong middle management team—and much more.This episode is packed with actionable insights for any founder looking to scale fast and stand out.----This episode is brought to you by Metavolve.Metavolve turns highly capable African founders into confident business leaders by helping them develop clear and comprehensive business strategies that make building a great sustainable business less complex. Reach out to our team to learn more:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://metavolve.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠----To support The Founder Files:🔔 Follow The Founder Files EVERYWHERE⭐ Leave a review right here💭 Share your thoughts on Linkedin and tag Cameron Coutts----00:00 Introduction03:06 What is Pineapple?07:21 The Founding Story12:16 10 Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Customer Experience14:59 Ndabenhle’s Super Power21:14 Buying 60k Pineapples for the New Product Launch25:41 What Scale is Pineapple at Right Now28:08 Making Insurance Affordable for Lower-Income Individuals37:10 The Genius Growth Strategy Allowing Pineapple to Take Market Share59:11 Managing Company Identity While Evolving Product Offering01:06:36 Handling Competition in an Oligopoly01:12:05 Pineapple’s Team Structure and Execution System01:28:46 Challenges in Building Out Management Layers01:33:27 What Does The Rest of 2025 Hold For Pineapple01:34:57 The Future of Insurance in South Africa01:36:41 Reflection