Venture capital firm Endeavor South Africa says the five local companies show that even in tough economic conditions, innovation-led growth can be environment-agnostic for businesses with strong execution capabilities, scalable technology and clear market relevance.
The five companies are financial services firm GoTymeBank, digital payments company Onafric, digital workplace platform Go1, cross-border remittance company Hello Money and insurance technology company Pineapple.
Endeavor South Africa says they are classified as Endeavor Outliers, which are the top 10% of companies in Endeavor's global network, and are growing at a rate more than 40 times South Africa's 1% economic growth rate.
Collectively, these five companies will generate net revenues of approximately R11 billion in 2025, serve more than 25 million customers directly, reach more than a billion users in more than 100 countries and have raised hundreds of millions of dollars in growth capital in recent years.
The MD of Endeavor South Africa says these companies highlight the type of business models capable of delivering meaningful growth and employment in South Africa Alison Collier.
“These businesses share many common characteristics, including being founder-led, technology-enabled, capital-efficient, being globally ambitious from the start and focused on solving big, practical mass market problems.
She says, “They are building products and services that improve affordability and cost to serve customers at scale, reach, and efficiency for millions of people, especially in areas where traditional infrastructure has historically struggled to meet demand efficiently.”
If the country wants to accelerate economic growth and employment, South Africa needs more businesses able to expand in this way.
She says, “These companies show what is possible. They are creating high-quality jobs, attracting international investment, creating globally relevant technology and expanding Africa's participation in the global innovation economy.”
Meanwhile, South Africa accounts for 46% of Africa's Endeavor Outliers, reflecting the country's continued ability to produce globally competitive founders and scale-up businesses.
The strong local performance also aligns with broader venture capital trends, with South Africa recognized as one of the continent's most active and resilient venture ecosystems.
South African venture funding to grow 21% year-on-year to approximately $715 million in equity and debt funds in 2025.
South Africa led the equity market in 2025, and ranked first in terms of equity funding volume, which increased by 40% year-on-year. It also topped the equity deal count, which grew 5% year-on-year.
Endeavor South Africa says this achievement, which was the first year since 2017 that it achieved this result, highlights the depth and maturity of its ecosystem.
“South Africa has exceptional entrepreneurial talent. The opportunity now is to ensure that high-growth businesses can grow faster and more sustainably. The more we enable these companies to grow, the greater the impact on growth, competitiveness, investment and jobs,” says Collier.
She says enabling these companies requires a strong enabling environment for entrepreneurship and innovation, including better digital and logistics infrastructure, easier access to growth capital, regulatory certainty, skills development and greater support for businesses expanding into regional and global markets.
Additionally, Endeavor South Africa's own portfolio data demonstrates the broader economic contribution of scale-up businesses.
Between 2021 and 2025, the 27 Endeavor-supported entrepreneurs achieved average annual revenue growth of 29% and generated an additional R12-billion in revenue.
Entrepreneurs also created 5156 new jobs, of which 75% were filled by black South Africans, 80% by youth and 55% by women.