South Africa’s townships are more than just spaces of economic struggle. Often, they are described through the lens of hardship and hustle. But beneath that surface lies something deeper: a powerful, under-recognised culture of innovation.
In the tech world, innovation is still mostly associated with polished offices in Sandton or Cape Town’s co-working hubs. What gets ignored is the ingenuity found in places like Soweto, Khayelitsha, Umlazi, and Tembisa.
These communities are not just underserved – they’re underestimated ecosystems. When it comes to tech, they’re building not for hype, but out of necessity.
From Kasi to Code
Young developers are creating apps to track local taxis. Spaza shop owners are managing customers and deliveries via WhatsApp. Some were accepting card machines and QR payments long before suburban cafés caught on.
Township tech is often faster at adopting practical tools than the formal sector gives it credit for.
Despite Innovation, Funding Remains Scarce
Yet despite this wave of innovation, township-based startups face massive barriers to funding.
Investors frequently dismiss them as “too informal” or “not scalable.” But this thinking exposes a deeper blind spot: relevance doesn’t have to mean universal appeal.
A taxi-tracking app designed for Khayelitsha might not scale to Sandton – but it could work just as well in Alexandra, Mdantsane, or Ga-Rankuwa. That’s scale. Just not the kind venture capital is used to recognising.
Local Design for Local Problems
Too often, tech made in Africa is still built with global North assumptions baked in – English-only UX, high data requirements, and apps designed for the latest devices.
What we need instead is design rooted in lived experience:
– UX in isiXhosa, Zulu, or Sesotho
– Apps that work offline or on low-bandwidth
– Fintech that supports cash-based economies
This isn’t just social impact work. It’s real market opportunity.
According to the South African Township Marketing Report, the township economy is valued at over R400 billion per year – yet its tech ecosystem remains chronically underfunded and underserved.
What Needs to Change?
To unlock this goldmine of innovation, we need structural shifts:
– Township accelerators and hubs must receive real financial and infrastructural support. Too many exist in name but not in resourcing.
– Municipalities should partner with local developers to improve service delivery – imagine reporting water outages via a locally built app instead of a broken hotline.
– VCs and angel investors need to rethink their metrics. Relevance should carry as much weight as revenue. Polish is nice – purpose is vital.
Rethinking the Tech Map
Township tech isn’t waiting to be discovered – it’s already here, solving problems the rest of the country ignores. What’s missing isn’t talent, but belief and investment.
If we’re serious about building an inclusive tech economy, we need to stop mapping innovation by suburb and start mapping it by impact.
Let’s stop designing solutions for the township – and start building them with the township.
By Tsholang Bodibe