How much equity should you allocate to a co-founder and first hires? Is it easier to build a B2B or B2C startup in South Africa? Should you be trying raise from local or international investors? Is an IPO a realistic path to exit in South Africa?

There are some of the questions that founders ask themselves every day as they navigate the complexities of building a venture-scalable company in South Africa.

Answers to these questions play a large part in who becomes a successful company or joins the 90% stat of startups which fizzle out within three years of operations.

This week’s guest is well placed to answer these questions.

Clive Butkow boast almost four decades of experience across corporate South Africa, as COO of Accenture, and then as a VC, first at Kalon Venture Partners and then at Conducive Capital.

As an angel investor, Clive has invested in numerous companies which have collectively seen more than $100 million in revenue.

You can connect with Clive on LinkedIn and check out more of Tech Aways here.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit techaways.substack.com

As we get 2026 fully underway, which startups in South Africa should you have an eye on as an ecosystem stakeholder?

Stephen Timm wrote about six startups he will be keeping an eye on and joins the podcast to explain his selection.

Some of what we discussed:

* The rationale for picking the startups

* Which SA tech startup hub is the most exciting

* Why SA startups looking at external markets for growth avenues

* How to address SA’s regulatory hurdles

Check out Stephen’s musings here and connect with him on LinkedIn.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit techaways.substack.com

What were some of the biggest tech stories in South Africa in 2025, and what does 2026 have in store? The brilliant Lindsey Schutters breaks it all down.

What you can expect:

* Starlink’s licensing fiasco in South Africa

* The digital bank battle royale and how it will evolve

* The scramble for stablecoins

Read Lindsey’s reporting here and connect with him on Linkedin.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit techaways.substack.com

The first episode (or is it the pilot?) of the Tech Aways podcast explores the latest in the Starlink vs South Africa saga.

What you can expect:

* Overview of how we got here

* Why the licensing issue has dragged on

* What do Elon’s politics have to do with the delay

* What will likely happen next

References:

Daily Maverick: “Why Malatsi believes bypassing BEE rules for Starlink is good for SA”

Tech Aways: “Starlink’s Mzansi Entry Has Long Been Coming”

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit techaways.substack.com