Mandilakhe Somdle

Founded in Somerset West by Hein Duvenhage and four co-founders, Arable Grow is tackling one of Africa’s most persistent challenges: how to produce fresh, nutritious food reliably in environments constrained by water, space, and fragile supply chains.

In September 2025, Smartfill officially launched its latest plastic-free refill dispensers across spaza shops in Tembisa, bringing affordable, sustainable, and accessible shopping closer to home. Designed specifically for the informal trade market, Smartfill enables shoppers to buy everyday essentials in the exact quantities they need, without single-use plastic, unnecessary packaging, or inflated prices. 

The 2025 AfricArena Grand Summit was packed with energy, and out of the many startups, one shone brightly as a beacon for African entrepreneurs. Zazu, the first pan-African digital banking platform built exclusively for SMEs and founders, has raised $1 million in pre-seed funding from a powerhouse mix of African and European investors. This funding will accelerate Zazu’s rollout in South Africa and Morocco, with plans to expand across the continent in 2026.