Innholdsfortegnelse for Spring 2025 - issue 68 i Fast Company South Africa

For decades, society has been shaped by familiar, established voices—people with titles, influence and platforms. These individuals have long set the tone for how we think, act and build. But the times are changing. Today, it's the underdogs, civil society, women and previously overlooked voices who are stepping into leadership roles and reshaping our world. This issue is dedicated to those challenging the mainstream. Our cover star, Dr Lulu Gwagwa, is a pioneer in her own right. Her story is a powerful reminder that transformative change often begins behind the scenes. In our digital edition, we spotlight women across the African continent who are behind world changing ideas. This marks the first issue in an ongoing series that will celebrate the trailblazing women of 2025 and beyond. We also turn…

Too often, marketing becomes about visibility without value. Campaigns attract attention but fail to deliver meaningful outcomes. It's this gap between marketing activity and business results that Vilosha Soni is working to close. As Chief Marketing Officer at PepsiCo South Africa, Soni is repositioning marketing as a core business function driven by data and grounded in how people actually live. For her, marketing is about more than storytelling. It's a tool for driving performance, with clear links between insight, execution, commercial outcomes and long-term brand value. Soni's role is part of a broader shift in the industry. As a woman of colour in senior leadership, she's helping change how marketing is led and who gets to lead it. In an environment where diverse perspectives have often been overlooked, her presence…

Dr Lulu Gwagwa is one of the founders of Lereko Investments (Pty) Ltd, a black-owned investment company focused on infrastructure, energy, and industrial services. She continues to advise on development planning and spatial transformation. A seasoned leader in both public and private sectors, Gwagwa served as CEO of the Independent Development Trust (IDT) from 1998 to 2003. There, she led a sweeping restructuring process, repositioning the organisation to focus on development implementation management—a shift that aligned the Trust with South Africa's emerging post-apartheid priorities. Prior to that, she was deputy director-general in the national Department of Public Works (1995–1999), where she championed the transformation of the construction industry. Most notably, she launched the national public works programme, and the emerging contractor development programme, aimed at fostering entrepreneurship and inclusion in…

Bank Zero is what happens when seasoned bankers go back to the drawing board. Founded by a group of former FNB executives, the bank set out to build a fully digital institution from scratch—a bank without branches, paper or the legacy constraints of traditional institutions. The journey wasn't smooth. Its initial go-to-market plan hit development delays, and the Covid-19 pandemic further tested its resilience. But the result was worth the wait: Bank Zero launched with the most advanced banking platform in South Africa. The technology stack was proprietary and built for scale, enabling features such as secure zero-cost transactions and user-controlled security layers. Earlier this year, fintech infrastructure firm Lesaka Technologies acquired Bank Zero for R1-billion—a major validation of its technology and market approach. The acquisition signals a new phase…

AHIMSA IN 2018, THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PAEDIATRICS (AAP) released a policy statement warning that plastic foodware could potentially leach hormone-disrupting chemicals into children's food. Seven years later, millions of children across the US are still eating hot cafeteria lunches off plastic dishware. Manasa Mantravadi and her startup, Ahimsa, are working to change that. A board-certified paediatrician and mother of three, Mantravadi was spurred by the AAP's findings to launch Ahimsa in 2019 to make steel dishware for children. Having gained traction with direct-to-consumer sales to thousands of families, Ahimsa is now aiming to get into schools across the US. Through a partnership with the Clinton Global Initiative, the company launched a national pilot in 2024 called the Conscious Cafeteria Project, which saw 15 elementary schools (in California, Minnesota, Indiana,…

SKIDMORE, OWINGS & MERRILL Temperatures in Los Angeles continue to rise—the number of annual extreme heat days has tripled over the past century, and average summer temperatures have increased more than one degree Fahrenheit in the past 20 years. To provide some relief from the sun, StreetsLA is deploying 3,000 shelters across some of the highest-ridership areas in LA, where some of the city's most vulnerable communities live and green space with natural shade is scarce. “It became a very human-centric effort of understanding who the transit riders are and understanding their needs,” says Carlos Madrid III, senior associate principal at SOM LA studio, the architecture firm that designed the project. Inspired by California modernism architecture, the shelters are simple and functional, with clean lines and a clear indoor-outdoor connection.…

CEMENTO SOL AND GREY PERU Top-selling Peruvian cement brand Cemento Sol partnered with ad agency Circus Grey to make the sidewalks of Peru more accessible. In collaboration with the country's largest advocacy and service organisations for the visually impaired community, the Sightwalks project created cement tiles with coded markings detectable by an individual using a walking stick. The tiles feature tactile horizontal lines; the number of lines are associated with adjacent businesses, services, or venues. The project is both scalable and adaptable to any urban setting. “C reativity can be a powerful tool,” says José Luis Rivera y Piérola, creative chairman and CEO of Grey Peru. Interim housing solutions DIGNITYMOVES A network of small modular structures to quickly get unhoused people into shelter EVs for Equity programme ELECTRIFY AMERICA A…

SEDRON Dairy farms account for about 2% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Manure in waste lagoons decomposes into methane, a major greenhouse gas. The Varcor system from Sedron Technologies recycles biosolids into carbon-negative ammonia and dry fertiliser. Varcor also processes dairy waste into certified organic liquid nitrogen and phosphorus-rich dry solids. Traditional nitrogen fertiliser production and wastewater treatment contribute significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions, but the Varcor system disrupts this cycle by capturing ammonia directly from wastewater, preventing unnecessary emissions and reducing reliance on petrochemical-based fertilisers. “It costs less than current methods,” says Stanley Janicki, Sedron's chief commercial officer, “and it is solving incredibly large environmental issues.” Climatile roofing and cladding system TAKAZURI A green roof technology combining solar power, rainwater collection, and insulation into…

FOUR DECADES AFTER THE HUMAN IMMUnodeficency virus was first identified, the end of the epidemic could be in sight. Thanks to treatments and preventive medications, new infections worldwide have fallen dramatically, from 3.3 million at their peak in 1995 to 1.3 million in 2023. Now, with the arrival of a groundbreaking drug from Gilead Sciences, there's serious talk about bringing new cases down to zero. Foster City, California–based Gilead is already the leader in HIV prevention. Its daily oral pill Descovy accounts for about 40% of the US market for pre-exposure drugs, known as PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis). Sales of the company's portfolio of drugs for HIV prevention and treatment reached $19.6bn in 2024. Some 75% of the nearly 40 million people worldwide who live with HIV receive a Gilead-branded drug…

DIGIMARCON OCTOBER 9-10 CAPE TOWN V&A WATERFRONT The fourth DigiMarCon, a digital marketing, media, and advertising conference and exhibition, will take place at Cape Town's V&A Waterfront. Delegates can join in-person or online for two days to examine digital marketing best practices, trends, solutions, strategies, and networking. They can also check out the next generation of technology and innovation. digimarconcapetown.co.za AI SUMMIT NOVEMBER 11-13 CAPE TOWN (CTICC) Since 2016, the AI Summit series has brought together business executives, investors, technology enthusiasts and data specialists from across the world. They network, learn, and present innovative business technology solutions. Now in its ninth year, the series has firmly established itself at the heart of the AI community, running shows in London, New York, Las Vegas, Singapore and—for the first time last year—at…

CHRISTINA VITTAS Social media manager AARON BISMAN Senior vice president of marketing ROSEMARIE TRUGLIO Senior vice president of curriculum and content ELMO Three-and-a-half-year-old furry monster ON MONDAY MORNING, JANUARY 29, 2024, CHRISTINA Vittas posted a nine-word tweet: “Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?” Apparently, not so great. Vittas had been managing the social accounts for the beloved Sesame Street superstar since the end of 2020. She hadn't anticipated that Elmo's friendly question would tap into a deep vein of national angst: a looming presidential election, inflation, conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine. Christina Vittas I thought, Strategically, when is the best time for Elmo to post this? Monday morning, right? People are getting back in. “How are we doing?” is a question that a friend would ask. I…

Over the past decade, South Africa's financial sector has undergone a radical transformation. The market, once dominated by financial institutions, has now been disrupted by a new generation of fintech companies. From the early days of Fundamo to today's thriving fintech ecosystem, these companies have not just challenged the status quo—they've redefined it. The following companies stand at the forefront of this evolution. Each has played a critical role in building a more inclusive, techpowered financial landscape. Their innovations haven't just improved access—they've reshaped how South Africans transact, store and grow their money.…

If inclusion is the heartbeat of fintech, TymeBank is its strongest pulse. It emerged from an ambitious vision: to bring low-cost banking to underserved communities using retail partnerships and digital infrastructure. The bank's first breakthrough came via a partnership with MTN, allowing it to offer affordable remittance services via mobile phones. But its most visible innovation is the in-store kiosk. Today, when you walk into a Pick n Pay or Boxer supermarket, you're not just shopping—you're entering a branchless banking hub. These self-service stations allow customers to open accounts, deposit money and access a full range of banking services with minimal human intervention. The model is being replicated in other developing markets as TymeBank expands across Africa and into Southeast Asia. What sets TymeBank apart is its blend of high-tech…

Artificial intelligence received increased attention following the release in late 2022 of the generative AI chatbot, ChatGPT. In this book, author Tae Kim shines a spotlight on tech company Nvidia—a leading supplier of AI hardware and software—and its cofounder and CEO, Jensen Huang. Kim provides an excellent overview of Nvidia's corporate make up, exploring its business history from its founding in 1993, to its recent emergence as one of the world's most valuable corporations. Throughout this period, Huang has overseen its incredible success. Nvidia's culture includes the hiring of very smart people—and then working them hard. Such a corporate culture is frequently regarded as essential to achieving success within the technology sector. In this regard, the book does little to highlight its negative effects. Nvidia is the new darling of…

Startups need more than just tech to thrive. Introducing the Fast Company (SA) Startup Toolbox — a weekly online column packed with smart recommendations on everything from office space and furniture to essential tools and startup must-haves. See www.fastcompany.co.za on Fridays for more. APPLE IN CHINA BY PATRICK MCGEE McGee draws on more than two hundred interviews with former executives and engineers, supplementing their stories with unreported meetings held by Steve Jobs, emails between top executives, and internal memos regarding threats from Chinese competition. His book highlights the unknown characters who were instrumental in Apple's ascent and who tried to forge a different path—including the Mormon missionary who established the Apple Store in China; the “Gang of Eight” executives tasked with placating Beijing; and an idealistic veteran whose hopes of…

COSTCO CEO RON VACHRIS MRI imaging technology LABORATORY FOR MICROSYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY A new set of custom-made, low-cost metamaterials to optimise imaging speed and clarity Guerrilla Greening MASTER OF DESIGN, UC BERKELEY A system for applying inexpensive sprayable plant “graffiti” that cools surfaces where it's applied Future You MIT, KBTG, UCLA, AND HARVARD An AI project that lets you talk to a future version of yourself Nasal spray to treat Alzheimer's disease TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY A spray derived from human neural stem cells that has slowed cognitive decline in mice BUSINESS PRODUCTS AND SERVICES Doula training programme for nurse care managers MAMA GLOW AND CVS HEALTH A programme teaching nurses to work hand-in-hand with doulas to improve maternal health Tully Tube compostable medicine container PARCEL HEALTH A paper-based,…

R x ALL QUALITY RX With RxAll, Adebayo Alonge is using AI to eliminate counterfeit pharmaceuticals. Direct lithium extraction and refining technology ELECTRALITH An inexpensive membrane for extracting lithium for batteries without water and harmful chemicals “Adoptable” campaign PEDIGREE AND COLENSO BBDO An AI-powered campaign that added photos of real adoptable dogs to Pedigree's digital ads BEST WORLD-CHANGING IDEA EUROPE, THE MIDDLE EAST, AND AFRICA Wazzii health platform GIRL EFFECT An AI system connecting young people in Kenya with health information and professional care Paralympic Sport Explainers KREATIVES A collection of videos helping fans understand the ins and outs of Paralympic sports GridScan SPARKMETER A software tool for monitoring electric grid health and stopping outages before they happen WHEN ADEBAYO ALONGE AND AMY KAO LAUNCHED RxAll in 2016, the Yale…