Ahead of South Africa’s National Entrepreneurship Day, tech training and career acceleration entity ALX South Africa spotlights two groundbreaking startup ventures. Founded by young innovators poised to disrupt their industries, CooCoo and Sync Discovery are driven by cutting-edge technology and bold vision. The startups receieved cash injections through the ALX Ventures Accelerator Program to propel their revolutionary solutions.
ALX SA General Manager, Divesh Sooka, shares that ALX recently hosted a showcase before a panel of investors, where Sync Discovery secured first place in the Capital Ready Ventures category, while CooCoo earned second place, positioning it to advance to the next stage of its development.
Bridging the Poultry Gap with CooCoo
Thabo Mazibuko’s CooCoo, which means “chicken” in Swahili, is set to tackle one of the poultry industry’s biggest challenges: the spiralling cost of feed. Through Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) technology, CooCoo’s smart feeder optimises farming conditions by monitoring factors like humidity and feed levels. This innovative system enables farmers to ensure conditions are optimal, so they don’t lose their flock, enhancing efficiency and significantly decreasing operational costs.
Mazibuko, age 32, has a background in electronics, but his vision extends far beyond technology. By encouraging collective buying among farmers, CooCoo “aims to transform the poultry industry into a precise, efficient and profit-making industry, driving down feed costs and fostering collaboration in the agricultural sector”. The startup has already moved from market research to the validation stage, thanks to the prize money, which has funded its domain www.coco.network and a newly launched minimum viable product.
“I believe that this innovation will have a great impact in society because chicken is one of the most affordable protein products. So, if we make it cheaper for the farmers to produce chickens, basically poultry meat, those cost savings will trickle down into the pockets of the consumers,” Mazibuko says.
Mazibuko, who hired freelancers from Alexandra township near Johannesburg’s Sandton, says he plans to scale this idea across the depth and breadth of South Africa and has also set his sights on other African markets, such as Egypt and Nigeria. “I feel emerging markets are experiencing the same challenges we do.”
Mazibuko’s entrepreneurial journey has been marked by setbacks and perseverance. He was previously unsuccessful in other ventures, such as trying to produce chicken feet, yet he bore in mind Henry Ford’s statement that “failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently”.
With the prize money, he has invested in a domain (www.coco.network) and is putting more cash into the APIs to create a minimum viable product, which has just recently gone live.
As an entrepreneur, Mazibuko says the investment has helped boost his confidence and to “go for the stars and not aim low”. He adds that it has improved the morale of his team, and they have realised that they are working on a solution that can make a great impact on society.
Sync Discovery: Putting African Music on the Map
Somewhat further down the development path is Nkosiphambili Molapisi’s Sync Discovery, which was built on his early love of music with his late brother’s journey in the industry sparking his hunger for artist development. “After college, I channelled this passion into launching a PR agency specialising in artist development and brand management,” Molapisi says.
“Through this work, I saw how radio could be transformative for artists, yet how inaccessible it was – not just for the artists I worked with but for thousands of other independent artists.”
At age 32, he now aims to democratise airtime on radio shows through Sync Discovery, “We believe every artist deserves to be heard and fairly compensated for their talent. Over 70% of African artists still cannot access radio, costing the African music industry an estimated $600 million in lost revenue from airplay and another $2.4 billion in missed opportunities from touring, merchandising and publishing,” explains Molapisi.
Sync Discovery aims to enable artists at any stage of their career to distribute their music to more than 25,000 radio stations worldwide, track airplay, and monitor their royalties in real-time, says Molapisi.
He explains that Sync Discovery is enabled through artificial intelligence, which helps make ensure that artists get discovered, paid, and gain visibility. Once a song has been submitted to the relevant radio stations, artists and their teams get notified when the song has been listened to, rejected or playlisted – all in real-time.
“Last year, radio airplay generated $2.7 billion globally, supporting thousands of artists through exposure, royalties and fan engagement. Sync Discovery aims to double that impact within the next seven years by making radio more accessible and transparent.”
Molapisi adds that being part of the ALX Ventures accelerator program has been instrumental in its journey. Since starting in August, we’ve gone from minimal viable product stage to Private Beta and is onboarding over 10,000 artists and four enterprise clients.
“We’re also running a pilot program with campus and community radio stations in South Africa, Botswana, and Lesotho to help them connect with local artists and optimise their operations,” he says.
The ALX win, Molapisi says, “validated the real need for our solution and our team’s ability to scale Sync Discovery”. The startup was named one of the top three in the ALX Ventures’ Do Hard Things Challenge in South Africa.
Sync Discovery, now gearing up to expand its team, has a public launch scheduled for the first quarter of next year but is already live for early access. Artists, artist management agencies, record labels, music distributors, and publishers can request early access at http://syncdiscovery.io.
ALX: A Launchpad for Disruptors
Through its Ventures Accelerator Program, ALX South Africa is empowering entrepreneurs like Mazibuko and Molapisi to tackle real-world problems with scalable, tech-driven solutions. Sooka highlights: “These ventures showcase the potential of African innovation to drive economic growth, solve critical challenges, and uplift communities.”
As National Entrepreneurship Day shines a spotlight on innovation, these startups exemplify the transformative power of entrepreneurship in creating a better, more inclusive future.
For more on ALX and its tech programs, visit www.alxafrica.com/south-africa.
