By Sitha Maliwa:
A new digital platform is positioning itself at the centre of South Africa’s growing push toward economic inclusion, with an ambitious goal of transforming how township entrepreneurs participate in the formal economy.
KasiConnect, founded by entrepreneur and women’s empowerment advocate Keitsile Jacobs Masilo, describes itself as a digital ecosystem designed to connect township-based professionals with customers, payment systems, and online visibility tools that have traditionally been out of reach for informal businesses.
At the core of the initiative is a challenge to the current structure of the economy, which the platform says leaves vast amounts of talent operating outside the digital systems that define modern commerce.
“Africa cannot compete globally while half of its best talent remains invisible to the capital market,” the platform’s vision states.
According to KasiConnect, many township entrepreneurs – including hairdressers, mechanics, food vendors, event organisers, artisans, coaches, and consultants – operate without proper digital profiles or secure systems to manage bookings and payments. This, the platform argues, creates what it calls a “data vacuum,” where economic activity exists but is not formally captured or supported.
The result is a parallel economy that is active but largely invisible to investors, institutions, and broader markets.
KasiConnect seeks to address this gap by creating a centralised digital directory where service providers can establish professional online identities and be discovered by customers beyond their immediate communities. The platform integrates real-time communication tools, including WhatsApp connectivity, allowing clients to engage directly with service providers for bookings and enquiries.
A key component of the system is UbuntuPay, a proposed payment gateway designed to make digital transactions more accessible for small and informal businesses. The platform says the system is intended to bypass traditional barriers that often exclude township entrepreneurs from formal financial infrastructure, enabling them to accept online payments more easily and securely.
Beyond transactions, KasiConnect also functions as a marketing engine, promoting member businesses and services across social media platforms to increase visibility and drive customer engagement.
The platform frames itself not only as a technological solution but as a broader economic intervention aimed at shifting township entrepreneurs from informal trading into recognised participants in the digital economy. It argues that access to visibility, communication tools, and secure payment systems can significantly change the trajectory of small businesses that have historically been marginalised from mainstream economic systems.
While still in its development and expansion phase, KasiConnect reflects a growing trend of technology-driven initiatives seeking to bridge South Africa’s economic divide through digital inclusion. If successful, the platform could reshape how township economies are integrated into national and global markets, turning previously invisible work into a structured, searchable, and scalable enterprise. – @NewsSA_Online
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