Building the business tools South Africa actually deserves
Small businesses and entrepreneurs in our communities struggle with tools that were not designed for them. CRMs that are too expensive. Marketing tools that do not understand local needs. Compliance that feels like a foreign language. We decided to build something better.
Why we built this
South African entrepreneurs are expected to run global businesses with tools designed for other countries.
Local pricing
Most tools charge in USD. We price in ZAR — no exchange rate surprises.
Tools replaced
The average SA business uses 5+ disconnected tools. We bring it all into one place.
Connected system
One login. One database. One view of your entire business.
One system. Four movements. Infinite growth.
How it started
After going through the Afrika Tikkun youth accelerator program, Siyanda carried a question that would not let go: why are the best business tools always built for someone else? Every small business owner he spoke to told the same story — the tools they relied on were built for Silicon Valley, not Soweto.
The story was always the same. A salon owner using WhatsApp for bookings, Excel for finances, and Instagram for marketing — three tools that did not talk to each other. A construction company paying for a US CRM in dollars, a separate email platform in euros, and a website builder in pounds. Each one priced for a different economy, each one with support in a different time zone.
Instead of waiting for someone else to solve it, Siyanda decided to build it himself. He spent close to 12 months coding Marqly from scratch — every module, every integration, every pixel. As the platform took shape, he brought together the right people: Linda to shape the vision and brand, ensuring the platform spoke directly to the entrepreneurs who needed it most, and Katleho to make sure every part of the business actually worked for real customers.
Close to 12 months later, Marqly was complete. Not an MVP. Not a prototype. A full Growth Operating System — CRM, marketing automation, website builder, messaging, finance, compliance, and analytics — all in one platform, all priced in ZAR.
Marqly is early. We do not have millions in funding or thousands of customers. What we do have is a team that uses the product ourselves, answers support emails personally, and genuinely cares about whether this helps other South African businesses grow.
Met at Afrika Tikkun accelerator
Three strangers bonded over a shared frustration with business tools
Identified the problem
Countless conversations with SA small business owners revealed the same pain points
First line of code
Siyanda started building Marqly from scratch in his home office
Platform complete
Every feature, integration, and pixel — a full Growth Operating System
First customers onboard
Real businesses using Marqly to capture, nurture, convert, and grow
Who we are
Three people, one mission. We are a small team based in Johannesburg, building the platform we wish had existed when we started our own businesses.
Siyanda Tshabalala
CEO & CTO
Self-taught developer living in Johannesburg. Siyanda built Marqly from scratch — every line of code, every integration, every pixel. With roots in township entrepreneurship and experience building digital tools for the Afrika Tikkun community, he spent over 10 months architecting the platform. His vision: give South African businesses the same powerful tools global companies have, but built for local needs.
Linda Mabelane
CMO
Background in brand strategy and community building. Linda shapes how Marqly shows up in the world. With deep understanding of the South African SME landscape, she ensures Marqly speaks directly to the entrepreneurs who need it most. Believes good design makes complex things simple.
Katleho Mosia
COO
Operations and systems thinker who makes sure the business runs as smoothly as the software. Katleho oversees partnerships, customer experience, and ensures every business using Marqly gets the support and reliability they deserve. Background in project management and process design.
Why Marqly
We do not try to be everything to everyone. Here is what we actually believe and how we build.
Systems over hustle
Growth by design, not by chance. We build systems that make the right thing easy, so you can stop grinding and start growing.
Built for South Africa
We understand local businesses because we are one. ZAR pricing. POPIA compliance. Local support during SA business hours. No USD conversion headaches.
Early and honest
We are a small team at the beginning of this journey. No fake metrics, no funded hype. Just a product we use ourselves and a commitment to every customer.
Customer-driven
Every feature starts with a real business problem we have heard from someone in our community. We build what matters, not what is trendy.
Simplicity first
Powerful tools should not require a PhD to use. Every feature is designed with the end-user in mind — clean, intuitive, and focused on what matters.
Trust and transparency
No hidden fees. No locked-in contracts. No surprises. We believe in honest, straightforward business relationships built on trust.
We are just getting started
If you are tired of tools built for other markets, join us. We are building the Growth Operating System for South African businesses — one feature at a time.
See plansBuilt in Johannesburg, South Africa
Marqly Technologies (Pty) Ltd