When I joined Savant in 2024, it felt like the natural next step in my career. Throughout my years in veterinary clinical practice, I discovered that my true passion lies not just in medicine but also in business, particularly in business development and strategy. Savant has provided me with the perfect environment to sharpen my skills and pass on what I’ve learned to other founders who are building from the ground up.
In this post, I’d like to share why startups matter so much to me and why I’ve chosen to expand my career to support the people creating them.
From Vet to Venture
My journey into the startup world wasn’t a straight line. I trained as a veterinarian and spent over a decade building and running veterinary clinics. That experience taught me a tremendous amount about leadership, finance, operations, and how even the smallest decisions can have a ripple effect throughout a business. Clinics are, in many ways, early-stage startups. You’re managing people, clients, cash flow, logistics, and outcomes, all in real-time. It was demanding, but it ignited a passion within me: a fascination with building systems that solve real problems at scale.
Trying to solve these daily challenges without formal business training eventually led me to enroll in an MBA program at UCT. There, my curiosity about business turned into a full-blown passion. I loved everything I learned, and for the first time, I was introduced to venture capital. The more I explored VC, the more I realised that my personality and skills were a great fit. It felt like a natural evolution. I was energised by the founders I met, by the pace, and by the creativity of the ecosystem.
Why I Love Startups
There’s something profoundly energising about working with someone who has nothing more than an idea and a sense of purpose. I love being part of that early-stage journey, helping shape strategy, test assumptions, and build something from the ground up that could one day make a massive impact.
The startups that excite me the most are those tackling meaningful, systemic issues, whether in agritech, biotech, vettech, or renewable energy systems. The sweet spot is when a passionate team meets a high-impact problem. That’s where transformation happens.
Why I Joined Savant
Savant brings together everything I value in this work. We don’t just fund companies, we help build them. What drew me in most was the team. It’s a group of incredibly smart, humble people who are experts in their own right, but even stronger together. We share ideas, challenge each other, and support each other constantly. That kind of environment creates a ripple effect, and it carries through to the founders we work with.
I also deeply believe in Savant’s mission: to support African deep tech and hardware innovators in solving some of the world’s most pressing challenges through science and engineering. Startups need more than just capital; they also require frameworks, feedback, mentorship, and encouragement. That’s exactly what we provide, and it’s a privilege to be part of that.
Why Africa, Why Now
I’m often asked why I’ve chosen to build in Africa. My answer is simple: the opportunity here is enormous. We’re a continent full of talent, resilience, and ambition, but we often lack the structures and support to help founders cross the early chasm. That’s where Savant fits in, and that’s where I want to be.
My Guiding Philosophy
Learn. Apply. Adapt. This simple mantra has guided my growth in every chapter of my career. I’ve never claimed to have all the answers—but I’m relentless in the pursuit of finding them. Whether I was navigating the chaos of a veterinary practice, sitting through MBA lectures, or now working with visionary founders, I’ve always approached problems with curiosity, humility, and a willingness to change.
I believe that if you’re willing to learn, brave enough to apply what you’ve learned, and flexible enough to adapt when things change (because they always will), you can build something extraordinary. That mindset has carried me through pivots, failures, and breakthroughs—and it’s what I try to instill in every founder I work with.
Startups rarely follow a straight line. Things move quickly, and what works today might not work tomorrow. But if you keep learning, experimenting, and evolving, you stay in the game—and sometimes, that’s the difference between stagnation and success.
“Don’t be too attached to your ideas. If something doesn’t work, abandon it and move on to something that does.”— Paraphrased from Steve Jobs’ product philosophy and leadership approach
If you’re a founder with a bold idea, or just someone figuring out what you want to build, I’d love to connect. This journey is both challenging and incredibly rewarding. And none of us are meant to walk it alone.