Smart Tech, Broken Systems – Building a Startup in South Africa’s Civic Sector

From landfill billing to AI-powered mining tools, this innovator shows how tech rooted in social impact can still scale

In this episode, Brendan Fernandez describes how he builds tech tools aimed at solving real problems, rather than chasing hype — focusing on civic-tech, industrial AI, and IoT to address system failures in South Africa.

He explains the difficulties of developing socially-oriented tech: dealing with broken systems, scarce funding, regulatory hurdles, and the challenge of creating solutions that are both impactful and sustainable.

The conversation emphasises that for technology to truly serve society, startups must commit to purpose over profit, build for accessibility and equity, and stay grounded in local needs rather than importing generic solutions