What’s your name and designation?

My name is Lesedi, and I’m a Co-Founder at Sulta Tech.

Tell us about your journey. How did you get started with your business, and what inspired you to do so?

Sulta Tech started when I realised that while everyone was talking about AI as this futuristic thing, not many people were actually using it to solve the real problems that business owners face.

I’m also involved in AI academia, which helps keep me on the pulse of what’s coming next, but the heart of the agency is in Pretoria. The inspiration was pretty simple: I wanted to take all this complex tech and turn it into something practical.

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced when starting your business, and how did you overcome them?

The biggest challenge was that most people see AI as a novelty, so we had to prove its practical value. We did this by focusing on tools like Antinori for legal teams and custom billing systems that solve specific, everyday problems.

Winning the “Most Innovative AI Start-Up” award in 2025 was also a turning point. It gave us the credibility to show we were actually delivering results.

What unique aspects of doing business in South Africa would you highlight (good or bad)?

In South Africa, the adoption rate for AI is definitely lower than in more developed markets. I believe that in more saturated markets, companies have bigger R&D budgets to “experiment” with tech. South African firms are more conservative; they want to see a clear Return on Investment before they commit.

How do you differentiate your business from competitors?

Most local agencies just sell basic chatbots. We differentiate by plugging AI directly into your actual tools, like your CRM or billing system, so it does the heavy lifting.

A good example is Antinori, which handles real legal case files rather than just answering questions. We focus on cutting costs and saving time, not selling flashy “innovation” for the sake of it. Also, we run Sulta Tech using these same workflows—if it doesn’t work for us, we won’t sell it.

What strategies have you found to be most effective in growing your customer base?

SEO has been the main driver of our company’s growth recently.

What’s one mistake you made early on that you wish you could go back and fix?

I tried to do everything myself instead of building out systems from the start. Early on, I was the one handling every line of code, every client email, and every bit of admin. It worked for a while, but it wasn’t scalable.

What’s the most rewarding part of being a business owner?

The most rewarding part is seeing a solution we built actually change how a business operates.

How do you approach innovation and staying relevant in your industry?

Innovation in AI moves so fast that “staying relevant” means being willing to get rid of what worked yesterday. I approach it by focusing on utility over novelty.

I stay up to date through my involvement in AI academia, but I only ever consider something if it either saves time or produces significant value.

How has your business adapted to the digital age, and what advice would you give to others looking to do the same?

We were born digital-first, using our own AI agents to run operations and manage our remote team. My advice: don’t digitise for the sake of it. Automate the boring, repetitive tasks like billing or admin that save you time immediately.

What advice do you have for someone just starting a business in South Africa?

Expect setbacks and things not being “perfect” and prepare yourself to overcome those hurdles. Every hurdle you overcome the close you’ll get to your goal.

For more information, visit Sulta Tech’s listing.

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