2ndBase is the expansion partner for venture-backed companies entering Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle East — built by operators who took iflix from zero to 28 countries in 14 months and raised $280m doing it.
The playbook that got you to Series A doesn't survive contact with Lagos, Jakarta or Riyadh. Payments work differently. Regulation moves differently. Talent, distribution and trust are built differently — and differently again in every market. Most companies discover this the expensive way: a hired country manager, a year of runway, and a quiet retreat.
The companies that win these markets don't figure it out from scratch. They borrow the scar tissue of people who already have.
Go/no-go analysis on your target markets. Entry sequencing, cost-to-launch model, regulatory and payments landmines, competitive map, and the first ten introductions you'll need. You leave with a board-ready expansion plan — or a well-reasoned decision not to go.
Start with an auditWe operate as your CEO, CMO or GM in-market. Entity setup, first hires, launch partners, commercial deals, marketing that fits the market. Your team learns by doing it alongside us. When we hand over, it's to your people, running a working operation.
Talk about fractionalEnd-to-end launch ownership with skin in the game. We take part of our compensation in equity or milestone-based success fees, because we only want to launch things that work.
Discuss a launchYour portfolio companies will look at Africa, Southeast Asia and the Gulf in the next 24 months — some because the growth story demands it, some because their board does. We work with venture funds on an annual retainer. One relationship; every portfolio company de-risked before they spend.
2ndBase was founded by André de Wet. He built PriceCheck into Africa's largest price-comparison marketplace and exited in 2015, then led iflix's expansion across Africa as part of a team that took the business into 28 countries in 14 months and raised $280m along the way.
The 2ndBase network is made up of operators who have run P&Ls, hired teams, signed telco and payment deals, and shipped product in these markets — not consultants who've written reports about them.
We don't send you a hundred-page study. We get on planes.
The Readiness Audit: which markets, in what sequence, at what cost, with which risks. Board-ready in three weeks.
We operate in-market as your team, with your team — entity, hires, partners, commercial deals, launch.
Your people run it. You're 24–36 months ahead of where you'd be doing it alone.
Took UBU from concept to a funded, operating digital-commerce platform: built the leadership and delivery team, shipped the core platform, and drove merchant acquisition across the South African market — earning the SME Southern Africa award for Best Customer-Focused Solution.
Brought in to answer one question: what should Africa's largest telco look like in the super-app era? We researched the global super-app landscape, mapped the mobile-commerce opportunity, built a working MVP, and presented to the Vodacom Board. The go-to-market model was accepted in full and incorporated into Vodacom's national mobile commerce strategy — the direction that later evolved into the Alipay-powered VodaPay super-app.
Led the African arm of one of the fastest emerging-market expansions on record: launching a subscription streaming service across African markets as part of a global rollout into 28 countries in 14 months — localising content, payments and telco partnerships market by market, while the business raised $280m.
Advised one of South Africa's largest health and beauty retailers on its digital strategy — including how to build subscription into the existing online offering as a recurring-revenue and loyalty engine.
Engaged by global advisory firm YCP to deliver a local market study for their client BMI: Africa planning, roll-out sequencing, and a clear go/no-go recommendation on expansion.
→ This is our Expansion Readiness Audit, delivered.
Companies we've built, launched or advised
Thirty minutes, no deck required. Bring the markets you're weighing and the timeline your board is asking about — we'll tell you honestly whether and how we can help.