From university fees to medical bills, crowdfunding is helping South Africans bridge financial gaps and build community support.
South Africa (23 July 2025) – In recent years, crowdfunding has emerged as a powerful tool for change in South Africa, a way for ordinary people to raise extraordinary support. Whether it’s a student raising funds to pay for university, a community backing an innovative startup, or a family seeking help with unexpected medical costs, crowdfunding platforms have made it easier than ever to rally support from friends, strangers, and everyone in between.
What sets crowdfunding apart is its accessibility. You don’t need celebrity status or corporate sponsorship, just a compelling cause, a clear goal, and the willingness to share your story. And South Africans are showing up for each other. From education and health to small business dreams and disaster relief, communities across the country are using digital platforms to pool their resources and uplift one another.
As the cost of living continues to rise and traditional support systems become harder to access, crowdfunding offers a glimmer of hope, a reminder that generosity is still alive and well. With just a few clicks, a campaign can go from a quiet plea to a movement of solidarity.
Here at Good Things Guy, we often share stories related to crowdfunding, so our inbox is regularly filled with emails asking for help in raising funds. We thought we would put together a list of crowdfunding options available to South Africans.
We recommend doing research on fee structures, payment schedules and general support. We couldn’t make specific recommendations about any of these services; this just serves as an informative list to help you find a few options in one place.
Let’s take a look:
BackaBuddy
Founded in 2015, BackaBuddy offers a crowdfunding space for individuals and causes throughout Africa. Based in South Africa, the platform is catered to local support.
Website: https://www.backabuddy.co.za/
Different.org
Different was founded to support South African non-profit projects access support from the public, which enables them to access 100% of the donated funds.
Website: https://different.org
Feenix
Feenix was founded in 2017 to assist students in crowdfunding to fund their educations. The funds raised are paid to help students register, pay fees to graduate or to get started.
Website: https://feenix.org
Fundnation
Fundnation was founded to give charitable causes a whole crowdfunding suite of services specially catered to each campaign’s needs.
Website: https://fundnation.org/website/
GivenGain
GivenGain was founded in Stellenbosch in 2001 and has expanded globally, working with charities in over 100 countries. They are a registered non-profit and only supply crowdfunding to registered charities.
Website: https://www.givengain.com
Jumpstarter
Jumpstarter was started to support people in reaching their full funding goal. This platform only pays out the funds when a campaign is fully funded.
Website: https://jumpstarter.co.za
Sports for Lives
Sports for Lives was created to help people fund causes close to their hearts through sporting endeavours.
Website: https://sportforlives.org
Thundafund
Thundafund is a platform where people can raise funds for businesses, projects, innovations and whatever creative endeavours speak to their hearts.
Website: https://thundafund.africa
Quicket Fundraising
The ticketing platform has a charitable element which allows people to use events to raise funds for charity.
Website: https://www.quicket.co.za
Oh, PS: If we missed any crowdfunders, please pop us an email at stories@goodthingsguy.com
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