Who are we?
BackaBuddy is Africa’s leading crowdfunding platform that empowers hundreds of thousands of people to donate to causes that matter most to them. Since 2015, we’ve helped over 90,000 individuals and organizations raise the critical funds they need.
We enable the power of human kindness. By uniting people through generosity, we showcase the incredible impact that happens when communities come together to make good things happen.
Our North-stars?
Impact. To make crowdfunding on BackaBuddy an option for anyone in Africa to raise the funds they need.
Trust. To give every donor clear evidence of what their donations achieved.
How we started
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| Pictured above: Patrick and Catherine attending the ‘Leadership for Systems Change: Delivering Social Impact at Scale’ course at Harvard University in 2019. |
In 2015, BackaBuddy was reborn when crowdfunding pioneer Patrick Schofield took the reins and invited Catherine Du Plooy to join him. Together & with a growing team, we’ve become Africa’s leading donations platform, raising over half a billion rand (USD $34m) for more than 90,000 causes and over 8,000 charities (including The Gift of the Givers, Kolisi Foundation, and Rainbows and Smiles) through 500,000 global donations.
When people come together, amazing things happen.
Our evidence-of-impact stories reach over 10 million people annually in the media and have been featured on every major news platform in South Africa, including IOL, Sunday Times, Cape Talk, Good Things Guy, Daily Maverick, Carte Blanche, SABC News, eNCA News, and News24.
The original idea and platform were the vision of Sue Peiser, who founded BackaBuddy in 2008, driven by a deep passion for community empowerment. Sue was supported by her husband, the late Allan Beuthin. When Allan passed away in 2015, Sue asked Patrick to take up the mantle. Allan’s vision for community-based philanthropic funding has since grown into a powerful force for good across the continent.
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| Pictured above: Allan Beuthin and his wife, Sue Peiser. |
“As a platform, BackaBuddy allows us to come together as communities to support people and causes we believe in, regardless of our differences. For every cause, accident, or catastrophe we face, we witness many who step up when asked by their peers. This is the immense power that crowdfunding facilitates, which goes far beyond just the funds raised,” says BackaBuddy CEO Patrick Schofield.
Our Vision and Mission
Vision:
To bring the best of humanity into the digital age by connecting people through shared experiences and funding, building a more equitable society.
Mission:
To address financial vulnerability by providing a global community funding platform that creates value between people and causes.
Meet The A-Team That Makes It Happen
Patrick
Gareth
Lisa
Catherine
Anthony
Matt
Hayley
Lakiwe
Melvina
Noeline
Husain
Zane
Carla
Nurjah
Mourine
Simbulele
Bernelie
Monique
Mirjana
Jessica
Zay-yaan
Carly
Lucinda
Taswill
Marc
Fhulu
Kevin
Nicole
Tessa
Stacey
Our Core Values
Accountability:
Accountability is the foundation of everything we do at BackaBuddy. We foster a culture of ownership and transparency—both within our team and the communities we serve. This commitment shows up in every detail, from how we design our platform, to how we share impact updates with donors, to how we communicate openly with campaign creators and beneficiaries. It’s how we build trust, deliver on promises, and stay true to our purpose.
Growth:
Growth guides us toward what we aspire to become. It means learning, building, and improving—in ourselves, our work, and the world around us. Within our team and company, growth includes personal development, meaningful collaboration, and a deepening understanding of the communities we serve. It’s about continuously improving our platform to better support campaigners and donors, unlocking the potential within our team, and expanding our impact across South Africa and beyond. Growth fosters kindness, compassion, and empathy—bringing people together to create lasting change. Ultimately, it reflects the best of what it means to be human—in our platform, our people, and the communities we uplift.
Impact:
Impact is the reason BackaBuddy exists. Every campaign, every donation, and every story shared on our platform is rooted in the desire to make a meaningful difference. We believe in purposeful action—where even the smallest contributions can create lasting change. For us, impact means being intentional in our work, aligning with the greater good, and always asking how we can help more effectively. It’s seen in the joy of a campaign reaching its goal, the relief of a family receiving support, and the ripple effect of kindness extended through our community. At BackaBuddy, impact isn’t just measured in rands raised—it’s felt in the lives changed.