About Us
BackaBuddy helps people raise and give funds for real needs across South Africa, with systems that make giving safer, clearer and more human.
These numbers represent real participation over time.
People showing up for one another, across South Africa and beyond.
Cape Town
718,216 Donors and Campaign Creators
Pretoria
488,048 Donors and Campaign Creators
Johannesburg
457,565 Donors and Campaign Creators
Durban
144,708 Donors and Campaign Creators
Vereeniging
115,772 Donors and Campaign Creators
Pietermaritzburg
71,705 Donors and Campaign Creators
Soweto
63,824 Donors and Campaign Creators
Gqeberha
53,959 Donors and Campaign Creators
Welkom
52,109 Donors and Campaign Creators
East London
31,447 Donors and Campaign Creators
Polokwane
20,187 Donors and Campaign Creators
Stellenbosch
15,498 Donors and Campaign Creators
Worcester
12,336 Donors and Campaign Creators
Kariega
11,959 Donors and Campaign Creators
George
11,120 Donors and Campaign Creators
Paarl
10,210 Donors and Campaign Creators
Ballito
9,660 Donors and Campaign Creators
Mbombela
9,377 Donors and Campaign Creators
Mossel Bay
7,815 Donors and Campaign Creators
eMalahleni
7,573 Donors and Campaign Creators
Kroonstad
5,843 Donors and Campaign Creators
Richards Bay
5,307 Donors and Campaign Creators
Kimberley
4,926 Donors and Campaign Creators
Calvinia
511 Donors and Campaign Creators
Colesberg
18 Donors and Campaign Creators
Upington
2,390 Donors and Campaign Creators
Springbok
53 Donors and Campaign Creators
Sutherland
3 Donors and Campaign Creators
Growing givers across South Africa🇿🇦
See where support is growing. This map gives a bird’s-eye view of the communities being uplifted by givers across the country.
Who we are
BackaBuddy is a South African donation-based crowdfunding platform built to help people raise funds for real needs, while giving donors a safer and clearer way to support causes they care about.
What makes us different
Systems, not slogans
We build clear giving journeys people can understand in one read.
Safeguards that protect trust
We use verification and platform controls to reduce risk and improve confidence.
Clarity before persuasion
We explain what’s happening, what it means, and what happens next.
Designed for repeat giving
We focus on long-term participation, not one-off spikes.
Our Story
BackaBuddy started with a simple belief: when people come together to support one another, something powerful happens.
In 2015 Founder Patrick Schofield bought the platform technology and re-launched BackaBuddy, asking co-founder Catherine Swanepoel to join him in building the new rails of generosity for Africa.
Today, that vision has become a reality and we continue to build systems that make giving safer, simpler and more human.
Our purpose
To bring the best of humanity into the digital age by connecting people through shared experiences and funding, building a more equitable society.
Our direction
We grow givers. We design everything to make giving feel safe, clear, repeatable and respectful.
Our leadership
We’re a diverse, distributed team working across South Africa and with colleagues across African markets including Kenya. Our leadership team is accountable for strategy, operations and the technology that protects trust at scale.
Patrick Schofield
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Patrick leads strategy and platform direction, with a focus on building trusted giving infrastructure and scaling participation responsibly.
Catherine du Plooy
Co-Founder & Chief Growth Officer
Catherine leads growth, helping more people discover BackaBuddy, understand how giving works, and return to give again.
Anthony Alberts
Chief Technology Officer
Anthony leads technology and platform engineering. His focus is on building an innovative and secure infrastructure that supports user journeys.
Lisa Young
Chief Operating Officer
Lisa leads operations across the platform, ensuring the systems behind fundraising, verification, and support run reliably day-to-day.
Lunda Wright
Co-Founder & Investor
Lunda is both a Co-Founder of BackaBuddy and investor in our sister platform Thundafund. He now leads his own tech company, Insodus.
Frequently Asked Questions
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