16 angel investors back Cape Town founders in 2026. Michael Jordaan, Dazzle Angels, and SABAN write early cheques. The Western Cape leads SA for startup funding.
Most Cape Town startups raise their first cheque from an angel. The whole Silicon Cape startup scene runs on them.
Michael Jordaan and Dazzle Angels back local founders. Newtown Partners writes early-stage cheques here too.
Angels move fast, but they still want clean numbers. Ellty tracks every open when you share your deck.
This guide lists 16 active Cape Town angel investors.
| Type | Check size | Sector focus | Website | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Jordaan | Individual angel | $10K-$100K+ | Fintech, telco, agritech | montegray.com |
| Vinny Lingham | Angel + VC partner | $25K-$250K | Fintech, blockchain | newtownpartners.com |
| Llew Claasen | Angel + VC partner | Fund-scale | Blockchain, fintech | newtownpartners.com |
| Keet van Zyl | Angel + VC partner | Fund-scale | SaaS, fintech, B2B | knifecap.com |
| Andrea Bohmert | Angel + VC partner | Fund-scale | SaaS, fintech, health | knifecap.com |
| Brett Commaille | Individual angel | $25K-$250K | SaaS, fintech, deep tech | havaic.com |
| Paul Cook | Operator-investor | Fund-scale | E-commerce, SaaS | silvertree.co.za |
| Sam Paddock | Individual angel | $10K-$100K | Edtech, SaaS | Not listed |
| Alan Knott-Craig Jr | Operator-angel | $10K-$100K | Telecoms, consumer tech | Not listed |
| Justin Stanford | Angel + VC partner | Fund-scale | Fintech, insurtech, SaaS | 4dicapital.com |
| Dazzle Angels | Women-led angel fund | $25K-$250K | Women-led startups | dazzleangels.com |
| Newtown Partners | Early-stage VC | $25K-$250K | Blockchain, fintech | newtownpartners.com |
| SABAN | Angel network body | $25K-$250K | Sector-agnostic | saban.org.za |
| Jozi Angels | Angel network | $25K-$250K | Sector-agnostic, tech | joziangels.co.za |
| ABAN | Pan-African angel network | Network-level | Sector-agnostic | abanangels.org |
| The Silicon Cape Initiative | Startup ecosystem body | Not a fund | Tech ecosystem | siliconcape.com |
Run your Cape Town angel round tight
Share your deck with angels and see who reads it. Ellty logs every open in your data room.
Start free 14-day trialWhat a Cape Town angel investor backs
An angel invests personal money at the earliest stage. They back the founder well before a single VC will.
Most write $10K to $250K at the pre-seed and seed stage. Many Johannesburg angel investors invest here too.
They want a sharp founder and early real traction. Track interest with clean pitch deck tracking software.
Ellty gives each angel one trackable link to your deck. You see who read it before the first coffee meeting.
Angel investing in Africa has moved beyond hobby investing; it is now a strategic lever for economic transformation.
16 Cape Town angel investors
1. Michael Jordaan
Michael Jordaan is an ex-FNB CEO and prolific SA angel.
Recent Activity: Backs early-stage founders through his Montegray Capital
LinkedIn: Not listed
Sector Focus: Fintech, telco, agritech
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
Check Size: $10K-$100K+
Location: Stellenbosch / Cape Town
Website: montegray.com
2. Vinny Lingham
Vinny Lingham is a serial SA founder and Newtown partner.
Recent Activity: Invests early-stage via Newtown Partners, a prolific tech angel
LinkedIn: Vinny Lingham LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Fintech, blockchain
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
Check Size: $25K-$250K
Location: Cape Town / USA
Website: newtownpartners.com
3. Llew Claasen
Llew Claasen is Newtown Partners' managing partner.
Recent Activity: Backs early-stage blockchain and fintech via Newtown Partners
LinkedIn: Llew Claasen LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Blockchain, fintech
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
Check Size: Fund-scale
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Website: newtownpartners.com
4. Keet van Zyl
Keet van Zyl is a Knife Capital co-founder and investor.
Recent Activity: Backs SaaS and fintech, with an angel-network history
LinkedIn: Keet van Zyl LinkedIn
Sector Focus: SaaS, fintech, B2B
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Check Size: Fund-scale
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Website: knifecap.com
5. Andrea Bohmert
Andrea Bohmert is a veteran SA early-stage investor at Knife.
Recent Activity: A Knife Capital co-managing partner backing SA founders
LinkedIn: Andrea Bohmert LinkedIn
Sector Focus: SaaS, fintech, health
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Check Size: Fund-scale
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Website: knifecap.com
Share your deck and track every angel open
Ellty shows when Michael Jordaan or a solo angel opens your deck. Follow up at the right time.
Start free 14-day trial6. Brett Commaille
Brett Commaille is an SA seed investor and AngelHub founder.
Recent Activity: An active SA early-stage angel, now part of HAVAIC
LinkedIn: Brett Commaille LinkedIn
Sector Focus: SaaS, fintech, deep tech
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
Check Size: $25K-$250K
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Website: havaic.com
7. Paul Cook
Paul Cook is the founder of Cape Town's Silvertree Holdings.
Recent Activity: Builds and backs SA e-commerce and SaaS via Silvertree
LinkedIn: Paul Cook LinkedIn
Sector Focus: E-commerce, SaaS
Stage Focus: Seed, early growth
Check Size: Fund-scale
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Website: silvertree.co.za
8. Sam Paddock
Sam Paddock is the GetSmarter co-founder, now an angel.
Recent Activity: Backs edtech and SaaS founders after the 2U exit
LinkedIn: Sam Paddock LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Edtech, SaaS
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
Check Size: $10K-$100K
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Website: Not listed
9. Alan Knott-Craig Jr
Alan Knott-Craig Jr is an SA serial founder and angel.
Recent Activity: Backs telecoms and consumer tech, founded Herotel and Mxit
LinkedIn: Alan Knott-Craig LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Telecoms, consumer tech
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
Check Size: $10K-$100K
Location: Stellenbosch / Cape Town
Website: Not listed
10. Justin Stanford
Justin Stanford is a 4Di Capital co-founder and angel.
Recent Activity: Backs fintech and SaaS, an early Silicon Cape founder
LinkedIn: Justin Stanford LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Fintech, insurtech, SaaS
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Check Size: Fund-scale
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Website: 4dicapital.com
11. Dazzle Angels
Dazzle Angels is South Africa's first women-led angel fund.
Recent Activity: An active SA backer of women founders at pre-seed and seed
LinkedIn: Dazzle Angels LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Women-led startups
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
Check Size: $25K-$250K
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Website: dazzleangels.com
12. Newtown Partners
Newtown Partners is a Cape Town early-stage tech VC.
Recent Activity: Writes early-stage cheques into blockchain and fintech
LinkedIn: Newtown Partners LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Blockchain, fintech
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
Check Size: $25K-$250K
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Website: newtownpartners.com
13. SABAN
SABAN is South Africa's national business angel network.
Recent Activity: An active SA member body for early-stage angel investors
LinkedIn: SABAN LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Sector-agnostic
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
Check Size: $25K-$250K
Location: South Africa
Website: saban.org.za
14. Jozi Angels
Jozi Angels is an SA angel network founded by Abu Cassim.
Recent Activity: Has backed 52+ startups since 2017 across South Africa
LinkedIn: Jozi Angels LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Sector-agnostic, tech
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
Check Size: $25K-$250K
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Website: joziangels.co.za
15. ABAN
ABAN is the pan-African business angel network body.
Recent Activity: Reported African angels deployed $4.4M in 2025
LinkedIn: ABAN LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Sector-agnostic
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
Check Size: Network-level
Location: Pan-African
Website: abanangels.org
16. The Silicon Cape Initiative
Silicon Cape is a Cape Town startup ecosystem nonprofit.
Recent Activity: Connects founders to mentorship and angel capital in the Cape
LinkedIn: The Silicon Cape Initiative LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Tech ecosystem
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed enabler
Check Size: Not a fund
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Website: siliconcape.com
Silicon Cape and the angel scene
Silicon Cape put the city's startup scene on the map. It still connects founders to local angels each year.
Many of these angels are also ex-founders themselves. They back people who remind them of their own start.
Warm intros still open most angel doors in the Cape. Capture real interest with a sharp lead capture page.
Smaller team? Read due diligence for small business first. Ellty logs who opened each file you share.
Syndicates versus solo angels
Networks like Dazzle Angels pool many small cheques. Solo angels write and decide all on their own terms.
A syndicate gives you one process and many backers. A solo angel gives you speed and a clear single yes.
Either way, control who sees your sensitive files. Set granular permissions on every external share.
Send each angel one link, not a heavy email attachment. Ellty shows who opened it and exactly what they read.
What Cape Town angels look for
Cape Town angels want a real founder, not a slick deck. They back people who keep shipping through hard months.
Early traction beats a big forecast at this stage. Show them real users, revenue, or strong retention.
They also study how you handle the tough questions. Share your answers safely with secure file sharing.
Learn how financial due diligence really works early. Ellty tracks exactly who reads each doc you share.
How to pitch a Cape Town angel investor
Lead with the founder story and real traction.
- 1.Show real traction and a clear founder story.Angels back people before they back ideas.
- 2.Ask for a specific cheque and use of funds.Vague asks stall an angel decision fast.
- 3.Send one Ellty link, not a heavy attachment.Track who opens your deck and when.
- 4.Follow up the moment an angel reads it.Ellty tells you exactly when they did.
How Ellty helps you land an angel investor in Cape Town
You've shortlisted your Cape Town angel investors already. Set up a data room before the first call.
- 1.Upload your deck, model, and updates to Ellty.Set access per angel or per network.
- 2.Share one trackable link with each angel.Each angel gets a unique tracked link.
- 3.Watch opens and follow up at the right time.Use Ellty analytics to time each nudge.
Cape Town angel investor questions
- Michael Jordaan and Dazzle Angels lead. Solo angels and networks both invest.
- Cheques run $10K to $250K at pre-seed. Networks pool many cheques together.
- Start with Silicon Cape and SABAN. Warm intros still work best here.
- A strong founder and real traction. A clean deck and clear ask help.
- Many now run their own VC funds. They still write early cheques too.
- Before you email a single angel. Track who opens your deck and when.
