SA’s Mission Mobile secures $30.1m funding to help MNOs access more customers

South African mobile technology company Mission Mobile will receive up to ZAR500 million (US$30.1 million) in funding from investment holding company DN Invest (DNI) to help mobile network operators (MNOs) expand their customer base.

Founded in 2023 by Johannesburg-born brothers Tim and Adam Strike, Mission Mobile was created to help network operators build more consistent customer engagement, while at the same time enabling those customers to get more from their mobile spend.

“With more than 80% of South Africa’s mobile connections still on prepaid, a traditional contract remains out of reach for many,” said Tim Strike, co-founder and CEO of Mission Mobile.

“Customers are often spread across multiple SIMs, with little commitment to any one network. That erodes the value of customer relationships for local network providers. It also lessens the purchasing power of their customers and compromises their ability to stay connected.”

Mission Mobile’s solution to this challenge began with Beam, its proprietary technology platform. Beam interprets how people actually earn and spend, rather than relying only on conventional financial assessments. This helps the company identify customers for whom a smartphone offer would be a good fit, but who might otherwise be overlooked by traditional providers.

Mission Mobile has since turned that capability into a model offered to customers through MNO retail outlets. Its approach is grounded in a deep understanding of both the local market, and the challenge operators face in serving a wider range of customers.

“Our technology helps us connect customers with smartphone offers that suit their needs and give them more value from their mobile spend,” said Tim. “This enables network providers to serve people who might previously have been out of reach, while helping customers stay connected and active on the same SIM. Ultimately, this creates more predictable engagement, stronger loyalty and greater long-term value for networks and their customers.”

The startup has now secured up to ZAR500 million in funding from DNI, which will enable it to expand its model, helping MNOs serve a broader customer base, while giving more people access to smartphones and cost-effective connectivity. It will extend the startup’s customer reach and support the development of further propositions for network providers.

“DNI invests in the people behind the businesses,” said Mick Silke, CEO of finco at DNI. “Tim, Adam and their team recognised an opportunity to help mobile network operators serve millions more people and built the technology to make that possible. The commercial opportunity is considerable, but so is the potential impact on people’s lives—greater value from their hard-earned money and the ability to stay connected. Businesses that can achieve both are rare, and they are exactly the ones we look to support.”

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