Backabuddy
BackaBuddy is a South African online crowdfunding platform that enables individuals and registered nonprofits to raise funds for medical, educational, community, housing, animal welfare and environmental causes, operating on a 0% platform-fee model since May 2025 and processing donations through Nedbank, Ozow, Paysoft and PayPal.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersCape Town, South Africa
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Backabuddy does
BackaBuddy is a South Africa-based online crowdfunding platform that enables individuals, communities and registered non-profit organisations to raise funds for causes including medical treatment, education, community projects, housing, animal welfare and environmental conservation. The platform operates on a 0% platform-fee model (effective 30 May 2025), recovering costs only through payment-gateway processing fees passed to payment partners (EFT R12 flat, Instant EFT 3% via Ozow, Debit Card 3.2%, Credit Card 3.9%, Recurring Debit R5 via Paysoft, PayPal $0.30 + 5.5% for international donations) and discretionary voluntary tips from donors and creators. Its product surface includes the core campaign-creation portal, an organisation-registration workflow with vetted profiles, and a Bluetick ("BackaBuddy Assisted") option under which the platform administers funds and pays vendors directly rather than disbursing to the individual beneficiary.
The business is operated through a dual-entity structure: BackaBuddy NPC (Reg No. 2015/313483/08) is the registered non-profit through which donations flow, while Blue Gecko (Pty) Ltd (Reg No. 2023/628004/07) is the for-profit operating entity that develops, owns and operates the platform. BackaBuddy integrates payment infrastructure with Nedbank (core payment partner), Ozow (Instant EFT), Paysoft (recurring debit orders) and PayPal (international), secured via AWS Certificate Manager SSL and analysed with Google Analytics. There is no public API, SDK or developer offering. BackaBuddy's "Trusted by Leading Organisations" page lists registered charity customers including Afrika Tikkun Foundation, Gift of the Givers, Kolisi Foundation, Trevor Noah Foundation, CHOC, SADAG, TEARS Foundation, VUSA Rugby & Learning Academy and others.
The go-to-market is product-led and self-serve: individuals sign up, build a campaign with story, goal and images, and distribute it through their own social and community networks. Distribution is anchored on social sharing, the BackaBuddy news site (news.backabuddy.co.za), and partnerships with marquee South African nonprofits that lend credibility and reach. Headquartered in Plumstead, Cape Town, the company is led by Founder, Director and CEO Patrick Schofield. BackaBuddy positions itself as "Africa's Most Trusted Crowdfunding Platform" and reports R800M+ distributed to causes and 825,000+ committed givers across 128,000+ campaigns between 2015 and mid-2025.
Backabuddy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Backabuddy
- Legal name
- Blue Gecko (Pty) Ltd
- Website
- https://backabuddy.co.za
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- BackaBuddy is a South African online crowdfunding platform that enables individuals and registered nonprofits to raise funds for medical, educational, community, housing, animal welfare and environmental causes, operating on a 0% platform-fee model since May 2025 and processing donations through Nedbank, Ozow, Paysoft and PayPal.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Backabuddy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Crowdfunding Platform
- NAICS
- Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Capacity Building & Nonprofit Infrastructure Funders (BPAGAKAO)
Keywords
Where Backabuddy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cape Town
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
Backabuddy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Payment Gateway Processing Fees (Passed Through): BackaBuddy charges only payment gateway processing fees which are passed to payment partners. No compulsory platform fee is charged. Fees vary by payment method: EFT R12 flat, Instant EFT 3%, Debit Card 3.2%, Credit Card 3.9%, Recurring Debit R5, International PayPal $0.30 + 5.5%.
- Voluntary Tips/Donations: Donors and campaign creators may choose to add a voluntary tip to support platform sustainability, enabling BackaBuddy to maintain 0% platform fees.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | 0% Platform Fee with Payment Gateway Fees |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Backabuddy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BackaBuddy operates an online crowdfunding platform that enables individuals, organisations, and registered charities to create fundraising campaigns for causes such as medical procedures, education, community projects, housing, animal rescue, and environmental conservation. The platform charges no platform fees (0% as of May 2025), passing through only payment-gateway processing fees, and offers a vetting/verification system plus an optional Bluetick (BackaBuddy Assisted) campaign administration mode where funds are paid directly to vendors rather than beneficiaries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- BackaBuddy Crowdfunding Platform Self-serve online crowdfunding platform for South African individuals, organisations, and charities to create fundraising campaigns across medical, education, community, housing, animal welfare, and conservation causes. Features 0% platform fees, campaign vetting/verification, flexible payouts, and multi-payment support (EFT, Instant EFT, debit/credit card, PayPal, recurring debit orders).
- Bluetick Campaigns (BackaBuddy Assisted) Optional campaign mode where BackaBuddy administers funds and pays vendors, organisations, or service providers directly upon presentation of invoices or transaction proof, instead of paying the individual campaign creator. Provides additional donor confidence and helps ensure funds are used for the stated purpose.
- Organisation Registration Verified-profile registration service for organisations, charities, and foundations. Once registered, organisations and their supporters can create multiple fundraising campaigns, with payouts only processed after vetting.
- The BackaBuddy Foundation Registered South African non-profit company (Reg No. 2015/313483/08) that manages all donations processed through the BackaBuddy crowdfunding platform. Operates in conjunction with Blue Gecko (Pty) Ltd, the operational technology entity.
Quantifiable outcome
- R800M+ funds distributed to causes since 2015
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Backabuddy
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Backabuddy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Feature4 records
Backabuddy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Afrika Tikkun FoundationcoreMajor South African nonprofit organization registered on BackaBuddy platform, using crowdfunding to support community development programs.
- Gift of the GiverscoreWell-known South African disaster relief and humanitarian organization using BackaBuddy for fundraising campaigns.
- Kolisi FoundationcoreFoundation founded by Siya Kolisi (Springbok captain) using BackaBuddy for community and sports development initiatives.
- Trevor Noah FoundationcoreFoundation established by comedian Trevor Noah, using BackaBuddy platform for educational and social causes.
- CHOC (Childhood Cancer Foundation)coreChildhood Cancer Foundation South Africa registered on BackaBuddy for childhood cancer support campaigns.
- SADAG (South African Depression and Anxiety Group)coreMental health nonprofit organization using BackaBuddy for depression and anxiety related fundraising campaigns.
- Rainbows and Smiles FoundationminorChildhood cancer support foundation registered on BackaBuddy platform.
- TEARS FoundationminorAnimal welfare organization using BackaBuddy for animal rescue fundraising.
- Souper TroopersminorCharitable organization using BackaBuddy for community feeding programs.
- VUSA Rugby & Learning AcademyminorSports and education academy using BackaBuddy for youth development fundraising.
- Avela FoundationminorFoundation registered on BackaBuddy for various social causes.
- Crossroads Chess ClubminorCommunity organization using BackaBuddy for youth development through chess.
- DBV KroonstadminorCommunity organization using BackaBuddy for local fundraising.
- PaysoftcorePayment gateway provider for recurring debit order processing. BackaBuddy integrates Paysoft for recurring donation functionality at R5 per transaction.
- PayPalcoreInternational payment gateway for processing international donations and credit card payments. International fees: $0.30 + 5.5% per transaction.
- OzowcoreInstant EFT payment gateway provider for South African instant electronic fund transfers. Processing fee: 3% per transaction.
- The BackaBuddy Foundation (Reg No. 2015/313483/08)coreThe nonprofit entity that manages all donations made through the BackaBuddy platform. All donations are managed by the Foundation.
- NedbankcoreBanking partner for payment processing. BackaBuddy uses Nedbank as the payment partner for processing donations via the platform.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Backabuddy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Backabuddy social profiles
Digital presenceBackabuddy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Backabuddy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Backabuddy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Backabuddy M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Backabuddy
What does Backabuddy do?
BackaBuddy operates an online crowdfunding platform that enables individuals, organisations, and registered charities to create fundraising campaigns for causes such as medical procedures, education, community projects, housing, animal rescue, and environmental conservation. The platform charges no platform fees (0% as of May 2025), passing through only payment-gateway processing fees, and offers a vetting/verification system plus an optional Bluetick (BackaBuddy Assisted) campaign administration mode where funds are paid directly to vendors rather than beneficiaries.
Is Backabuddy a public or private company?
Backabuddy is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Backabuddy founded?
Backabuddy was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Backabuddy based?
Backabuddy is headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does Backabuddy make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Payment Gateway Processing Fees (Passed Through) is the primary driver. The others are voluntary Tips/Donations.
Does Backabuddy have an API?
No public API is recorded for Backabuddy.
What industry is Backabuddy in?
Backabuddy's product category is Crowdfunding Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAO, Capacity Building & Nonprofit Infrastructure Funders. Its NAICS code is 813219 and its SIC code is 7370.