For Rivar Maharaj, an entrepreneurial student at the University of Cape Town (UCT), small businesses such as wholesalers and retailers operating in South Africa’s cities and townships hold the country’s economy together. But unlike their larger counterparts, they don’t have the luxury of using sophisticated systems to get the job done.
Maharaj’s new technology company, Tennsa, aims to change this. He meets with small businesses to learn how they operate and understand the processes that slow them down. In response, the team creates software technology that helps its clients’ businesses grow. The startup’s first system, Tennsa OS, connects the processes that companies already have in place, such as accounting, stock and payment systems, and groups them in one place. This, Maharaj said, helps owners see clearly what matters, where the threats and opportunities are and what to do about them.
“Tennsa exists because we believe that technology should be built around people, not in their place,” he said. “Every wave of technology has hit the big corporations first. They have the budgets, the teams and the systems built to receive it. Meanwhile, the companies that hold this country’s economy together run on paper and systems that no international supplier will ever support. So we go to the smaller companies, sit in their offices and engage in their stores, learning how things really work to optimize the systems for them.”
A deal of a lifetime
Since founding the startup in late 2025, the third-year computer science and applied statistics student has already taken his business to the next level.
In July, Tennsa closed a pre-funding round with Oakvale Invest, a company that focuses on investing in artificial intelligence businesses. It is also the company’s first investment on the African continent. The pre-seed funding means it has a minority stake in Tennsa and holds a seat on the board of directors.
“They chose to make their first investment in a third-year UCT student, building for companies in cities and townships across South Africa.”
“The investment means a lot. Oakvale exists to support African entrepreneurs and they chose to make their first investment in a third-year UCT student, building businesses in cities and townships across South Africa,” Maharaj said.
He said the investment has allowed the company to grow its team and recruited top talent within UCT.
“One of the main things for me was growing our talent pipeline and where else would you look but at UCT? We already have two students here in leadership roles and working alongside ambitious operators has been one of the best parts of all of this,” Maharaj said.
Building Software for “Overlooked” Businesses
Thanks to the capital injection, Tennsa will also strengthen its engineering capabilities.
Maharaj said thousands of businesses in South Africa are too large to run their operations on a single spreadsheet. However, they are too small to hire someone to review their data. This means they run on paper and outdated systems.
“We are building [software] for companies that have been overlooked. Most of these companies run software that resides on decades-old servers in back offices with no Internet access interface. Those are the companies we want to serve. We want to develop engineering that no one has done because from outside South Africa the market is invisible,” he said. “And when these companies grow, so do the economies in which they operate. And that means more employment opportunities for those who need them.”
And this is exactly what sets your business apart from your competitors who serve companies that already have access to cloud software.
“Once we get it right here, the same will apply to all developing regions where businesses have been ignored in the same way,” he said.
A juggling act
For this entrepreneurial student, balancing full-time studies, pursuing his business ambitions and still finding time to relax with family and friends has been a juggling act.
“It’s actually more of a sacrifice than a balance. Some weeks the title wins, other weeks the company wins. Sometimes I put both aside just to go out with my family or friends,” Maharaj said.
And despite the stresses in the various facets of his life (and there are many), Maharaj said gratitude keeps him grounded.
“I’m grateful for everything. It’s a privilege to be busy. It’s a privilege to be able to dedicate myself to something I’m passionate about. What really keeps me going is remembering how lucky I am to have hard days. Having too much to do and being stressed about the things I chose to do. When I remember that, I feel humbled,” he said.