Copyright iafrica
Business AI, a South African start-up backed by Mustek, has launched an AI marketplace designed to connect local enterprises with vetted, enterprise-ready artificial intelligence solutions and accredited service providers. The platform aims to simplify how African companies discover, evaluate, and deploy AI technologies while maintaining control over costs, data privacy, and AI sovereignty. “The marketplace gives African enterprises access to the same trusted technologies as the world’s largest players – but in a way that’s local, accessible, and built for how we actually do business,” said Rudi Dreyer, CEO of Business AI. Locally built, globally competitive Developed in partnership with Beyond Now, the platform enables businesses to move workloads between AI tools based on their operational needs, helping them optimise for cost, security, or compliance. Early adopters of the platform include Mustek, Woolworths, Italtile, and Bidvest, reflecting growing interest from South Africa’s corporate sector in practical, results-driven AI deployments. Earlier this year, Mustek invested R7 million to acquire a 51% stake in Business AI, signalling its strategic intent to expand beyond hardware distribution into the AI services ecosystem. “Anything and everything that’s got to do with AI, after vetting, will be able to present their services and support on the marketplace, and transact through the platform,” said Hein Engelbrecht, CEO of Mustek. Building trust and accountability in AI The Business AI Marketplace provides enterprises with a single trusted environment for accessing AI vendors, products, data centres, and service providers. Each listing undergoes a vetting process to ensure compliance, security, and enterprise-grade performance. According to Mustek’s 2025 annual report, the acquisition positions the company to capture growth across AI-enabled hardware, software, and services, particularly in areas like analytics, automation, and cybersecurity — where South African businesses are already seeing tangible returns. “While generative AI has moved through its initial hype cycle, enterprises are now focusing on practical AI use cases with measurable returns,” Mustek said in a statement. Experienced leadership driving growth CEO Rudi Dreyer, formerly the Chief Business Environment Officer at 4Sight Holdings, leads the company alongside Andre Hogewoning, the former CIO of Value Logistics, who now serves as COO. Together, they are positioning Business AI as a central hub for Africa’s growing AI economy, providing a bridge between global technology providers and local enterprise needs. As AI adoption accelerates across South Africa, the Business AI Marketplace represents a critical step toward democratising enterprise AI access, ensuring companies of all sizes can participate in — and benefit from — the continent’s rapidly evolving digital economy.
