Caley van der Kolk, a South African entrepreneur connecting makers to markets — Lionesses of Africa

Why should anyone use your service or product?

Content. We blend a functional marketplace backend with art, to grip customer attention. In a world where it is increasingly difficult to gain attention, art is the way to stand out. Our canvases are all the social media and digital outlets we feature our work to drive back to the central AYA asset. A digital product alone is not enough – one needs to grip attention for that product and the only way to do this is through visually appealing work – content- art – and our team is built to be able to produce this “digital art”.

Tell us a little about your team

We are a diverse team, directly representative of what a new age tech business from Africa should look like. Female CEO, who speaks African languages, female Creative Director, with 8 years’ work experience in NYC. All under the age of 32, digital nomads, from 4 different countries, and thus able to piece together tech products in an innovative manner, with global perspective; bridging work on the ground in Africa with media connections and market in NYC; the gateway to USA. 3 women and 5 African men in team, thus challenging the “white male” dominant culture in tech startups. The unique perspective, across genders, and geo location is key for a team to build an authentic African marketplace. It also means we can scale into other African countries as we have reps on the ground in 5, with longstanding connections in each place. 

CEO Caley – speaks 3 African languages, has a background and connections in media space. Very strong in sales arena. As a woman in tech space, this is a key USP for AYA.

Head of Product Nii – 10 years in web build and design, 5 years’ work at an African payments gateway, growing a startup, thus valuable lessons in African payment space – as well as in business build. Nii is exemplary on tech and systems building.

Creative Director Isabella – experience in NYC as CD who has walked major fashion runways. Can advise CD on ground in Africa and connect to NYC trends at same time, thus connecting 2 worlds. Isa is also a product designer (AYA house brand, in time). 

Business dev. Praise – connected to JHB creative space. Young, UN youth entrepreneur ambassador, experience speaking in front of 400 people, in ZA and abroad. Finger on pulse of ZA creative scene and Gen Z media consumption.

Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?

It started in 2016 as an idea called Artisans in Africa – where we began developing an in-house brand that brings artisans into global economy via modern product design. We were 2 of us on the team back then. Highlight was that our first video was featured on Discovery. We also made it to the National Top 5 of a social entrepreneur competition in South Africa. However, at the time was a side project for 2 people as bills must be paid. I was building a network at the time through acting as interviewer and presenter at a company called Heavy Chef – in order to learn entrepreneur lessons that we will plug into AIA. In 2019, end of 2019, I left that job to pursue AIA full time. Synchronicity rained down and Isa was sent our way, a creative director from New York City, with experience in product design. From AIA, we became AYA and a team of 3 was born. With the addition of Isa on creative side, we were able to move AYA to pre seed round, and attain a 4th team member. During the pandemic we have continued to build in focused, full time manner. Timing is good as SME’s are needing digital outlet and we happen to have been testing model, making mistakes, re trying since 2016, so are now ready to scale

Do I come from entrepreneur background? Yes, my parents have built a business from nothing. I have always been drawn to the act of creating things from nothing. I am disinterested in things already in existence, built by someone else’s thought process. I have a great love for building new things.