Online Livestock Trading Platform SwiftVEE Secures Series A from Top African Investors
The landmark funding round brings some of the continent's most accomplished investors onto the cap table of the Bloomberg-featured startup. This backing will accelerate the growth of Africa's premier digital livestock marketplace.
SwiftVEE, the largest online livestock trading platform in Africa, featured in Bloomberg’s inaugural 25 African Startups to Watch 2025, has completed its Series A funding round.
The transaction brings some of the continent’s most accomplished investors onto swiftVEE’s Cap Table, including HAVAÍC, Old Mutual’s former CEO Iain Williamson and private equity firm EXEO Capital.
They join swiftVEE’s current shareholders; fund managers Mike Kirsten and Carlo Dickson and private investment vehicle Zire Africa.
Launched in South Africa in 2019 and credited as pioneers of online livestock trading in Africa, swiftVEE has become a Pan-African business trading in excess of $100m GMV in livestock and game each year.
SwiftVEE’s operations extend from South Africa to Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia. The company facilitates trade across the continent including buyer syndicates in North America, Europe, UAE, Asia and Australia.
Explaining swiftVEE’s developments, CEO Russel Luck commented: “SwiftVEE’s livestock trading technology connects fragmented value chains, enabling users to buy online and access complimentary services like digital finance, insurance and data solutions. Our success connecting the livestock trading value chain empowered us to identify other industries where our technology would be equally effective in solving the same problem”
SwiftVEE has two additional platforms complementary to their main agri-tech solution, Auctionapp.IO, a white label auction platform for non-agricultural assets and PrysWys, an online agri-inputs market place. To enhance the platform of both SwiftVEE and PrysWys, a fintech collaboration with Nedbank was announced earlier this year.
Investor Mike Kirsten elaborated on SwiftVEE’s funding round: “We’re elated to have some of Africa’s financial leaders endorse swiftVEE through investment and collaboration, demonstrating confidence in their future success. We look forward to the depth of expertise and experience our new partners will add to SwiftVEE’s arsenal”.
Patrice Motsepe is an indirect stakeholder in Zire Africa and participant at Bloomberg Africa Summit last week
SwiftVEE is at the point of unlocking international and local growth opportunities with fresh Series A capital and skills. The aggregate value of funding amounts to $10m in equity and finance instruments, contingent on pipeline opportunities becoming final. Funds will be used to enter new markets and layer additional Fintech, Insuretech and Data Solutions across SwiftVEE’s platforms.
SwiftVEE’s lead investor, HAVAÍC, is well placed for supporting African businesses to expand internationally. Recent highlights include the acquisition of Cape Town founded portfolio company Rapid Deploy by Motorola Group USA in a private all cash transaction regarded by many as a record-setting exit for an African founded technology company; and $100m merger between Pretoria founder hearX and US based Eargo, forming LXE Hearing.
