Hello World Systems, a black-owned software company based in East London, is calling on South African businesses and public institutions to own the software they run on, instead of paying monthly licence fees for systems that never quite fit how they work.
The company, which took second place in the SITA GovTech 2025 SMME Pitching Competition and is a member of the NVIDIA Inception programme for startups, builds custom software for its clients, hands over ownership, and then maintains and supports it for them.
The NVIDIA Inception programme is a free program that guides AI startups through the NVIDIA platform and ecosystem. From prototype to production, Inception meets you where you are, with member benefits to help you discover new AI opportunities, build with world-class technologies, and grow your business.
Hello World Systems also offers the business analysis and IT consulting that decides what should be built in the first place.
Its mission is to empower South African businesses across all industries with innovative technology solutions that transform operational challenges into opportunities for sustainable growth.
The company believes technology should simplify complex processes and is committed to delivering intuitive, powerful systems that help its clients achieve operational excellence and competitive advantage.
“Too many companies pay every month, in dollars, for software they will never own and can barely change,” said Yonela Ntshanga, founder and Managing Director of Hello World Systems.
“When the rand drops, the bill goes up. When the business changes, the system does not. We think a South African business should own the tools it depends on, the same way it owns its trucks or its buildings.”
Ntshanga says the case for owning software is stronger than it has ever been.
“Modern development tools and AI have cut the time and cost of building a system, while local cloud regions in Johannesburg and Cape Town mean the software and its data can stay in South Africa, which helps with POPIA compliance.”
Company Background
Hello World Systems was established in 2019 with a vision to transform government and enterprise operations through technology.
In 2020, the company successfully deployed its first cemetery management system for a major municipal client.
By 2022, the East London-based company had expanded into enterprise solutions with comprehensive ERP and business intelligence platforms.
In 2023, the company launched cloud infrastructure services to support modern digital transformation initiatives, and in 2024, it enhanced its offerings with advanced AI capabilities and sophisticated data analytics solutions.
What Hello World Systems Offers
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Build: Web systems, mobile apps and integrations designed around how the client actually works, owned by the client.
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Maintain: Hosting, security updates, backups, monitoring and support on a fixed monthly fee, so the system keeps working long after go-live.
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Consult: Business analysis, process mapping and change management, so the right thing gets built and people actually use it.
The company already runs its own products in production, including an Indigent Management System for municipalities, a Cemetery Management System, a point of sale platform for retailers and spaza shops, and a staff scheduling system for shift-based teams.
“We are not asking anyone to rip out everything tomorrow,” Ntshanga said. “Start with the one system that costs you the most or frustrates your staff the most. Own that one. Then decide what is next.”
Hello World Systems is based in Beacon Bay, East London, and works with clients across South Africa.
With a growing network of business clients, technology partners, and dedicated professionals, Hello World Systems transforms how organisations across all industries streamline operations and accelerate growth.
