South Africa’s tender system has long been plagued by inefficiencies, limited visibility, and opportunities for corruption that allow insiders to secure contracts with minimal competition. A young entrepreneur is now using artificial intelligence to change that dynamic. Lars Gumede, a 24-year-old Swedish-South African, launched Axel Technologies in January 2025 with a clear mission: to empower honest businesses through smart automation while making the tender process more transparent and competitive.
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Gumede’s journey reflects a blend of international upbringing and local insight. Born in Halmstad, Sweden, he moved with his family first to the United Kingdom and later to South Africa. He attended primary school at The Ridge in Johannesburg’s Westcliff area and completed high school at St John’s College. Although his formal studies focused on actuarial science, he graduated with a Bachelor of Business Science from the University of Cape Town in 2024. During his time at university, Gumede stood out for his self-taught programming skills and even added computer science courses because he found them far more engaging than his core degree work. Early internships at Ninety One, where he analysed emerging-market bond data using Python, sharpened his technical abilities and gave him first-hand exposure to data-driven decision-making in finance.
The flagship product from Axel Technologies is NowNow, billed as the ultimate AI assistant for South African business owners. At its core, NowNow automates everyday operational tasks such as receipt management, invoice creation, load-shedding tracking, email summaries, and compliance monitoring. What truly sets the platform apart is its Tender Finder feature, designed specifically to address the frustrations and loopholes in government procurement.
Business owners know the struggle all too well. Thousands of new tenders appear each week across the government’s eTenders portal and individual departmental sites. Many listings suffer from incomplete data, missing headings, incorrect descriptions, or poor formatting that makes them nearly impossible to discover through manual searches. Honest companies often miss viable opportunities simply because they cannot monitor every source around the clock. This lack of visibility creates an environment where a small group of connected players can dominate bids, resulting in overpriced single-bid contracts and reduced competition.
Tender Finder changes the game by using AI to scan and process unstructured tender invitations from multiple sources. It delivers relevant opportunities tailored to a business’s profile, whether a civil engineering firm seeking roadworks contracts or a supplier looking for procurement notices. The system cleans messy data on the fly and presents clear, actionable information that saves hours of manual effort. Gumede explained the motivation behind this tool: when more legitimate participants can easily see and respond to tenders, the entire system becomes more competitive. Greater participation reduces the chances of under-the-radar deals and helps curb corruption by shining light on opportunities that might otherwise stay hidden.
Looking ahead, Axel Technologies plans to expand the feature so that NowNow can automatically populate and submit tender bid forms on behalf of users. Additional upcoming capabilities include automated South African Revenue Service filings, cybersecurity monitoring, and an AI-powered social media manager. These enhancements position NowNow as a comprehensive operations hub rather than a single-purpose tool.
The broader context makes this innovation especially timely. South Africa’s tender processes have drawn criticism for insufficient notice periods, inconsistent data entry, and structures that inadvertently favour insiders. By levelling the playing field through technology, NowNow aims to support small and medium-sized enterprises that lack the resources to compete with larger, well-connected firms. Gumede noted that the current manual approach forces honest businesses to spend entire days refreshing websites or paying for expensive alert services, yet they still risk missing critical opportunities.
For entrepreneurs and established companies alike, the platform offers a practical solution that turns a painful administrative burden into a strategic advantage. Early users appreciate how the AI handles the heavy lifting while they focus on delivering quality work. The startup’s approach also highlights a growing trend of young African tech founders tackling systemic local problems with globally inspired tools.
As Axel Technologies continues to refine NowNow, the company remains focused on South African realities. Gumede’s background gives him a unique perspective: he understands both the precision required in data science and the everyday frustrations faced by local business owners navigating complex government systems.
Businesses interested in reducing tender-related headaches and improving operational efficiency can explore NowNow through the Axel Technologies website. In a country where public procurement represents billions in annual spending, tools like Tender Finder could play a meaningful role in promoting fairness, efficiency, and integrity across the board.
This young founder’s venture demonstrates how targeted AI can address deep-rooted challenges while creating real value for the private sector. As more companies adopt such solutions, the hope is that South Africa’s tender system will evolve into one defined by competition and transparency rather than opacity and favouritism.
