South African logistics platform Breaze Delivery has secured a R20 million (US$1.23 million) investment from the Vumela Enterprise Development Fund, a fund established by FNB Business Banking and managed by Edge Growth. The funding is expected to accelerate the company’s expansion plans while strengthening delivery services for small and medium-sized businesses across the country.
The investment comes at a time when South Africa’s e-commerce sector continues to grow, creating increased demand for reliable and efficient delivery solutions. Breaze Delivery plans to use the funding to scale its technology platform, expand its driver network and extend its geographic footprint to serve more businesses and retail partners.
Founded in 2021 by entrepreneurs Avi Maja and Braden Snyman, Breaze Delivery provides customised on-demand and same-day delivery services to SMEs. Through its network of flexible drivers and live-tracking technology, the company has positioned itself as a technology-driven logistics partner helping businesses meet customer expectations in a rapidly changing retail environment.
Supporting SME Growth and Job Creation
The investment is expected to have a wider impact beyond the growth of Breaze itself. By helping SMEs access faster and more reliable delivery services, the company plays an important role in improving supply chain efficiency and supporting business growth.
Jessica Blake, Associate Principal at Edge Growth, said Breaze Delivery stood out during the investment assessment process because of the strength of its leadership team and its position within South Africa’s expanding e-commerce market.
“In evaluating the application, Breaze Delivery distinguished itself through the resilience of its leadership and its clear positioning to benefit from continued growth in the e-commerce market in South Africa,” she said.
Blake added that the investment reflects the important contribution high-growth SMEs make to the country’s economy. According to her, businesses such as Breaze Delivery can help create employment opportunities while contributing to sustainable economic development as they scale.
The company has already demonstrated its ability to generate jobs. Since launching, Breaze Delivery has created more than 1,000 employment opportunities while building a delivery network that serves businesses in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Pretoria.
From Startup Idea to National Delivery Network
The story of Breaze Delivery began when Maja and Snyman worked together at a Johannesburg software company that specialised in mobile workforce management tools. Maja focused on developing technology while Snyman worked on business development and client acquisition.
While working in the technology sector, the pair identified a major gap in South Africa’s growing e-commerce market. Although online shopping was expanding rapidly, delivery services were often unable to keep pace with changing customer expectations.
The founders believed that the same technology used to manage mobile workforces could be adapted to create a more efficient delivery platform. They started building Breaze Delivery after hours while maintaining their full-time jobs. Maja developed the technology platform while Snyman focused on securing customers.
Their first month in business resulted in just 12 deliveries. However, the founders remained committed to their vision and eventually left their jobs to focus on the business full time.
That decision has helped transform Breaze into a fast-growing logistics company. Today, the platform works with more than 150 integrated brands and manages thousands of parcel deliveries every day. The company now completes around 1,000 deliveries daily and continues to expand its reach across major South African cities.
For FNB and Vumela, the investment aligns with a broader goal of supporting businesses that can drive economic growth through innovation.
“Vumela is pleased to support Breaze Delivery as part of our commitment to backing innovative, high-growth SMEs that are reshaping critical sectors of the economy,” said Mike Sage, Head of Investment Capital at FNB and a Vumela trustee.
He noted that Breaze represents the type of scalable technology business capable of creating meaningful economic impact through improved efficiency, job creation and SME enablement.
