South African startup SB Card is helping people connect better in the modern world via smart business cards and tools that allow users to share contact information, social handles, and indeed pretty much anything else, just by tapping the card or scanning a QR code.
The idea for what became SB Card came up during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Everything was going digital or contactless, and handing over a paper business card started to feel a little outdated and even unsafe,” co-founder Micaelyn Maharaj told Disrupt Africa.
“So we started small – testing out different prototypes, materials, and tech – and slowly built a brand.”
The “Smart Business Card” developed by the startup comes with integrated NFC technology, which allows owners to transit any information into a smartphone.
“We’ve also built features that allow for better lead management and two-way connections with leads, as well as CRM integrations. It’s super fast, contactless, and eco-friendly. No more printing hundreds of cards that get lost or thrown away,” Maharaj said.
Whereas much in Africa has gone digital in the last few years, Maharaj said networking hadn’t quite caught up.
“People still relied on paper business cards that weren’t interactive or easy to keep track of. Some international companies were doing smart cards, but nothing really tailored for our market or priced accessibly. So we built something that’s smart, simple to use, and affordable – especially for small businesses, creatives, and startups, all the way up to enterprise clients,” he said.
The bootstrapped startup has already sold over 1,500 cards, and is on track to double that in Q2 of this year. This uptake, Maharaj said, is “honestly, way better than we expected”.
“We’ve sold over 1,500 cards, with customers from South Africa, DRC, Botswana, and even New Zealand. A lot of it’s been word of mouth. Once someone uses the card in a meeting or at a conference, people get curious and want one too,” he said.
“We’re definitely looking at scaling to the rest of Africa – especially in the SADC region – and exploring reseller and corporate bulk partnerships to grow faster.”
SB Card has a product-based business model.
“We sell Smart Cards, Smart Wifi Connects/Table Talkers, wristbands, and other contactless tools,” Maharaj said. “We’ve also started experimenting with bundles, corporate bulk orders and subscriptions for business clients.”
Revenue is growing steadily, and while SB Card is still in the early stages, it has been profitable since Q3 of 2024.
“We keep our operations lean so we can reinvest in growth,” Maharaj said.
