“Impact-driven venture capital backing early-stage African startups at the intersection of technology and transformation, with a focus on financial inclusion, healthcare access, education, and food security.”
Fireball Capital is a Cape Town-based venture capital firm founded in 2017 by Paula Mokwena, who established the firm after a career in investment banking where she managed portfolios across Africa and the Middle East. The firm operates as a subsidiary of Ke Nako Capital and targets a R1 billion (~$57 million) fund, making it one of South Africa's larger early-stage vehicles with an explicit impact mandate.
The firm operates through two distinct channels: primary investments (partnering with VC fund managers including HAVAÍC, Knife Capital, Venture Capitalworks, Alphacode, and Universum Core Fund to source and monitor deals through comprehensive due diligence) and co-investments (direct investments into companies demonstrating established product-market fit and exponential scaling potential). Portfolio companies include Ozow (digital payments), Clickatell (communications platform), RecoMed (healthcare booking), and Go1 (corporate learning). The firm integrates ESG considerations across all investments and focuses on four development objectives: job creation, financial inclusion, educational access, and affordable healthcare. Fireball also partners with GirlCode, a nonprofit providing free tech training to women and girls, and Mokwena's advocacy for closing the gender funding gap is a core part of the firm's identity.
| Name | Role | X/Twitter | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paula Mokwena | CEO & Founder | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Justin James | CIO | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Ryan Wilborg | CFO & Head of Compliance | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Carlo Dickson | Investment Advisor & IC Member | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Pierre Du Preez | Investment Advisor & IC Chairman | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |