UK market access for South African founders.
A structured deep-dive from South Africa into
the UK.
Three tiers of engagement, one clear pathway. Open to the public at the first tier, selective at the deeper tiers, and explicitly tied to clear international expansion potential.
Three tiers, one pathway
One application covers all three tiers. Tell us what you’re interested in, give us a picture of where your business is at, and we’ll confirm your webinars instantly and acknowledge your application within 48 hours, with selection dates in the programme calendar. Whatever you choose now, you’re in the Sandbox system, and the deeper tiers stay open to you as you progress.
Three tiers, one pathway
What is it?
A live, expert-led webinar series that gives you the full map of UK market entry before you commit to anything: an open orientation session on the Sandbox and the UK opportunity, then expert webinars working through setup, structuring, fundraising and go-to-market. Free, open, and always built around your questions.
Who is it for?
Founders at the exploring stage. If the UK is on your radar at all, even as a distant question, this is your front door. You don’t need a plan, a UK entity or a decision, just the appetite to understand the UK value proposition and what entering the market would take. The webinars are the educational and capability-building layer of the Sandbox, designed to move you from maybe to an informed decision.
How does it work?
The series opens with Session 0, a one-hour orientation Ask Me Anything (AMA) hosted by the Sandbox team: what the Sandbox is, how the tiers fit together, and which support to apply for. Each webinar that follows is a two-hour interactive session, hosted by the Sandbox with two guest market entry experts, mapping a key component of UK market entry with live Q&A throughout. Registration is instant: no application review, no selection. Pick the sessions you want and you’re confirmed. From your first session you’re in the Sandbox system, which means we can point you at the right next step when you’re ready for it. Dates and registration for the current series are in the programme calendar.
Not actively planning UK entry right now? That’s exactly who the webinars are for. Attending never obliges you to go further, and it never rules you out of office hours or sprints later. Companies regularly graduate from one tier to the next.
What is it?
Direct 1:1 time with the Sandbox team, and a tailored UK market entry and feasibility roadmap built for your business. One engagement can save you months of guesswork: structuring, setup costs, routes to market, regulation, who to know on landing, all worked through for your business, not in the abstract.
Who is it for?
Founders at the point of decision or action on UK entry. You’ve either decided the UK is your route and are working out how, or you’re seriously weighing it against other markets and need expert input to decide. If you’re still at the general education stage, start with the webinars, they’ll get you here faster than you think.
How does it work?
Apply through the single Sandbox form; we acknowledge every application within 48 hours, and selection follows ahead of each cycle, with dates in the programme calendar. Sessions run 1:1 with the Sandbox team, in person in Johannesburg and Cape Town or virtual elsewhere, and are fully subsidised. The support runs in three steps:
Step 01 · Deep dive session. One to one, in person or virtual. We get under the hood of your business and its UK fit.
Step 02 · Your market entry roadmap. We build your tailored UK market entry and feasibility roadmap.
Step 03 · Live whiteboard session. One to one again. We walk the roadmap with you and plan your next steps.
The whole engagement asks for around four hours of your time: an hour for each session, a short prep guide before the first, and time with your roadmap before the last. Companies that come through office hours ready for the UK are connected onward into the pan-African platform and its partner network.
Applying and not being selected this intake doesn’t close the door. Your application keeps you in the pipeline for the next round, and the webinars stay open to you throughout.
What is it?
The deepest support we offer, taking you from plan to presence in market. You set your entry plan; we work alongside you to execute it, opening the right doors at the right time, from entity setup and banking through to commercial and capital introductions across the Sandbox partner network.
Who is it for?
Companies that have made the decision. You are actively planning UK entry now, you need immediate hands-on support to execute, and you have the team capacity to commit to an intensive programme. Do not apply for a sprint if you are still deciding whether the UK is right for you, that’s what webinars and office hours are for, and they are the faster route to being sprint-ready.
How does it work?
Apply through the single Sandbox form; founders who come through office hours can also be selected into a sprint as an outcome of that process. Selection is competitive: cohorts are deliberately small, six companies, and weighted toward companies showing real readiness in their application. The programme is an eight-week engagement: an onboarding week, a six-week execution sprint, and a structured offboarding week, fully subsidised, with full access to the Sandbox partner network. Dates for the current cohort are in the programme calendar.
If you’re not there yet, say so in your application. We route every applicant to the support that fits their stage, and sprint cohorts are recruited from companies we already know through webinars and office hours as much as from direct applications.
One application covers all three tiers. Tell us what you’re interested in, give us a picture of where your business is at, and we’ll confirm your webinars instantly and acknowledge your application within 48 hours, with selection dates in the programme calendar. Whatever you choose now, you’re in the Sandbox system, and the deeper tiers stay open to you as you progress.
The programme, month by month.
What Happens
Sessions in the phase
What happens
Key Dates
Sprints
Key Dates
Session 0 · Sandbox Orientation
Tue 18 Aug, 11:00–12:00 SAST · Virtual · 1 hour
Webinar 1 · Setting Up in the UK 101
Tue 25 Aug, 10:00–12:00 SAST · Virtual · 2 hours, interactive
Webinar 2 · Structuring for Investment & Growth
Tue 1 Sep, 10:00–12:00 SAST · Virtual · 2 hours, interactive
Webinar 3 · Go-To-Market in the UK
Tue 8 Sep, 10:00–12:00 SAST · Virtual · 2 hours, interactive
The UK South Africa Sandbox is delivered in collaboration with key Market Enablement Partners who provide founders with real-world tangible support on Market Entry.
South African founders through
the programme.
from the Sandbox.
Summit
Float
FAQ
South African tech founders building toward international growth: from those taking their first serious look at what going global involves, through to early scale-ups and growth-stage companies actively considering or pursuing UK market entry. You do not need to have decided on the UK to take part. The programme builds the knowledge, networks and readiness to make that decision, whether the UK is the final path or not.
No. The UK South Africa Sandbox is a fully subsidised programme, funded by the UK South Africa Tech Hub, a UK Government initiative supporting South Africa's tech ecosystem. Webinars are free and open to all. Office hours and sprints are selective, entered via application.
One application covers everything: it qualifies you for the right tier of support and routes you to the next intake. If international expansion is a new consideration for your business, start with the webinars; they are the natural first step. If you are already past that phase and at the point of decision or action, apply for office hours and sprints - we will route you to whichever is right for you or suggest also attending webinars if needed.
The UK South Africa Sandbox is complete in itself: its job is to build your capability and readiness, whichever route your growth takes. For companies that come through the programme successfully and choose the UK, we route you onward where appropriate: into the pan-African UK Africa Sandbox's additional support such as the Global Entrepreneur Programme (the UK Government scheme that helps international founders establish and grow their businesses in Britain), and our consortium of growth and exit-stage partners.
Ready? Apply now.
Complete our application, whether you know what support you want to access, we will recommend and route you to everything that fits your stage.
