revX · December 8, 2025
Multiplied x Donald Mokgale: Ideas Can Come From Anywhere
Marketing trends come and go, but what truly moves the needle often lies in understanding people more deeply than the next brand. In this month’s Multiplied conversation, we sat down with Donald Mokgale - CEO of Heberism Group and Managing Director of MoyaApp (Africa) - to unpack the consumer truths, hard lessons, and unexpected unlocks that shaped the trajectory of one of South Africa’s fastest-growing digital platforms.
What we learned: sometimes the strongest insights are the simplest ones and the best ideas often come from places you’d never expect.
A Consumer Insight That Changed Everything
Donald came across a truth that completely reframed his growth strategy: the mass South African market is heavily tech-enabled, but limited by data costs. Users want utility, but they can’t always afford to download or keep multiple apps on their phones.
Even more surprising: although this audience is highly price-sensitive, many are willing to pay up to R6 more for services that feel meaningful, useful, and differentiated. Higher-income audiences, on the other hand, are tired of pure performance marketing. They want entertainment, emotional connection, and brand love. Two audiences. Two very different needs. One reminder: insight matters more than assumptions.
When One Small Decision Becomes a Rocket Ship
A small technical problem unlocked massive growth: storage. Feature phones and entry-level smartphones have limited space - meaning users download and delete apps constantly. MoyaApp solved this by building a discover hub containing ±300 web apps, giving people access to utility without needing to download dozens of individual apps.
The result: 1 million → 3 million → 6 million users - fast. A small shift. A massive payoff. Growth came not from flashy campaigns or huge budgets, but from solving a real problem for real people.
When the “Sure-Thing” Doesn’t Work
If there’s one tactic Donald would happily leave behind, it’s advertising on Google for a live-scores-led product. Despite the hype around digital spend, it didn’t deliver meaningful return. Just because a channel is standard doesn’t mean it works for your customer or category. Performance doesn’t care about popularity.
The Hardest Lesson: You Don’t Have a Monopoly on Good Ideas
The biggest shift in Donald’s leadership philosophy came down to one truth: great ideas can come from anywhere. Involving more voices - early - leads to smarter decisions and faster solutions. It’s not about asking everyone to solve every problem, but about acknowledging that brilliance isn’t reserved for seniority. When the full team understands the mission, things move faster.
What the Team Does Differently: One Unit, One Mission
Donald’s team operates like a single force. Think 300 - one impenetrable formation where individual success is tied to collective success. If one person falls short, the entire team is accountable. Shared mission. Shared responsibility. Shared outcomes.
The Mistake That Changed How He Leads
Earlier in his career, Donald often carried complex problems alone, believing they belonged only at the top. Over time he learned: involving his team sooner would have led to better, faster solutions. The lesson: don’t isolate the hardest problems. Bring your team into the conversation early - that’s why they’re there.
Final Word
From solving storage limitations to rethinking leadership, one theme runs through Donald’s story: people unlock growth. Understanding what consumers value, recognising that ideas can come from anywhere, building a team that operates as a single unit, and trusting others enough to share complex problems - it’s not glamorous, but it drives meaningful scale.
In a world obsessed with the next big tactic, Donald’s approach is refreshingly human: serve real needs. Listen widely. Lead collectively. That’s what moves the needle.