myFanPark, South African startup raised funding from new SA VC firm
Users may request a customized shout-out video from their favourite celebrity, such as birthday or celebration greetings, using myFanPark, which was launched in 2019. The celebrity has seven days after receiving the money to record the video message, which myFanPark then sends to the fan through email and WhatsApp.
Celebrities in myFanPark’s 3,000-strong talent pool vary from Springbok rugby stars and Olympians to famous chefs, comedians, actresses, musicians, NBA All-Stars, Hollywood luminaries, and some of Africa’s most famous TikTokers. The platform has provided fans with over 20,000 unique talent encounters, has a 99.6% talent retention rate, and has a 21% customer return rate.
“Creators and their fans are a large part of the future of commerce, and a creator’s ability to drive commerce is exponentially growing. As we enter our seed+fundraise and focus on our expansion plans, we are excited for the opportunity to move beyond one dimensional, transactional commerce to personality-rich, fun-to-engage, and hyper-personalized distribution channels where fans can engage with those they admire through our world-class technology,” said myFanPark chief executive officer (CEO) Joy Des Fountain.
Seed South Capital’s managing partner Sakhile Xulu said the VC firm invested in myFanPark’s vision.
“The rise of the creator economy has exploded but is still in its infancy. While the success of companies such as Cameo, Patreon, and Kickstarter have validated the space, we are confident in myFanPark’s vision to improve the relationship and ease of monetization between talent and fans — especially in developing markets like Africa — through one, unified platform,” he said.
“With skin in the game, we proved our abilities to source good deal-flow as well as the viability of our model. Which is: by helping entrepreneurs cross the first investment hurdle, we create access and good quality deal-flow for follow-on investors.”