About Ember
Ember started with one problem: Anakin couldn't keep track of who was coming to training. The apps that could help were complicated, priced for European clubs and only sold to whole clubs. There was nothing for just one coach in South Africa, so we built it.
Why Ember exists
Most grassroots teams are run on WhatsApp: polls, last minute replies, and waiting on the day to see who arrives. It's a way to talk, not a way to plan, and the players pay for it.
Why it matters
South Africa is full of quick, strong, technically gifted young players who grew up playing outside. But grassroots football gets little visibility, infrastructure or backing. There aren't enough coaches, and the ones we have are spread thin, running everything by themselves on WhatsApp.
Kids whose families can afford it often move to school rugby, hockey and cricket, and the money only reaches football players when they're older, often when it's too late. Ember can't fix all of that.
But it can take the admin
off coaches, so the coaches
we have can give more
of their time to the kids.
Meet the founders
Cofounder · Grassroots player and coach
Football is where all his friendships come from. He started Ember to give kids the support he never had when he was young.
“Failing to plan is planning to fail. A WhatsApp group is not a plan.”
Cofounder · Developer
Builds Ember, so coaches don't need a tech degree to get eleven players onto a pitch.
Team first
Football is a team sport. You don't do it for yourself, and we build Ember the same way.
Ember helps everyone see who's coming, so teammates, opponents and referees aren't left waiting on matchday.
Replies, attendance and fees in one place, so the whole team, coach included, knows where things stand.
If you can't do it in two taps on the touchline with the sun glaring off your screen, we don't build it.
A free plan for good, no long contracts, no custom quotes and no fees to move your data.
Create your team, add your players and step onto the touchline prepared this season.
Create your free teamFree for one team. No card needed.
