He is a lawyer specializing in information and communication technology law. To boost the livestock sector and facilitate livestock trade in South Africa, he founded SwiftVEE.

Russel Luck (photo) is a lawyer and the founder/CEO of SwiftVEE, an agritech startup. 

Founded in 2017, SwiftVEE provides livestock advertising and insurance services online. Its platform helps address water scarcity, food insecurity, and market inefficiencies in the livestock sector. Currently, it claims over 100,000 livestock sold and more than 20,000 satisfied customers.

In January 2023, the startup launched a new app to help farmers buy the inputs they need at the best rates.  The app, called PrysWys, allows farmers to list the inputs they need and receive the best quotes. 

According to Russel Luck, PrysWys was launched to curb the rising costs of inputs.  "[...] We have noticed that farmers pay high premiums for their inputs at brick-and-mortar retailers. We believe there is a lot of unnecessary bloat in the traditional supply of inputs…," he told Disrupt Africa. 

To date, with over 1,000 active users, PrysWys has sold tens of thousands of dollars worth of input online.

Since 2014, its originator, Russell Luck, has been a non-executive consultant with SwiftTechLaw, a law firm specializing in the tech sector. He began his professional career in 2005 as a graduate intern at BNP Paribas Bank. In 2007, he became an attorney with the real estate law firm Smith Tabata Buchanan Boyes.

The lawyer has received several awards for his start-up, which is a Google Launchpad company and the winner of the 2018 MEST Africa Challenge South Africa.

Melchior Koba