The untold story behind one of South Africa's most loved online businesses.
For sixteen years, Andrew Smith co-founded and helped build Yuppiechef from a suburban lounge into one of South Africa's most recognised retail brands.
Along the way, he kept a daily handwritten journal.
Handwritten tells both stories: the public story of building a company, and the private story of self-doubt, anxiety, ambition, failure, growth, friendship, and resilience.
Publicly, Andrew smiled for the cameras and spoke about growth. Privately, he wrestled with the fear of failure.
Now, for the first time, those two stories are told side by side.
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Andrew Smith
Yuppiechef Cofounder
50-Word Biography
Andrew Smith is the co-founder of Yuppiechef, a pioneering South African e-commerce business built from a suburban lounge in 2006. After documenting the company's volatile 16-year journey in daily handwritten journals, he stepped away in 2022 to share the unfiltered truth about ambition and business.
150-Word Biography
Andrew Smith co-founded Yuppiechef in 2006 alongside his business partner Shane Dryden, starting with no capital, no formal business plan, and operating out of a lounge in Cape Town. Over the next 16 years, Andrew steered the technical and operational engine of one of South Africa’s most beloved brands - pioneering everything from custom "chaos warehousing" systems to navigating high-stakes venture capital investments from New York's Tiger Global Management. Despite sweeping industry awards, Andrew privately recorded his intense battles with leadership fatigue and anxiety in daily notebooks. After leading Yuppiechef through a successful omnichannel evolution into brick-and-mortar retail and sustained profitability, he exited the business in 2022. He still lives in Cape Town, where he turned 20 years of daily journal entries into his debut book, Handwritten.
Andrew Smith
Yuppiechef Cofounder
Over the next 16 years, Andrew steered the technical and operational engine of one of South Africa’s most beloved brands - pioneering everything from custom chaos warehousing systems to navigating high-stakes venture capital investments from New York’s Tiger Global Management.
Despite sweeping industry awards, Andrew privately recorded his intense battles with leadership fatigue and anxiety in daily notebooks. After leading Yuppiechef through a successful omnichannel evolution into brick-and-mortar retail and sustained profitability, he exited the business in 2022.
He still lives in Cape Town, where he turned 20 years of daily journal entries into his debut book, Handwritten.
'I think this might be the best business book I have ever read'
John Bradshaw
Group Chief Marketing Officer, SPAR South Africa
'Wisdom, insight and heart on every page'
Marina Pape
Yuppiechef community manager 2010-2014
'A way truer story than you're expecting'
Dale Swanson
Yuppiechef team member no. 3
'A thrilling, harrowing ride'
Adrian Dommisse
Lawyer to Yuppiechef 2019-2021
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