To understand Africa’s digital opportunity, one only has to look at the numbers: six out of the 10 fastest-growing economies are in sub-Saharan Africa, with Africa being the second-biggest mobile market in the world. This is according to the poll blog ICT works.

Despite the challenges facing Africa, and South Africa in particular, young people across the continent are getting connected and creating opportunities for themselves. They are finding ways to use technology to innovate, create employment and improve the lives of people in their communities.

This is where young tech entrepreneurs – North-West University (NWU) student Neo Nyathi and his cousin Thabang Motaung – come in.

The enterprising pair have launched a clothing website, creating a platform for upcoming local brands to connect buyers with brand owners instantly through WhatsApp, free of charge.

Neo says the idea of the website, Steezies[N1] , came after spending a day sifting in vain through social media looking for an upcoming brand that stood out.

He realised that a lot of local brands go unnoticed in South Africa, and that there is a need to create a centralised platform where they can be introduced, making them easily accessible to consumers.

“When we started with the site, we worked with brands from around Johannesburg, particularly in the Vaal Triangle where we grew up, and the brand owners spread the word to other people and brand owners. This in turn gained traction for our site and saw more brands joining in,” says Neo.

Original article published on IOL: https://www.iol.co.za/the-star/news/two-young-south-africans-launch-steezies-their-own-version-of-amazon-51114368

 NWU student Neo Nyathi, the mastermind behind the website Steezies. (Photo: IOL)