This week we speak to Tankiso Motaung (30), who has developed his very own local online marketplace, which is an addition to the lists of startup’s initiative in bringing effective digital methods for delivering goods to South Africans.
Q&A
What did you study and when?
I’m an electrical engineer. Some might remember me as the graduate who five years ago stood on Grayston Drive in Sandton with a placard begging for a job from passing motorists. You might also recall that I eventually got employed by the leading telecommunication company in South Africa where I’ve gained experience and the digital know-how to develop my own online marketplace platform to help solve these customer challenges.
What is the name of your company?
Red Puppy.
Tell us about your company?
I founded my company in October 2019 after being frustrated by long queues in the shops and difficulty of finding the right product at the right price. My company Red Puppy is an addition to the lists of startup’s initiative in bringing effective digital methods for delivering goods to South Africans. Red Puppy features a variety of vendors displaying environmentally friendly products and will also be an advertising platform for services providers.
How is your company doing in terms of business during this Lockdown?
The Lockdown has really affected the company as we haven’t done any sales yet.
What distinguishes Red Puppy from other similar companies?
Red Puppy features a variety of vendors displaying environmentally friendly products and will also be an advertising platform for services providers. Red Puppy enables consumers to purchase products that enhance their day-to-day lives while creating a smoother way to shop. The deliveries are only available in Gauteng and the company is planning to expand the services nationally in the future.
What are Red Puppy’s stats in terms of usage?
We have about 444 visitors via the site per day.
What the key focus areas for Red Puppy?
We focusing on SMMEs, to help them reach a bigger and wider audience. We aim to become a one-stop-shop.
Do you think SA is ready for a marketplace like Red Puppy?
The South African online shopping industry is a R10 billion market and stand to benefit from the Coronavirus pandemic. Global online giants such as Amazon and local firm Takealot are seeing increased online shopping due to COVID-19. Red Puppy allows small-to-medium enterprises to sell their goods on the platform, the platform also exposes them to a wider and more diverse audience and also aims to bring quality products.
The organisation believes that it can offer South Africans an opportunity to shop from the comfort of their homes without worrying about crowded malls and shops and most of all without having to rush from one shop to another, looking for their ideal products.
What’s the advice to young digital-savvy entrepreneurs?
Understand your market and your customers how you can use that knowledge to help design a fit for use and fit for purpose solution. But always remember to always put customer needs first.
