Meet Shela.co.za, South Africa’s new urban online dating site

If you’re single and online, there are plenty of options out there available to you. Ranging from the very broad to the very niche, these sites have pretty good success rates, with online marriages reporting much lower break up rates than their conventional counterparts. The latest startup to join this fray is a South African site called Shela.

Positioned as an “urban” dating site, Shela’s press pack is pretty scant on information about what makes it different from all the other dating sites and apps out there.

As is the case with most dating sites, it allows users access to a real-time stream of activity by other members, the ability to add other members as friends and private message and also search for their match.

Users also get instant notifications when they receive a mention, Inbox Message, or Friend Request.

One interesting feature of Shela is a section where users can submit their own stories about their dating experiences. You can also read, and comment on, other people’s stories. If nothing else, that feature should make for some decent entertainment.

It’s unclear whether the site uses any kind of algorithm to match users.

Given that registration is free, it also seems that the site will depend on advertising for its survival.