Upforit challenges, rewards South Africans to get fit

Could you do ten days without sweets and chocolate? No? What if you get free coffee or have a couple of friends spotting you all the way?

Upforit is a new online platform that hopes to get South Africans healthy and fit by introducing elements of motivation, prizes, health tips, product information and expert advice.

Essentially, you sign up with your email address or cellphone number to do a lifestyle challenge, invite friends to join you, and get rewarded. It’s as simple as that.

The rewards consist of things like vouchers or customer loyalty points. Currently there are Vida e Cafe coffee shop reward points on offer, but you don’t need to complete the challenges to earn these. You just need to sign up.

Gary Willmott, one of the founders of Urbian, explains: “Upforit is not another weight-­loss fad it is a start­up, rooted in social psychology and articulated through digital technology.”

Keith Elliott, the co-founder of Upforit, explains that the market is challenging because it is so saturated. “Creating an online platform has provided us with not only an exciting new way to promote our products, but also given us the opportunity to access and interact with new markets and clients,” he says.

There seems to be a definite market to address. Online health and fitness community Sleekgeek for instance has seen an enormous amount of success over the last few years. The South African phenomenon has over 18 000 members on Facebook to date and is sponsored by the likes of Reebok, Jawbone, Wellness Warehouse and Chrome Supplements.

Elliott adds that Upforit has seen a very high level of receptivity and traction in the market during beta testing. “The platform provides us with massive scope for product and brand development all aimed at assisting people in their quest to get healthier and fitter.

Upforit is a self-­funded venture that provides opportunities for brand partners to unlock more value from the users.