OfLocal: the site aiming to curate the best of your town

Ever wanted a website that can tell you about the best places to eat in a city and where to find the best photographers? Well then you’ll probably get some use out of OfLocal, a site which aims to curate the best of South African towns and cities.

Launched in November, the site relies on user-generated content in the shape of lists which are published, shared and voted for by the consumer.

According to a press release sent to Ventureburn, local business owners are able to create and publish their own personalised lists, as well as share the lists that they are featured in.

Each list can be voted for over a period of 365 days with a countdown of this period viewable on the OfLocal website for tracking purposes. At the end of the voting period, the business that receives the most votes will be announced publicly with the first announcement to be made in February of 2016. Thereafter, the company says, public announcements will be made annually.

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The company claims to work in the best interests of both the consumer and the business owners.

“Consumers are able to easily access the best services in specific locations, as well as write and share their personalized lists based on their favourite services within their location,” it says. “On the other hand, companies can add to and/or edit their business entry to provide prospective consumers with more accurate information about their company”.

If the site is to work in the way its founders intend, then it’ll have to foster both an active community and a sense of authenticity. That isn’t always easy in this kind of space, especially when it comes to balancing that need for authenticity with the desire to turn a viable profit.