SA online platform aims to assist local freelancers

A South African online platform has been launched to assist local freelancers in securing employment or work in various sectors. 

Launching earlier this year, Jobs4mzansi was founded by local entrepreneur, Siviwe Mgolodela.

The startup aims to assist South African businesses and freelancers

The platform that works to connect freelancers with work opportunities took a reported three months to develop. Completely bootstrapped with funds from Mgolodela, the startup company plans to secure seed funding from investors in the near future. 

Currently, the startup claims that there is 500 registered members, and more than 180 listed services.

Designed for South Africans

The concept for Jobs4mzansi was created after Mgolodela was retrenched from his previous job due to the impacts of Covid-19. The lockdown has made it difficult for many unemployed South Africans to secure work as companies have downscaled drastically to make up for a loss of revenue.

With a background in marketing, Mgolodela decided to create an effective solution to the crisis of unemployment many South Africans and freelancers are currently facing. 

Mgolodela explained that while he struggled to find employment, he had considered freelancing as a temporary way to earn an income. However, he found that the South African freelancing platforms were not up to standard.

“I decided to reverse the hiring process by creating a platform that allowed freelancers to showcase their various skills by posting jobs that they would like to do as well as the price that they would like to do these jobs for,” said Mgolodela.

Jobs4mzasi differs from other freelance employment platforms by allowing employers to contact the freelancers that they would like to work with.

How Jobs4mzansi works

While freelancing is not a new concept, Mgolodela explained that the biggest challenge has been to inform the public on the way that the platform works. 

He explained in the traditional manner of searching for employment, a person would have to submit their CV for permanent employment.

On Jobs4mzansi, job seekers can be headhunted by businesses who have joined the online platform and offer short term contracts where freelancers are paid once the work is successfully completed.

“Instead of forcing people to work in an office, we encourage our freelancers to work from home, which is why we provide services that can be completed virtually,” explains Mgolodela.

He added that the Covid-19 pandemic has shown that working remotely is possible and it could an important part of the future of the work environment.

“I hope that, in time, people will adapt to this new way of working and will therefore embrace the platform,” concluded Mgolodela.

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Feature image: Brooke Cagle via Unsplash