Driven by his background and rural upbringing in Naas, Nkomazi, Mpumalanga, Silinda has created three apps which he hopes will empower entrepreneurs and lead to the creation of more job opportunities.
His company, PJS-CHEM, has developed the apps, one of which is called SmartD, an innovative online shopping app which makes grocery delivery easier and more convenient for especially rural communities.
“Its intention is to give people the freedom to shop for groceries and clothing from the comfort of their homes. The app is unique as it gives rural people the opportunity to shop and have their goods delivered on their doorstep," he explains.
“With this app, people will get employed. We have our own delivery services – we will hire our own drivers. We will need people who own vehicles and motorbikes to use this app to earn money as delivery staff."
Another development, universitiesaccomodation.com, is created to bring convenience to property owners and university students seeking accommodation. Currently the app is being used by the University of Mpumalanga, the University of Johannesburg, Witwatersrand University, the University of KwaZulu Natal and Tshwane University of Technology.
“Competing in business is not enough; having a business that generates more revenue with a smaller number of people employed, is not enough. Solving society's problems and providing job opportunities are what make a business successful.”
"Our third app is called Smart Tracker, which is designed to track assets such as electronic devices and vehicles, which is the one we competed with at the EDHE Intervarsity Student Competition in 2022,” he explains, adding that the app has received a number of accolades. It is now linked for installation of trackers in laptops being distributed to students and linked to car manufacturers for installation of trackers.
Silinda says for him to be able to come up with modern and people-centric apps, he stays abreast of technology trends by participating in industry events and competitions such as to EDHE. He says these events expose him to the latest developments and ideas, allow him to network, and to meet role players and entrepreneurs from various industries.
“Last year I took part and competed in the intervarsity competition, which was not about winning, we were after exposure. That worked for our start-up – we managed to gain more traffic toward our company as people began to trust our brand and has seen its growth,” he says.
Silinda is currently designing an app for the marketing purposes of a new airline.
“As a company, we would like to focus our efforts in 2023 on creating job opportunities and empowering the youth and women in South Africa. Our main focus will be the community of the University of Mpumalanga.
We expect to hire more than 50 people in all our business and also to go back to the competitions. Networking is the most important part of every business, the more you network the more your business is likely to grow in a short period.”
@ Story by Cleopatra Makhaga. Pictures supplied.