The financial crisis of 2008 severely damaged the reputation of the banking sector. Nine years on, consumer surveys consistently find that the financial service industry is one of the least trusted sectors. Restoring that trust is imperative to creating a flourishing financial services sector that can fulfil its vital role in Africa’s economy  Almost any consumer interaction with a financial services firm requires an act of trust on behalf of the consumer; it is therefore of crucial importance to the industry that consumers have a high level of trust in financial services providers.

Trust in innovation

In the 2016 Edelman Trust Barometer, it found that while only 54%of respondents trust the financial services industry as a whole, 62% feel the industry is acting responsibly in the way it is bringing electronic payments to the market. As an industry, it has responded quickly to shield consumers from liability on card fraud and is working collectively to protect broader financial systems. The above shows there is an opportunity if handled well, to use innovation to build trust. 69% of those surveyed by Edelman trust the innovation of new electronic and mobile payment options, thus were ready to leap forward to use them; they saw massive conveniences and greater personal efficiency even in the face of added risks. 

Earning trust in a complex continent

Africa is a continent with a myriad of cultures, geography and incomes, but innovations that touch consumers on a personal level can counter balance security concerns, Edelman’s report found that 82% of those surveyed agreed that “makes my life easier” is an important trait for building trust. Look at Mpesa; the concept has made the lives of many in Kenya easier. Albeit they were forced to use it, but within the financial service the introduction of the platform was a game changer and is now trusted by millions.  So what can companies do to take advantage of this opportunity? 

Focus on discovery, establish personal and societal benefits

Communicating the financial stability of institutions, listing the steps they are taking in data security and highlighting the innovations that organisations are developing can make a difference. Mobile banking and electronic payments are good examples. Banks like FNB have been quick to adopt technology in the mobile banking app arena, and have forged the way tech can be secure, efficient and deliver consumer value. Fintech is seeing the financial services sector flourishing, and organisations need to engage with consumers through regular dialogue, and active consumer participation in product development.  

Act with integrity, rigour and self-awareness

Take sustainability into consideration. Be consistent in reporting and tell people how you are doing. This is a long-term, not a short-term strategy. Start with social listening; have a well-communicated culture, focused on an institution's people and the communities in which they live and work. Edelman discovered that only 24% of consumers expect businesses to "make the world a better place," while 54% of people say they refuse to do business with companies that do not. 

Consumers are sending a clear message with this finding. Enterprises that listen to their customers on this will gain the greatest advantage.   

Observe, share information and improve products

Do not be afraid to acknowledge problems, and be sure to take steps to solve them. FinTech drives consumer activity, be it engagement or disengagement, and can be a clear indicator of successes and challenges. Additionally, any tools or applications can be built in a way that auto identifies any issues (bugs, bottlenecks, etc.) and allows consumers to report obstacles quickly. Most importantly, this feedback needs to be acted on; otherwise, this will drive a culture of consumer ignorance, with users being less likely to be actively reported on going forward. It is vital to communicate across all platforms and in every field: operations, purpose, products and services, engagement and integrity. Considering the role financial services plays in individuals' lives, knowing that 83% of people surveyed by Edelman said that "keeps my family safe" was an essential attribute, but only 56% thought the financial services industry was performing well on this measure. Strengthening collaborative approaches to data security and privacy, standing for consumer protection and making sure the institutions themselves remain stable will help to close the gap. Knowing what builds trust amongst consumers when it comes to the financial services sector, organisations need to build on this knowledge with fintech firms; the industry needs to make consumers aware of what the industry is doing to improve security, safeguard our financial systems and bring greater access to developing communities within Africa.

One of the most influential global innovation accelerators, Startupbootcamp, launched its first African-based programme last month. Starting in September 2017 and led by seasoned innovation experts, Zachariah George, Philip Kiracofe, and Paul Nel, a 3-month intense “bootcamp” will take place in Cape Town, South Africa to scale selected top startups.Innovators and entrepreneurs around the world can apply to participate from now until 9 July 2017.

“The aim is to grow disruptive startups and connect them with dynamic corporates, providing both with an opportunity to collaborate and build the African innovation ecosystem,” shares Zachariah George.

The 10 most promising teams will be selected from a pool of hundreds of applicants and provided with EUR 15,000, 100+ highly engaged industry mentors, free office space, access to funding and a network of industry partners, investors and venture capital firms.

FastTrack Events

Ahead of the application deadline, 16 FastTrack events will be held all over the globe for the local talent to present their ideas to the Startupbootcamp Cape Town team and sponsors for pre-application advice and feedback.  The South African FastTracks will be held in Cape Town (11 May) and Johannesburg (18 May) and hosted by sponsors RCS and PWC respectively. Startups can apply now to attend. 

“RCS wholeheartedly believes in supporting initiatives such as Startupbootcamp Africa, and looks forward to hosting the very first FastTrack event on the 11 May at our Head Office in Cape Town’, said Regan Adams, CEO of RCS.  He added that, ‘There is an abundance of untapped potential that exists in Africa. As one of the leading financial services institutions in South Africa, we are constantly looking for innovative ways to improve our credit product offering for our customers and business partners and essentially improve their overall experience.”  

These FastTracks will then move to other cities within the African continent as well as Middle East and Europe. The cities include Accra, Amsterdam, Cairo, Doha, Dubai, Johannesburg, Kampalba, Lagos, London, Nairobi, Paris, and Tel Aviv. 

When and Where

Cape Town, 11 May 2017 

Johannesburg, 18 May 2017 

How to apply?

Interested teams can apply to attend a FastTrack here: http://bit.ly/capetownft

Any mentors that would like to help with the FastTrack can apply here: http://bit.ly/capetownmentor

Startups interested in applying to the 3-month Cape Town program can apply here: https://www.startupbootcamp.org/accelerator/cape-town

Notes For Editors

For more information about this press release, contact:  

Caitlin Dreyer

The Loudhailer: PR for Startupbootcamp Cape Town

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

+27 84 945 3728www.startupbootcamp.org 

About Startupbootcamp

Founded in 2010, Startupbootcamp is a global startup accelerator with 18 programs in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Chengdu, Istanbul, London, Mexico City, Miami, Mumbai, New York, Rome, Singapore. They take startups global by giving them direct access to the international network of the most relevant partners, investors and mentors in their sector in more than 30 countries. 79% of the Startupbootcamp alumni teams are still active and 71% have gone on to raise additional funding from many of the world's leading VCs and angels.For more information visit: www.startupbootcamp.org 

About RCS

The RCS Group (RCS) is a leading consumer finance business that offers its customers a range of financial service products under their own brand name, as well as in association with a number of leading retailers in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana. RCS collaborates with its retail partners as BNP Paribas Personal Finance South Africa.RCS not only finances, operates, manages and promotes successful credit programmes, but also offers state of the art IT, call centre, risk management as well as financial marketing and brand building solutions.RCS continues to demonstrate growth and innovation in the credit market, offering ground breaking and accessible credit solutions to customers. The company provides more than just a technical solution and product for its partners, it also customises products that integrate people, processes and technology, creating value for their partners and customers. 

About BNP Paribas Personal Finance

BNP Paribas Personal Finance is the leader in France and in Europe for personal loans via its activities in consumer credit and mortgage lending. A 100% subsidiary of the BNP Paribas Group, BNP Paribas Personal Finance has nearly 20,000 employees and operates in about 30 countries. Under brands including Cetelem, Findomestic in Italy, AlphaCredit in Belgium, the company offers a full range of personal credit products at points of sale and car dealerships and directly to consumers through its customer relations centres and Internet. BNP Paribas Personal Finance has added an insurance and savings offer for its clients in Bulgaria, France, Germany, and Italy.BNP Paribas Personal Finance has developed an active partnership strategy with retailers, manufacturers and automotive retailers, web merchants and financial institutions (banks and insurance companies), based on its experience with marketing credit offers and integrated services tailored to partners’ business and commercial objectives. It is also a leading player in the field of responsible lending and financial education.www.bnpparibas-pf.com 

About PwC

At PwC, our purpose is to build trust in society and solve important problems. We’re a network of firms in 157 countries with more than 223,000 people who are committed to delivering quality in assurance, advisory and tax services. Find out more and tell us what matters to you by visiting us at www.pwc.com.PwC has a presence in 34 Africa countries with an office footprint covering 66 offices. With a single Africa leadership team and more than 400 partners and 9000 professionals across Africa, we serve some of the continent’s largest businesses across all industries.PwC refers to the PwC network and/or one or more of its member firms, each of which is a separate legal entity. Please see www.pwc.com/structure for further details.  

Gather Online, outperforms early Snapchat growth and surges past Equity

Crowdfunding target Gather Online is the social discovery platform that connects like-minded people and has burst onto the scene capturing a chunk of the social media market.

The company is in the middle of a very successful equity crowdfunding campaign that has already exceeded its funding goal by 169%. 

(UK) - A social discovery platform like no other. Gather Online launches its phenomenal mobile apps accelerating its growth that was already outperforming the early months of Snapchat.

Gather provides a unique platform where people can meet like-minded individuals through time-limited conversations on any topics of interest. Gather Online enables people to connect with individuals on their wavelength. The topics of discussion last only for a few days and then, they disappear, making sure that the content of the platform stays fresh and active. Quick back-and-forth interaction with people who share the same interests, leads to genuine connections and is far more satisfying than a random conversation on an ordinary platform. The executives of

Gather Online identified a problem that everyone experiences- we add connections on social media and never speak to them again. They then set about designing this state-of-the-art social discovery platform to solve that issue.

As David Price, CEO of Gather Online explains, “We wanted to offer a great solution for people to establish meaningful social or business connections, or form romantic relationships with others where they genuinely have something in common. Research shows on most other platforms we never communicate with 89% of our connections- we discovered the magic ingredient of a time limit which gives people a reason to interact now before missing the opportunity” Now, the company is running a promising equity crowdfunding campaign on Seedrs to raise funds for further tech development and global expansion.

Kevin O'Hara, Gather’s Chief Advisor and CIO of the Tulla Group, a £350M tech fund, informs “The campaign has had an excellent response attracting numerous small investors as well sophisticated high net worth individuals who have invested up to £150K. We expect to go right up to the funding cap of 300% of our target.

For further information on Gather Online and its equity crowdfunding campaign, visit www.seedrs.com/gatheronline AboutGather

Online, launched publicly in July 2016, by a team of South African’s based between Australia and SA. The company’s team consists of highly knowledgeable executives, experts in their field, with a combined experience of several decades. Their key product, Gather, is a social discovery platform is achieving phenomenal growth and is set to be a market disruptor. www.gatheronline.com   

Your website is a critical part of your online presence and business in general. Hosting your site can have both a positive or negative impact on your site. To make sure it’s a positive one, your site should be hosted on the most efficient server possible by a web host who is approachable and transparent. “One way of hosting,” says Michael Osterloh CEO of HOSTAFRICA, “that’s growing in popularity is VPS hosting. VPS hosting in South Africa is a relatively new form of hosting that is growing in leaps and bounds.” If you want to learn more about VPS hosting then keep reading.

What is VPS hosting?   VPS stands for virtual personal server. Think of it like server-ception: a server within a server. Physical servers are housed in data centres. These are located at different locations depending on who’s providing them. A VPS is just a virtually portioned part of these servers that runs its own operating system (OS) and has its own bandwidth and disc space. Think about a computer and how it’s able to run Windows 10, while also operating Windows XP simultaneously. A VPS works in a similar way. One physical server can run several different virtual personal servers and each one acts as if it was an independent and dedicated server. Effectively then you have all the benefits of a dedicated server at a fraction of the cost. It’s also important to note that the compartmentalisation that happens with VPS doesn’t affect the performance of your site at all. You’ll get all the resources that you pay for. And as a VPS webmaster it’ll be really easy for you to control your site.

VPS versus other hosting services   Shared hosting If you think of it like real estate, then shared hosting is like renting an apartment: There’s one landlord (the hosting company) who owns the space and all the assets. The landlord leases out the space to you and makes all the resources available to you: the communal pool, gym and parking. In hosting terms this would be things like processing speed, memory and disk space. All the residents share in those resources. VPS hosting would be like renting the penthouse in that apartment block. One with its own swimming pool, gym and parking facility. Unlike in the normal apartments, you’re responsible for the general maintenance and upkeep of your penthouse. Because you have access to your own resources, things run significantly smoother.   On the downside, VPS hosting is generally more expensive than shared hosting. You’re also likely to need a little technical know-how. That’s because VPS hosting needs a little extra time and effort to manage. Activities such as monitoring and maintaining the server need to be done regularly to ensure that the server remains secure and operational.

Dedicated hosting If VPS is the penthouse, then dedicated hosting is the free-standing home. In dedicated hosting you have your own space and are responsible for everything on your own property. Interior decorating and maintenance as well as external upkeep and landscaping. You’re left to do your own thing and so very much need to have a good grasp of technical concepts. As such VPS hosting is seen as a middle ground between shared and dedicated. It comes with a little more responsibility than the shared ‘apartment’, but not so much that might overwhelm you when using dedicated hosting.   To summarise, the benefits of VPS hosting include greater privacy, increased customisation with your own operating system, greater control and dedicated resources.

Is VPS hosting right for your site?   Shared hosting is generally preferred for websites with more basic functionality. You’re likely to want to upgrade to an appropriate hosting environment as your needs and traffic levels demand. And people tend to use VPS hosting when they require more flexibility, customization and control in their options. Even if one uses the same settings as on a shared server, you’re likely to get more control over your site hosting it via a VPS. A VPS environment is also a lot less technical than a dedicated server and can be the perfect stepping stone for someone managing the server on their own to a dedicated hosting setup.   Configuration of your server is also an important part of the performance of your site, so pay close attention to what your web host is offering. What capacity will your processor be? How much RAM will you be allocated? And how big a portion of disc space will you be allocated? These are all questions that need to be asked of your web host before you commit. All parts used on the physical server should also be of reputable brand and as high quality as possible. Remember: if the foundation is weak, your construction is likely to fail.   Most hosting companies offer free trials on their servers, so try to use this to see if VPS hosting works for your needs.

EduOne is an education technology startup that has captured the attention of over 1.5 million South Africans, 2000 teachers and has been recognised by a number of exclusive international startup societies for their work.

A big day has arrived for the team at EduOne, based in Cape Town, to launch new versions of two of their most popular websites. This is the biggest single launch for the company to-date and includes major structural and design changes to both EduConnect and EduFunding.

The redesign and development of new features on these sites began in late 2016. Inspired by user generated insights and industry best practices, the redesign is aimed at improving user experience, data usage and usability for site visitors. 

“It has been a number of late nights and early mornings over the past few months, but I’m very glad to be at the launch date with two quick, stable and ridiculously good looking  websites. It’s a job well done by the team,” says James Kieser, the company's CTO.

This launch is one of the first of what will be many iterations in a new design approach for the company’s products. In addition, one can expect a number of new features and entire products to be released in 2017.

For a more detailed view on the changes to EduOne’s sites on 31 March 2017, see a previous press release for the launch. The EduOne team encourages users to continue sending through feedback on their work through this form.

HOSTAFRICA acquires VPS Networks in a multi-million rand deal as it continues to roll out its growth strategy in the South African Hosting Market  

HOSTAFRICA Pty Ltd. acquires VPS Networks Pty Ltd., including its employees, technical equipment and customers, effective December 1, 2016. This acquisition will strengthen the strong cloud focus of the South African hosting provider. The acquisition is backed by the Swiss investment company Concorde Industries.  

(Cape Town, 8 Dec 2016) VPS Networks is one of South Africa’s oldest providers of virtual servers. The private company has vast expertise in cloud solutions and is able to tailor a service to any server hosting requirement. It offers a fully-automated portfolio of products, including small development servers and larger cloud servers for both Windows and Linux. Both companies, HOSTAFRICA and VPS Networks, share the same vision with a strong focus on customers and technical innovation.  

“VPS Networks grew more than 30% in the past year and we have been searching for a strong partner to facilitate continued growth,” says David Venter, managing director of VPS Networks. “And we found just such a partner in HOSTAFRICA. We couldn’t be happier to be part of the team.”  

Venter will join the HOSTAFRICA team as CTO and his team will ensure that HOSTAFRICA goes from strength to strength. Current VPS Networks customers will be relieved to hear that nothing about VPS Networks’ services will change, apart from the invoicing, which will now be done by HOSTAFRICA.  

HOSTAFRICA’s build and buy strategy  

As a significant milestone, HOSTAFRICA’s major acquisition of VPS Networks marks an important step in fostering the company’s growth in the South African hosting market. HOSTAFRICA is focusing on organic growth while completing its portfolio with strategically relevant acquisitions.  

“The takeover of VPS Networks by HOSTAFRICA is a coup for the fast-growing South African hosting industry,” says Michael Osterloh, CEO of HOSTAFRICA. “The demand for cloud infrastructure continues to grow year on year. HOSTAFRICA believes that moving forward with an acquisition will help provide an extended and updated product portfolio to its clients, keeping them consistently competitive and relevant.”  

The acquisition was supported by the Swiss investment company Concorde Industries, which became a shareholder in HOSTAFRICA during the acquisition. In partnership with HOSTAFRICA, the new investor is planning further strategic acquisitions in the South African hosting market.    

About HOSTAFRICA
HOSTAFRICA is an established hosting company that provides cloud and webhosting solutions, domains and SSL certificates. Mostly orientated towards providing SMEs hosting solutions, HOSTAFRICA offers self-managed, efficient and reliable hosting services at competitive and affordable rates.

Innovations in the toilet-space are largely led by the innovation and technology driven sanitary leader, Geberit.

Did you know that they have sold more than 60 million concealed cisterns worldwide? The ‘disappearance’ of the pipes behind the wall sparked a paradigm change within the bathroom, where function and design intertwine. The concealed cistern provides more space in the bathroom as the cistern is no longer in the way, leaving the walls to be used in more creative and functional ways. They can save you up to 200mm of space in the bathroom and using wall-hung toilets creates an elegant and spacious feeling and they are hygienic as you can clean underneath and right around them – adding an innovative Geberit Rimfree® toilet is even more hygienic and far easier to clean. The Geberit concealed cisterns are available in several options, equipped with Geberit technology which has proven itself for decades, and with adjustable water-saving functions and dual flush or stop-and-go flush. The fact that Geberit concealed cisterns have been in use for over half a century, demonstrates that Geberit's brand promise of "Know-How Installed" is clearly working.

Even today, plumbers are constantly bumping into Geberit concealed cisterns from the early years that are still in daily use. Geberit still has replacement parts for first-generation cisterns and guarantees spare part availability for up to 25 years. The Geberit concealed cisterns are designed with ease of installation. Style is a big consideration in a bathroom, and using a concealed cistern which is hidden from view, makes the choice of actuator plate that much more important as their visual appearance sets the design tone. The variety and technological advancement of flush plates available today has opened up new design possibilities too. Choose a Geberit dual flush option for your toilet to save water – there is even a touchless version. They are functional, save water and more hygienic. Bring a sense of well-being and freshness into the bathroom with a Geberit DuoFresh system, with an integrated odour extraction unit. The system works effortlessly by removing foul air directly from the toilet bowl, purifies and then releases it back out again as fresh air. Another option from Geberit, and ideal for renovations is the Geberit floor-mounted Monolith sanitary module. The Monolith's sleek glass panel saves space compared to bulky traditional cisterns, making even small spaces feel open and expansive.

Additionally, it offers eco-friendly dual flush technology, which allows users to choose between a standard or low-volume flush, saving the average family thousands of litres of water each year. Geberit offers complete bathroom solutions where everything works together in perfect harmony.

He who builds responsibly, builds sustainably. That is why Geberit has always devoted itself to comprehensively sustainable products that meet the highest standards, thus providing innovative system solutions for sustainable building.The globally operating Geberit Group is a European leader in the field of sanitary products. Geberit operates as an integrated group with a very strong local presence in most European countries, providing unique added value when it comes to sanitary technology and bathroom ceramics. To find out more:→ www.geberit.co.za      → This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.    → 0861 FLUSH 1

In the struggle to control malaria, researchers at the University of Pretoria Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control  (UP ISMC) have turned to satellite data to get a heads-up on malaria outbreaks and smartphone apps to control and monitor the disease.  

Technology implemented in the air and on the ground form part of a transdisciplinary solution to the prevalence of malaria in South Africa.  

Satellites to map at-risk areas and predict outbreaks

Up in the air, satellites are being used to predict malaria outbreaks using geographic information systems (GIS) and advanced satellite imaging to identify the environmental factors that allow malaria-spreading mosquitos to breed and thrive.   And armed with this information, outbreaks can be predicted with incredible accuracy. “Using remote sensing as part of an early-warning system for outbreaks, we can forecast malaria occurrences from three to six months in the future,” adds UP ISMC doctorate student Abiodun Morakinyo Adeola. “Our predictions using his model have been correct nine out of 10 times in all five Mpumalanga communities which formed part of the study.” This level of accuracy is on par with the World Health Organisation’s standards. Find out more here.  

Apps to control and monitor malaria

mSpray focusses on malaria control data management for the annual indoor residual spraying (IRS) programme. And was developed at the University of California Berkeley (UCB) with input from researchers at the UP ISMC; specifically Prof Riana Bornman,.  

And the Malaria Buddy app provides information on malaria risk, prevention and symptoms for travellers in malaria endemic areas.  

The indoor residual spraying (IRS) programme is the current preferred method for malaria control in at-risk areas. And, until recently there was no centralised digital database to ensure that spraying was effective, regular and safe. “Previously, the spray workers would go into homes, spray the walls and fill in cards,” says Prof Tiaan de Jager, director of the UP ISMC. “Come the next malaria season, they would go back and spray, but there was no clear database recording what substance was use, where was sprayed or when.”  

mSpray works by allowing spray workers to record information about pesticides sprayed, the number of structures sprayed, concentrations and application procedures - all on their cell phone. This technology reduces the time needed to record or access data and ensures a safer and more effi cient IRS programme.    

Launched in early 2016, Malaria Buddy made in collaboration with Travel With Flair is available for Android and iOS and assists travellers to malaria-endemic areas with information on risk, prevention and symptoms. The UP ISMC team and Travel with Flair are currently designing an updated version to include GPS technology to direct users to the nearest healthcare centre if symptoms are detected.   Prof de Jager is enthusiastic about using mobile technology to combat malaria saying, "We should continue to use cell phone technology as it is much more efficient than manual means to control malaria." 

ASUS South Africa partners with Mass Mart retailer, DionWired to carry full range of Gaming Notebooks. 

Johannesburg, South Africa – A few weeks ago hardware manufacturer, ASUS announced their partnership with Mass Mart retailer, DionWired at the rAge Expo. DionWired will officially carry the entire ROG (Republic of Gamers) range of notebooks.

ASUS is a worldwide top-three consumer notebook vendor whose focus is to bring innovative technology to the consumer. “One of the main aspects which sets ASUS apart from other hardware manufacturers is the advanced design. Consumers of notebooks require a stable battery life (which lasts and offers outstanding performance) that doesn’t sacrifice modern design. ASUS aims to provide all consumers with state-of-the-art technology while still providing great value for money. Therefor ASUS remains the first choice for many who are looking for the perfect balance between features and style”, says Yolandi Venter, Marketing Manager for SYS at ASUS South Africa.

DionWired carries the ZenBook range and now stocks the ROG Range of Notebooks just in time for Christmas season. The ROG Notebooks available at DionWired include monstrous 17inch G752 range in variants armed with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 and 1070M graphics with GTX1080Ms on the way. They also include the modestly priced yet beastly 15inch G552 range. 

Managing Director of DionWired, Nazim Cassim says that the retailer is looking to increase its gaming audience, and is offering a three-year on-site warranty on all new notebook and laptops sold across the ROG range. According to ASUS, gaming laptops now make up 2% of all laptop sales in South Africa, which may not sound like much but does account for a couple of thousand unit sold per quarter; this is double of what is was during 2015.  

ABOUT ASUS

ASUS is a worldwide top-three consumer notebook vendor and maker of the world’s best-selling, most award-winning motherboards. A leading enterprise in the new digital era, ASUS designs and manufactures products that perfectly meet the needs of today’s digital home and office, with a broad portfolio that includes motherboards, graphics cards, optical drives, displays, desktop and all-in-one PCs, notebooks, netbooks, servers, multimedia devices, wireless solutions, networking devices, tablets and smartphones. Driven by innovation and committed to quality, ASUS won 4,368 awards in 2015 and is widely credited with revolutionizing the PC industry with its Eee PC™. ASUS has more than 17,000 employees around the globe with a world-class R&D team of over 5,500 engineers. Company revenue for 2015 was approximately US$14 billion.  

ABOUT DIONWIRED

Their purpose is to simplify life by obsessively sharing the joy of technology. DionWired is the only retailer of electronics and appliances that really understands customers. By putting their needs and experience first, they use their obsession with technology to create an inspiring, multi-sensory environment and offer the consumer products and services to help simplify their lives.  DionWired is a subsidiary of the JSE listed, Massmart Holdings. Massmart is Africa’s third largest distributor of consumer goods, the leading retailer of general merchandise, liquor and home improvement equipment and supplies, and the leading wholesaler of basic foods. To visit Massmart Holdings Group website, click here – www.massmart.co.za 

NOTES TO EDITORS

ASUS South Africa

• ASUS Website: https://www.asus.com/za/
• ASUS Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ASUSza
• ASUS Twitter: https://twitter.com/ASUS_za
• ASUS Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asus_za/?hl=en
• ROG Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ASUSROGZA/ 

DionWired

• DionWired Website: http://www.dionwired.co.za
• DionWired Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DionWired
• DionWired Twitter: https://twitter.com/DionWired
• DionWired Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dionwired/    

(Cape Town,01/11/2016) – After a successful launch in Gauteng only a few months ago, HiCarByeCar is ready to expand its platform to include Dealer-to-Dealer trading.

HiCarByeCar was launched in June as a platform allowing private car sellers to easily get multiple offers for their car from different dealerships. In the process, the seller can compare prices and secure the best offer.

“A key differentiator between us and some other players trying to innovate in the market is that our platform is completely transparent. We offer sellers information and contact details of every dealer making an offer on their vehicle. This allows sellers to make informed decisions rather than needing to trust in what a sales person or dealer is advising,” says Michael Zahariev, CEO of HiCarByeCar.

Since its launch earlier this year over R169 000 000 worth of offers have been made through the platform with hundreds of cars being sold and currently having 23 weekly-active dealers. Popular vehicles manage to receive as many as 7 offers within 48 hours of listing. “Our strength as a car sales platform lies in our ability to serve both the dealers and private sellers simultaneously by making sure both parties get the best deal. This has allowed us to add many new dealers who are now ready to jump right into our Dealer-to-Dealer platform,” adds Zahariev.

More on Dealer-to-Dealer
Until now HiCarByeCar has catered specifically for Private-to-Dealer sales, however there has been a resounding call from dealers to extend the system to allow them to move stock between one another. The mechanics work much the same as the Private-to-Dealer sale except that when working directly with dealers HiCarByeCar ensures the sale going through to the highest offer. One of the main benefits is that offers are only made by verified dealers, ensuring that dealers are only offering against other informed buyers. This also gives the car seller the confidence that the offer being made is likely to complete.

“We always suspected that Dealer-to-Dealer would be a possible extension to our platform but never knew dealers would take to our platform so quickly and positively. Their constant use and feedback on our platform is what has allowed us to expand so fast,” notes Zahariev But there is a greater purpose for Dealer-to-Dealer which will translate into higher prices and more efficiency in the Private-to-Dealer market, which is the primary goal of HiCarByeCar.  

What makes HiCarByeCar different
Although HiCarByeCar is a platform for car sales, its focus is primarily in technology. Unlike other players in the industry who are technology assisted dealers, HiCarByeCar invests in having the most innovative and user friendly solutions for buyers and sellers of vehicles.

“True innovation comes from outside players entering a market, not inside players trying to simply improve their systems. In doing so, we believe that HiCarByeCar can completely disrupt the car sales market in a similar way that Uber and other tech products have disrupted industries. It all starts with adding value through technology for both sides of the transaction,” concludes Zahariev.

About HiCarByeCar HiCarByeCar is a revolutionary new online platform which caters for car sellers by allowing a network of dealers to make offers and delivering a summary of these within 48 hours. www.hicarbyecar.com Contact HiCarByeCar Michael Zahariev – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Phone: 087 470 0394