The Start Small & Grow Big workshop held in Mahikeng by TEA was designed to empower aspiring entrepreneurs with important abilities and insights to kickstart their companies. Among the notable contributors was Morekolodi Mankuroane, a winner of the TEA Kasi Pitching Challenge and the founding father of a groundbreaking software program and safety providers firm. His journey exemplifies the intersection of expertise and neighborhood security, showcasing how innovation can tackle urgent social points in South Africa.
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From Humble Beginnings to Tech Visionary
Morekolodi’s journey started in a rural village with minimal expertise and infrastructure, no visitors lights, few sources, and restricted entry to the digital world. Growing up, he was a aggressive and curious thinker, brimming with concepts on the way to enhance his neighborhood. His highschool years uncovered him to new environments, significantly via South Africa’s Innovation Hub, sparking a ardour for expertise that has pushed him ever since.
Despite a modest upbringing, Morekolodi dreamed massive, aiming to create one thing that will profit his neighborhood instantly. His first steps into tech befell in highschool, the place he joined programmes encouraging younger South Africans to innovate. By the age of 17, he was already exploring options to societal challenges, significantly these associated to security and gender-based violence (GBV). This early publicity to each tech and social points laid the muse for his future firm and community-centred mission.
Building a Business in Tech and Security
In August 2020, in the course of the COVID-19 lockdown, Morekolodi launched his enterprise, a novel mix of software program growth and safety guard providers. Motivated by the rise in GBV instances and a robust sense of social accountability, he noticed a possibility to leverage expertise to fulfill important safety wants.
His flagship product, the Salema App, is a complete security platform that includes real-time notifications of high-risk zones, an emergency alert system, and voice-activated instructions to name for assist. Users are alerted to hazard and linked to native safety personnel and protected homes, making a responsive care community. Beyond the app, Morekolodi launched the Salema Belt and Salema Bracelet, wearable gadgets designed to assist observe lacking individuals, significantly precious in instances of GBV, hijackings, and kidnappings.
Morekolodi’s enterprise goes past offering a service; it impacts communities by creating jobs and fostering safer environments. With over 612 instances managed by the Salema App so far, the corporate is establishing itself as a trusted identify in neighborhood safety. Morekolodi’s mannequin emphasises native partnerships and employs educated safety personnel, which has a optimistic financial affect on the areas his enterprise serves.
His strategy to combining tech with in-person providers fills a novel hole within the safety market and demonstrates his perception in a balanced strategy to security. His enterprise mannequin helps not solely security but additionally native employment and financial upliftment, strengthening the material of communities.
Triumphs and Challenges on the Entrepreneurial Path
Like most entrepreneurs, Morekolodi has confronted challenges. The technical studying curve, monetary calls for, and the complexities of scaling have all examined his resilience. However, the rewards—comparable to assembly folks from throughout Africa, producing earnings for others, and even having the honour of assembly the President, have validated his journey.
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Winning the TEA Kasi Pitching Challenge was a significant milestone, securing him a R50,000 prize that helped fund new tools and launch extra providers. The Salema App has achieved over 500 downloads, a major milestone that displays his dedication to sustainable development and affect.
“Tech can be intimidating,” Morekolodi acknowledges, “but you have to give yourself the freedom to start as a beginner.” He encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to embrace challenges, keep knowledgeable, and guarantee compliance in all ventures. His journey proves that dedication and a dedication to serve can create a long-lasting affect.