App to change car wash game
Dladla quit his job as engineer to start mobile powered business
Kevin Dladla quit his high-paying job in automation engineering at the South African Breweries to pursue his dream of developing his car wash app.
The 30-year-old father of twins has developed an app that enables the consumer to order a car wash at any time and any place, with Dladla or a selected car wash business providing the service.
The Mowash concept came about in 2016 while Dladla was hanging out with his younger brother.
“We were talking about the lengthy process of getting your car washed. I could go three to four months without washing my car because of my busy lifestyle,” he said.
Dladla, who was born in Umlazi, Durban, said most people could only wash their cars on weekends and this can take hours of waiting at the township car washes.
He said the high pace of modern lifestyle did not allow for long periods of waiting for a service. He said people no longer have that kind of patience, and that they seek instant gratification.
Dladla graduated in 2011 with a degree in computer engineering from University of KwaZulu-Natal. He said he developed a fascination for apps and started to research on how to create one.
“It took me a year to finalise my first version. I then started to buy equipment, piece by piece, to start my business.”
Dladla said he spent approximately R160 000 to acquire operational items such as a generator, tank, pressure washer and a bakkie to start his car wash.
He launched the first version of the app in 2016, serving mostly clients in Midrand, Gauteng. It was a hit as within three months he had 140 registered users, who included TV and radio personality Pabi Moloi.
“I had many requests to improve the app. That’s when I decided to resign so that I could put all of my focus into it.
“I went to Google for one week to train on how to develop an app and I learned a lot.”
Dladla’s software developing company, Runtime Solutions, is now the main provider for his family.
The new and improved version of Mowash will be launched on Saturday in Durban and in Midrand at the end of June. It will be available on app stores.
Dladla said he wanted to look beyond South Africa and see Mowash enter the African market.
“I don’t want it to just be a car wash. When you think of your car, you must think of Mowash,” he said.
I had many requests to improve the app. That’s when I decided to resign