Kitchen table app sees Pandor swept to success
AISHA Pandor was named one of Africa’s Breakthrough Female Tech Entrepreneurs of 2017 by the World Economic Forum in Durban this week – but it was motherhood which sparked her success.
This, in turn, translated into creating 3 000 jobs and a heightened sense of dignity for other mothers after she launched her Sweep South app for domestic cleaners.
Her Uber-style business, which she developed and launched in 2014 with her husband, Alen Ribic, matches up customers and domestic staff known as Sweep Stars.
Speaking to The Independent on Saturday at the WEF conference in Durban on Thursday, Pandor said it was her ambition to have a positive impact on others’ lives which saw her turning her back on her PhD in genetics.
“I studied human genetics, but then in my final year at UCT I also did a business management course. I loved and still love science, but I wanted to have an impact and the work I was doing in gene therapy was not broad enough,” said Pandor.
After graduating, she spent two years as a management consultant and it was when she was searching for someone to help look after her small daughter, that inspiration sparked. “I went onto social media and asked for referrals; ads were either out of date or people were not motivated as they were badly paid or treated like second class citizens. It was a long, involved and inefficient process.”
At the kitchen table in their Cape Town home, Pandor and her husband developed the Sweep Stars app and a website. “We wanted to connect people and it had to be an efficient service. We bounced the idea off our domestic helper and she thought it was a fantastic concept. She spoke to others in our area and within a week or two we had a queue of women waiting to sign up,” said Pandor.
Wanting to change the perceptions of the domestic service industry to a professional level, there are clear terms of use for the app to ensure there is no abuse, exploitation or discrimination of the domestic cleaners.
“This system also allows for flexibility and 67% of our Sweep Stars are single mothers so this allows them to attend to family matters or refuse a job without any fear of a punitive comeback,” she said.
Because transport is a common challenge for many, a maximum of an hour journey is applied when matching a Sweep Star to a client, which means only one taxi fare is required. They also ensure a decent rate of pay for their cleaners, Pandor said.
“We have found that our Sweep Stars have a harmonious relationship with our clients and they enjoy the raised professional status. Every applicant is vetted and (during training) we focus on what it is to be a Sweep Star. Two years of cleaning experience is required and they have a cleaning test. In turn, our clients have a quick convenient and reliable solution for home management,” she said.
The service was launched in Johannesburg, but has since been rolled out to Durban, Cape Town and Pretoria.
Pandor said they had also just closed a deal which would see the app being rolled out in other emerging markets.
On being named one of the Breakthrough Female Entrepreneurs this week, Pandor said: “It feels fantastic. Mother’s Day is coming up next week and our mothers will be able to be at home with their families, feeling their work is valued and respected.”