South African start-up Wazupa has introduced an app that connects home chefs with people in their area looking for a meal.
According to Wazupa, it has created a convenient location-based app that connects those who love to cook (home chefs) with those who love to eat (grazers).
The Wazupa platform allows South Africans to set up their own food businesses by simply creating a profile and then setting out menu items by photographing and pricing their best dishes, the company says.
Wazupa earns 15% off the retail selling price of the transaction, but carries the credit card and other processing fees, it adds.
To order food, users must go onto the app and check what each home chef has available - they can either decide to collect or request delivery and make payment, says Wazupa.
Meals prices are up to the home chefs and depend on how many people they cater for, so they vary from R50 to R1 000, says Lance Baum, founder of Wazupa.
Baum says the app, which went live beginning of July, has seen tremendous interest and growth.
It has already activated 150 chefs and more than 650 grazers with over 2 000 menu items loaded, says Wazupa.
The company's go-to-market strategy relies on marketing drives that will create viral brand awareness, says Baum.
The brand has a digital foundation and therefore there will be heavy reliance on digital social platforms to reach relevant and brand appropriate audience types, he adds.
"There will also be a strong relationship built within the foodie and lifestyle community of writers, authorities and bloggers.
"This is where trust is built with consumers - the underground group of 'lifestylers'."
Baum says the company is using social media to grow its base with strong emphasis on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.
"A substantial focus is being be put on PR and influential foodies to spread the word of our digital food culture."
Baum says his inspiration for the innovation came when his wife had a baby.
"When my wife had a baby, our friends used to drop off home-cooked meals. I found it so exciting to try someone else's delicious food in my own home. I realised that it's also a tremendous opportunity to help people to do what they love and be able to earn a secondary income from it.
"People want to eat healthier, and we can help remove the guilt of junk takeaways, as many of us are just too busy. Wazupa can help get families around the table at meal times again."
Until recently, Wazupa was only available in Johannesburg and Pretoria where it was piloted, but is now available nationwide,
Wazupa is available in app stores for iPhone and for Android or the Web site: www.wazupa.com.
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