Tebatso Mphati has a way to simplify doing business online
Tebatso Mphati's social commerce platform enables small business owners to get their products/services online without hefty costs.
POLOKWANE – The 26-year-old resident created Vabtag, a social commerce platform that enables small business owners to get their business online without hefty costs.
“With Vabtag, merchants can do at least 90% of everything Takealot can without paying any sales commission, and they own every part of their online business without a co-party,” Mphati explained.
He added that the idea for Vabtag was born when he wanted to sell products online, but the cost to build and own an online store was steep.
It occurred to him that he can’t be the only person who has almost given up on his business as a result of the entry barrier.
He spent his weekends to learn how to code so he could create a platform to accommodate business owners like himself and Vabtag was born.
“The concept took less than a day to create but to build the platform took almost three months if not less. We had our first store sign up shortly after that,” he explained.
Mphati, who holds an undergraduate degree in actuarial sciences and a honors degree in financial engineering, currently supports Vabtag with his own salary. He is actively looking for long-term investors as there is only so much he can do with his own income.
He is working on getting investors in order to expand the company’s reach, as well as increase functionalities on the platform.
Mphati shared that to run a business is like buying a gift for a loved one, if they do not like it and you’re left disappointed, it means you actually bought the gift for your own satisfaction. “If a business exists to provide services, then the business should not expect anything in return from its customers except to use those services, otherwise its intent is skewed,” he added.
