Country of Residence
South Africa
Age
20
Project title
Forludi
Project Summary: Describe your project in one sentence
Forludi is a sports web app that enables sports players to find others to play with at a specific time, find coaches and clubs near them, and buy and sell their sporting goods.
Website URL(s) or social media handles.
www.forludi.co.za
Project Category
My project is a brand new / emerging idea
Project Stage
Growth (We’ve moved past the very first activities and are beginning to have consistent weekly or monthly impact)
Founding Story: What was the spark that led you to start your project? What was the "Aha!" moment that led you to get started and see the potential for this to succeed?
When I was at home during the winter break, I was sitting and doing nothing, which is something I am not used to as I am a frequent tennis player for the university, the problem was that I live far from my usual friends that I always text for a quick tennis match or a 5km run. That’s when it occurred to me, what if there was a sports platform where you can basically go to to find players that wish to play near you and at that specific time, that’s when I started ideating and subsequently validating.
The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve? Why does it matter to you and your community?
The problem is not having knowledge of sports players near that wish to play at that specific moment, it is a two leg issue, location and time. Sometimes you do have people you know but they are busy when you are not, sometimes you do not even know anyone near in your location. This is importance as South Africa is country rich in sports talent and finding ways to contribute to a growing sports community and creating that community is incredibly vital.
Your Solution: How are you solving this problem? Share your specific solution.
I have built a sports web app that uses the location of one player and recommends a player that is active on the platform to find an another player near them for that specific sport.A player can also post a match on the website with a specific date and time so that people can see and request to join if they are interested. The platform also allows players to find coaches and clubs near them and compare the fees and rates before committing.
Impact: How has your project created impact / made a difference so far? Or, if at an early stage, what will impact look like?
So far, we have reached about 50 users around Johannesburg with a few matches that have been held which were facilitated by the platform, that is growth, no matter how small. We plan on marketing and reaching more players so that more matches can be held
Your Innovation: What is different about your project compared to other programs or solutions already out there? How is your project new or innovative?
I have done some research about potential competition, what makes me different is that I give players(users) choices on how to reach their targeted players, whether through posting or recommendation, and I cater to more than one sport, I offer 14 sports from tennis to running to football, it is all for sports not just racket sports.
How many people are on your team?
2
Your team: What role(s) do your team members play? How do you share leadership with them?
As the Founder and CEO, I came with the idea and registered it, I deal with social media and actively look for opportunities whether funding or expansion. Tumelo Mkhize as the tech guy behind the running and maintenance of the website.
What’s Next: What are the next steps you plan to take to grow or strengthen your project over the next year? If your project is still in the idea stage, describe the steps you will take over the next three months to launch or begin developing it.
The plane now is to market the idea to reach more audiences so when can start monetisation, so for the next 6 months, we will be trying to get new users and retain old users. Then we will actively look for sports brands to advertise on the platform.
How do you encourage other people to join your project or learn about the problem you’re working on? If you have a new idea, tell us how you will do this in the future.
To every space I am in, I try and make myself visible, so when I’m at a sports event or tournament , I do ask people if they play, then proceed to tell them about Forludi.
