SOLshop: The New Digital Platform for Farmers To Sell Directly to Customers in 2023
A new ground-breaking platform that enables digital stokvel/group buying of day-to-day items, is rapidly gaining traction in Gauteng. This first-of-its-kind concept in South Africa allows consumers to stretch their rands by purchasing products at significantly reduced prices.
What is SOLshop
SOLshop connects wholesalers, producers, farmers and customers in one friendly ecosystem. The platform acts as a marketplace, connecting suppliers with customers and enabling group buying, resulting in lowered costs for all participants. The app boasts 15 diverse categories, resembling a digital supermarket where users can find everything from fresh produce to kitchen essentials.
Jonathan Holden, COO of Solshop says, “The SOLshop marketplace is not only about group buying but is an ideal opportunity for farmers and local producers to sell their products directly through the platform.”
Traditional stokvels have long been popular in South Africa, but SOLshop takes community buying to a new level of convenience and accessibility,” Holden says. “With SOLshop, users can create their own buying group or join existing ones, fostering a sense of community while enjoying the benefits of collective purchasing power.”
How it Works
The platform simplifies the purchasing process through its user-friendly mobile application and accepts both card payments and transactions via a digital wallet. With expanded collection points covering a wider area of Johannesburg, customers can conveniently collect their orders at designated pick-up locations on their way home from work. It has also introduced a low-cost delivery service, ensuring affordable and efficient doorstep delivery for customers across a growing service area.
With the cost of living on the rise, this easy to operate platform provides a practical solution for individuals to buy in bulk and save, and for producers to live the ‘farm-to-table’ movement, allowing a win-win situation for both parties.
With features such as convenient pick-up points and low-cost delivery options, SOLshop aims to make shopping more accessible, affordable, and community-driven. JS