Innovative Entrepreneur Starts Mobile Advertising Business
Lesedi Mkhutshwa | Monday June 24, 2019 12:07
The entrepreneur, Steve Retshabile, owns MARS Mobile Advertising, which offers advanced features that directly connect buyers and sellers globally.
Retshabile started his education at Botho University, but because he was one of the institution’s brightest students, he was sponsored to complete his Bachelor Degree in Computing with specialisation in Software Engineering at the University of Venda in South Africa.
The company aims to offer innovative solutions to entrepreneurs in Botswana for economic diversification, which the country’s leader, President Mokgweetsi Masisi, is fighting to achieve.
Retshabile told Business Monitor that his business provides diverse advanced technologies that cater for the fourth industrial revolution.
He added that MARS Mobile Advertising also promotes a free business listing mobile application with advanced advertising features.
The entrepreneur said that they also provide online and offline-shopping functions in which different companies both locally and internationally can advertise their products at their own convenience.
He further said that under the advertising section, companies can place multiple pictures in one advert and the application also allow for video advertising.
The innovative entrepreneur said that the features allow businesses to integrate their websites for easy access to their services.
“MARS Mobile Advertising is an easy mobile application with excellent features such as a private chat function between advertisers and buyers and an instant push notification to all platform registered users when a product, advert or service is added,” he said.
Retshabile added: “Adverts can be shared on social media platforms like Facebook and users can search for services by location”.
Retshabile gave an example that if a user can search for ‘accommodation’ in Francistown, all listed businesses providing accommodation in Francistown will be displayed on the app.
He further said that their business strives to make information about different service providers more accessible to Batswana through the use of mobile technology.
“We launched the application four months ago and it is currently doing well. We were prompted to start the business because there is limited access to information, adverts and environmental concerns,” he explained.
“The world is going green, so we don’t want papers all over because we care about our planet Earth,” Retshabile added.
With a little bit of worry showing on his face, Retshabile indicated that one of that things that impede businesses in Botswana is expensive internet costs and technological adaptation, which is slow.
He added: “The government is the major customer of technology companies in the country. Venture capitalists and the private sector should also come on board to assist upcoming small businesses”.
To beat his competitors, the upbeat entrepreneur said that they offer cheaper advertising rates adding that the application is strictly for business.
Retshabile advised aspiring businesspeople to do thorough research about the market before venturing into any business and benchmark from established enterprises.
He also added that parents should play supportive roles in whatever their children embark on.