Introducing South Africa’s New On-Tap Workforce: A Solution for Industry and Individuals
The realities of the South African labour market in the last quarter have been sobering if not shocking for all. Along with job losses and high rates of unemployment, socio-economic factors are impacting industry — struggling with challenges such as a chronic shortage of talent — as well as citizens, many of whom find themselves without work and, more than ever, seeking innovative ways to make and save extra money. While the government can theoretically help to solve this through encouraging self-employment and supporting the growth of micro-and small enterprises by improving the entrepreneurship ecosystem and access to financing as well as investing in skills; realistically, it’s up to South African ingenuity and entrepreneurialism to provide real ways to save the day.
This July, Jobb’n launches as South Africa’s national, on-demand, 24/7 workforce. Founded by the same digitally-savvy team behind Webfluential and theSALT, Jobb’n is a platform that has been designed to solve two issues: Firstly, it provides businesses and brands with real-time, location-specific or virtual solutions to chunky tasks (such as market research) at a fraction of the cost and with unheard-of accuracy, reach and speed. Secondly, it offers citizens from every corner of the country the opportunity to earn extra money — at the touch of a button, via their phones.
“Marketplace crowdsourcing is here and it has the opportunity to add cash to your wallet if you’re an individual, or to save and stretch your budget if you’re a company,” says Jobb’n Founder and CEO of the newest subsidiary within the Nfinity Influencer stable, Pieter Groenewald.
Akin to Uber which provides access to convenient transport without having to own a car, or Airbnb that unlocks infinite homes without having to own a property, Jobb’n opens up the talent access economy by making vetted, brand-aligned individuals and location-based resources available to businesses without having to permanently hire a single person.
Providing immediate access to a diverse pool of talent and to complete a vast array of tasks, Jobb’n matches businesses from all industries with the right people for the right purpose and, alongside Nfinity’s other subsidiary theSALT, has tapped into its 345,000-strong resource community. The tasks ‘Jobbers’ complete are wide-ranging, from beta-testing new innovations to facilitating store hygiene tasks to testing the efficacy of an ad campaign. At the same time, the platform is also an individual’s answer to starting a side-hustle by leveraging and capitalising on their time and services.
How it works: The Hustle and Hire Advantage of Jobb’n
Working with some of the country’s top blue-chip companies to reach their marketing, sales and operational goals, Jobb’n offers key services across in-trade activities (mystery shopping, installing POS, price comparison and competitive analysis), smart surveys (online questions, social canvassing, ad testing and packaging testing) as well as smart sampling, sales and real-time reviews.
“One of South Africa’s major pet food suppliers recently used Jobb’n to verify the merchandising of their products in 200 third-party stores. The organisation didn’t have the workforce to achieve this, and Jobb’n provided immediate access to a vetted, credible pool of people and successfully obtained live data from every store, including those as far-flung as Kakamas, within 48 hours,” says Groenewald.
“What’s amazing about the platform is that it allows for specific details such as profiling and location, with strong verification techniques built into the technology that grants businesses access to a very large resource pool as well as to break big projects down into chunks,” adds Groenewald.
As an individual looking to supplement your income, Jobb’n works something like this: You’re on your way to a major retail chain and, via a notification on your phone, you’re asked to take a picture of a new brand that’s just launched on shelf. You confirm the assignment, snap the necessary pics, send them via the app and get paid for your services. On the client side, information is made available almost immediately — making it fast, reliable and effective to make verified brand decisions without effort, huge costs, or coordinating vast teams.
Currently, Jobb’n has a workforce of over 345,000 “Jobbers” across South Africa, from the largest metros to the smallest rural towns. They consist of ‘side-hustlers’ looking to earn extra cash and range from qualified workers to students, postgrads and professionals, entrepreneurs, small business owners and moms with kids, to mention a few. Delegating tasks on a first-come, first-served policy (always matched to profile data), Jobbers complete jobs with agility and accuracy — including world-class reporting to clients — in order to unlock the next project.
Streamlined and efficient, Jobb’n manages the entire process from the start to finish of a project via its platform, for both clients and individuals. Through its strategic partnership with theSALT and its technical expertise and one-of-a-kind database, brands gain access to the most comprehensive database in Africa with the ability to target Jobbers at a granular level.
If you’re interested in joining Jobb’n as a client or Jobber, make sure you register your profile on this link: https://app.thesalt.co.za.