30 Nov 2021

Online applications have made it possible to do so much more with the push of a button. 

Tapping on the opportunities  brought by online applications, local youth innovator, Mr Martin Moatshe created iFirsh, an on-demand procurement application that connects buyers with suppliers.

Mr Moatshe said in an interview that the app serves to refine the purchasing process due to a need for a convenient and efficient way to source quotations without physically going from supplier to supplier. 

He described iFirsh as an intuitive user interface that makes it easier to request quotations and purchase goods and services in record time.  “A buyer creates one request for quotations and it is routed to all suppliers providing the goods and services filtering by location and industry. 

Thereafter, the buyer will receive dozens of quotations and will be able to choose the most suitable supplier, and book their order instantly,” he explained. 

Additionally, Mr Moatshe highlighted, the app allowed for a buyer to request for quotations at the comfort of their homes or offices.  The app also has a smart chat feature which allowed a buyer to communicate directly with potential suppliers. 

He said technology driven business transformation platform was about championing small businesses through use of data to achieve operational efficiencies as it also allowed for purchase analytics and real-time market data. 

The support he received from Local Enterprise Authority (LEA) to develop the app, Mr Moatshe said would help create a thriving SME sector which was competitive, agile and could scale beyond Botswana. 

He further stated that the app had over 70 suppliers and almost 200 buyers across the country and was available for download from the Google play store and App store for IOS users. Ends