Stephen Odadah, a 23-year old Kenyan brought up in South Africa is set to launch RateAfrika.com, an online rating platform for businesses and services in Africa.Set to be launched in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria and Morocco, then the rest of the continent, RateAfrika, the Yelp.com for Africa will list businesses and services online where users can try them and rate them.
The platform aims to be the number one site for all local and international potential customers for anyone’s business and will help businesses to reach customers, provide businesses with a marketing platform to reach more customers, provide businesses with the much neede feedback through customer reviews, help users whatever they are looking for such as the best restaurant, service or business to suit their needs and also identify the latest or NEW businesses, services or restaurants in a town or country and above all allow users to express their opinions about a business through customer reviews.
Odadah said he never got anything for free even from his parents but could wash their cars for pocket money, which turned him into a hardworking fellow.
“I still remember R50 a car, I would never get money for free, I had to earn it, whether its to go out or a school excursion, I will be given tasks to do so that I can pay for my own excursion. Through out my working life I have been involved in Hospitality. I started when I was 15 years old in Durban, South Africa as a waiter, through to a bartender in various places under an Events Company called Blue Strawberry & ServePro.”
Then his first job as a Manager at the Engine Room Restaurant taught him Restaurant Operations. His good perfomance saw him rise through the ranks. The ambitious young man has always been on the lookout for better stuff and has been open to go out and look for bigger challenges to make his mark in life.
“I received an offer I couldn’t refuse, not monetary wise, but value wise as the experience I’ll gain cannot be taught or bought, I have been with a Tanzanian Company since leaving the Fairmont, as Operations Manager for a brand new National Fast Food Franchise that we are currently setting up.”
To him, the site is just the start of a journey he has started.
“Everyday I wake up with the feeling of wanting to be more, ever read of those success stories? People with absolutely nothing, have turned it around and made their life & most importantly other people’s lives so much better! Literally, they are living the dream.
What stops us from doing the same? I am a non-believer when someone tells me the sky is the limit, there is no limit to what one can achieve, it’s entirely up to the person.
On the side, he does Website Development & Programming and SEO for companies.