Zimbabwe start up launches Dariro.com, a local pages platform
Zimbabwe Internet entrepreneur, Richwell Phinias and friends recently launched a platform on the internet where Zimbabwean business organizations, educational institutions and various sectors from the country can interface first among themselves and then with the world.
The internet is becoming a major part of communication for people considering how infrastructure, access and skills in the field are generally improving. Only two years ago people in Zimbabwe could not access the internet from their mobile devices but in recent months two of the giant mobile networks in the country have introduced data services to their subscribers with smart phones, gprs and 3G capable phones.
More and more internet service providers are coming into play introducing better services for the people. In line with this, the next development will be content. As people go through the internet, they are mostly limited to being consumers of information. The basics generally are sending/receiving email, using facebook.com, researching educational information, scouting for business and jobs over the world.
But the founders of the internet platform www.dariro.com believe that it is high time that people start sharing, networking and doing business online. People do not have to move out of Africa to know about Africa. A culture of telling Africa’s story by Africans is the case in point. The internet allows that.
To create websites, it is a cost that most people will not find justified besides people in the various sections of life do not have to start new careers as website developers and internet marketers to be able to close the digital content divide.
The Dariro.com platform therefore allows people to add their information seamlessly, the same way they open and use their new email addresses with free email providers is the same way Dariro.com is built. It takes less than five minutes to register and it is free. Once a user is registered they can then chose to create a website and allocate it a category that best suits what they do. All this can take a few minutes and your organization is online.
The platform is suitable for small to medium scale businesses, churches, schools, colleges, non-governmental organizations. Most people who have tried websites for their companies are worried about who will visit their websites. Well with Dariro.com, your website is created in a networked community where there are already active visitors, so from day one you can even start receiving visitors and potential business partners after creating your website on Dariro.com.
Considering that there is much that people can use the internet for, Dariro.com is opening up its platform to programmers and website developers to develop applications for the website that could potentially benefit internet users from academic, education, health to the various sectors of society.
By default the dariro.com programmers launched the beta version of the website with four applications. The first one is a Provisional Driver’s License Practice quiz, this application allows learner drivers to practice questions and learn from guides how to tackle theory questions they are likely to encounter when they go for their Learner’s Driver’s theory tests. Given that people spend most of their times with interacting with computers or phones connected to the internet either at work or home, this also makes out for an interesting learning environment turning a difficult exercise into an exciting one, all for free.
The second application is an e-learning platform where academics from ordinary level, undergrad, post grad and professional students exchange notes and study guides in soft copies among Zimbabwe over the world. Zimbabweans in educational institutions across the world have access to fast broadband connections and therefore do have large amounts of free educational resources that can benefit their brothers and sisters locally. So the platform allows them to upload and share this content with others at home, making learning accessible for all.
The other application is a chat program where users on the site can interact in real time. The next application called ZimLyrics is a collection of Zimbabwe music lyrics uploaded and edited by users, it is a platform that is going to help many Zimbabwe music lovers appreciate more the meaning of Zimbabwe music as the can now access the words in the music.
More and more valuable applications and directories are coming on as more programmers join the Dariro.com vision.
Dariro.com e-Marketing executives and application developers will be sharing revenue from advertising on their applications with Dariro.com creating avenues for Zimbabwe programmers to make money online.
Pages created on the Dariro.com platform are integrated with many components of the more than 700million member social networking platform Facebook.com. So likes and comments on your Dariro.com Pages will be accessible to friends of your users creating a butterfly effect for the publicity of your Dariro.com Pages.
Ultimately, for organizations seeking marketing opportunities on the platform; Dariro.com is introducing a new concept even across the globe. The concept of integrated marketing message creation and distribution channels, the Dariro.com founder, Richwell Phinias calls the system, technology or way of doing marketing DIGITAL SUPPLEMENT.
DIGITAL SUPPLEMENT: Digital supplements involve integrated online marketing message packaging and distribution channels – Richwell Phinias, Dariro.com
The Dariro.com founders believe the internet is going to define Africa’s moment in the famed age of African Renaissance
Compiled by Mike Tashaya
