SA President, Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that personal care services, including hair and nail salons, can resume with their studies under level 3 of the national lockdown. To control the huge influx of customers, four University of Cape Town (UCT) students have developed an app to help with booking appointments.
Fleeker allows users to schedule appointments with hairstylists, barbers, make-up artists and nail technicians, and manage long in-salon queues to meet physical distancing regulations during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Asonele Gevenga, Co-founder of Fleeker said the app was created in 2018 and since March they have been coming up with more innovative ways to ensure stylists and beauty therapists still generate an income once lockdown restrictions were eased and the sector reopened.
“I spent a lot of time in queues at my barbershop and it made me think of ways to improve and streamline this system, just to make it more convenient for customers. This means the stylist will have more control over the health and safety measures they have in place, like sanitising, because it’s a one-on-one service. As part of our mission to improve, while adhering to strict health guidelines during this pandemic, and still accommodating our customers [stylists] and their customers, we had to make some changes”, he said.
The app lists a range of local businesses and offers a cashless payment system. It has a built-in feature which also enables stylists to track their monthly income, making financial planning a lot easier. “We’ve received great feedback from our clients, as well as their clients, especially during this time. This has reinforced our commitment to ensure that all stylists, big and small, have a fighting chance in the market and are able to connect with customers in an efficient way,” said Gevenga.
