Navigating Durban’s Social Scene with ‘Poogle’

BY: .

UKZN undergraduates Mr Siba ‘Faro’ Dlamini and Mr Oliver Kongolo are making their mark on Durban’s social scene - they have created ‘Poogle’, a website that collects information on events in the city from the Internet and social networks placing the news in one easily accessible hub, www.poogle.co.za  

Originally from Pietermaritzburg, Kongolo (22) is a third-year BCom student, part-time Model, Web and Graphic Designer and Stylist. Third year BCom student, Dlamini (20) recently started modelling at Glamorous Models.

Dlamini and Kongolo noticed many of their fellow res mates were following the same routine every weekend, not fully experiencing what Durban has to offer. After conducting surveys, they realised a lack of information not resources were to blame.

‘Many people think that going out is simple, but  a lot more effort goes into it - for instance where is the event, what type of event is it, what’s the entrance fee, etc? Poogle covers all that,’ said Dlamini.‘What if you have a low budget, but still want to go out and de-stress after a long day of hectic studying? Poogle covers that by directing you to places that will fit your budget as well as informing users about specials or when the next big festival is.

‘Poogle is also useful if you want to host your own party and need exposure.’ Said Kongolo: ‘In addition to informing users about events, Poogle also provides contact details of trusted cabs affordable for students in case you ever find yourself stranded, because we understand that many students aren’t from Durban and may not be either mobile or familiar with the area.’

Kongolo’s Information Systems and Technology knowledge and Dlamini’s Marketing knowledge mean they are able to practise and test theories learned in lectures.

‘The most strategic gimmick we use to balance our lifestyles is that we reference everything we learn in class to our business from marketing to business ethics all the way to the campus environment.’  

‘It’s not always smooth sailing because we sometimes may have three seminars in one week and it can get extremely demanding. That’s where having a strong support structure comes in, and our friends have helped us tremendously,’ said Kongolo.

Poogle also provides “juicy news” from around the country and includes information relevant to students. Students are also invited to submit text for publication.

Their plans for the future include becoming the number one source of “infotainment” in KwaZulu-Natal and then to branch out to other provinces. ‘We also want to transform the site into an app to increase convenience,’ said Kongolo.

Visit Poogle’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/poogleza, or follow them on Twitter: @pooglesa

Raylene Captain-Hasthibeer