Vottle hell is it?
They’re certainly putting streetpole advertising to good use, we couldn’t help but notice the name VOTTLE shouting out at us again and again… so we checked it out. At first glance it seems to be an SA version of CraigsList or Gumtree, which we believe there is definitely a need for. According to Ronnie Apteker in the Business Report (read here), “Vottle is a free online classifieds service with a strong community orientation….The Vottle project is about our community. It is about bringing people together. And it is about empowering the consumer at large – that’s you and me! The Vottle project allows you to network online, to buy and sell goods, and it enables you seek out other like-minded people. The Vottle project is also about taking responsibility for our community – the CRIME WATCH component has a lot of potential and could be a valuable tool that may allow us all to gain valuable insight as to our community’s well being.”
We put it to test by looking for our dream car – a sexy black Jeep, a flat to rent and a job in advertising! We found all three with ease and through this test found one little weakness – regions. Items are not categorised in regions, so you sign up for the cute garden cottage in Observatory, pay your deposit ‘cos it’s so cheap and you’re desperate (ok I’m pushing this example if you really rent a place without visiting it you’re an idiot) then find out that it’s actually on the Yeoville side of Obs in Jozi way way away from the hippy restaurant vibes of Obs in CT. For example.
Otherwise it seemed quick to use and nice and simple. Good luck to the Vottle Project guys!
