Elton Fasser grew up in a home where his parents would help members of the community even when they did not have much to do for themselves. As an adult, he continues this family tradition of giving, albeit in his own unique way. It was in this vein that Fasser created Fassernate, a platform that he believes will empower small business owners to take full ownership of how their businesses are run.
Fasser, who grew up in Westbury, Johannesburg, told Vutivi News that the idea for Fassernate came after he saw how many small business owners could not afford to build websites or build their own online platforms. So, he decided to create a platform where entrepreneurs could build their own online store in under ten minutes for free. Fasser launched his product in 2021 and relaunched it in 2022 after changes to the application.
So far it has over 100 businesses on the platform and over 1000 downloads. According to Fasser, the app assists small business owners with opening an online store where they can sell their goods and services. “The app can be used by both consumers and business owners,” he told Vutivi News. “The business owner downloads the app from the Google or Apple app stores and registers as a business owner.
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“The platform then assists the business owner with creating a catalogue and putting the quantity of the products they sell,” he said. “The platform also helps those who do not have businesses create their own businesses from scratch, without having to pay exorbitant fees for building a website.” Fasser has decades of experience working with building systems.
“Growing up during the era of apartheid, all I wanted to do was to work with computers,” he said. “My first job was at South African Airways where I was employed in the computer room. “However, as the only non-white at that time, I ended up working in the kitchen, making coffee and cleaning tables. “This did not stop me in any manner,” he said. He worked hard and within three years he was promoted to a more senior position in the company.
His experience also saw him build systems for companies in the medical technology field, such as Lancet Laboratories. One of his biggest achievements is seeing the app house over 100 businesses and giving over 300 entrepreneurs the opportunity to build their own online stores, even though many of these entrepreneurs have not yet listed any products.
“With the app, I am trying to push people to think differently about running their business, while at the same time showing those that cannot afford that they too can go online without spending vast sums of money,” he said. Fasser has ambitions to see his app be used all over the world in the next decade. “My aim is not to compete with big international platforms, but to reach countries where businesspeople do not have enough money to build apps or even websites,” he said.
