Thuli Hlongwane is a Cape-Town based entrepreneur who currently serves as Managing Director of Prim-U. She is a versatile and highly experienced IT management professional who specializes in project managing innovative IT solutions to improve infrastructure and system stability, functionality and efficiency across key business areas.
Having worked for corporate brands such as Woolworths and Pearson SA, she is quick to familiarize herself with the latest technologies and industry developments while demonstrating a logical and analytical approach to solving complex problems and issues.
As female entrepreneur who has previously worked in the IT in the corporate sector, and has decided to become a business owner and provide this unique mobile app service to the local hospitality industry. Hlongwane understands the challenges of being an entrepreneur and the journey of designing/building/maintaining/growing a successful mobile app and what it all really entails.
About PRIM-U And How It Works
An on-demand technology platform for beauty and wellness services that optimizes booking capacity, usage and eliminates waste for businesses thereby speeding convenience for consumers.
An on-demand technology platform for beauty and wellness services that matches and optimizes booking capacity for professionals thereby maximizing usage and eliminating waste by speeding convenience for consumers.
Prim-U connects salon/spa owners with capacity to entrepreneurs/freelancer providers in massage beauty nails (referred to as primlancers) to offer their services to customers looking for; good quality services at competitive prices, excellent customer service to promote customer loyalty and location that assures convenience to freelancers and their customers.
The mobile app matches experienced prim-lancers who are looking for space to offer their services from salons and spas with under-utilised space or looking at beefing up capacity for a short period of time.
Service offerings for Hair, Nails, Massages and beauty makeup services. People looking for services have an option of choosing a location from the list or keying in a location of their choice. Aggregator platform will list available salons/spas within a specified geographic location.
In this interview, Thuli Hlongwane shares with us how she plans to add value to the beauty therapy industry through the use of the Prim-U mobile apps in SA.
AFRICA.COM: What advice do you have inspire other budding entrepreneurs?
Thuli Hlongwane:
The mindset is all that you have control of as an entrepreneur. It is so powerful that it determines whether you succeed or fail in everything that you do. Small steps or big goals. Use it to your advantage.
AFRICA.COM: What inspires you?
Thuli Hlongwane:
Reaping off the fruits of achieving something. It can be a tinny milestone but putting a tick next to it and seeing a satisfied happy face in return gets me going.
AFRICA.COM: What do you love most about working in the tech and mobile app markets?
Thuli Hlongwane:
The ever changing landscape which is becoming much easier to predict as we begin our journey of data analysis and predictive analytics. The convenience for customers is very important and Apps are about making life easier for all.
AFRICA.COM: What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve overcome as an entrepreneur?
Thuli Hlongwane:
Making the decision to exit the corporate environment with nothing else but a dream to succeed.