SweepSouth, South Africa’s foremost home services platform, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this month.
Established in 2014 by Aisha Pandor and Alen Ribic, SweepSouth has evolved from a pioneering start-up to a known household name – transforming how South Africans engage with and organise domestic services.
The founding of SweepSouth stemmed from a vision to develop a platform that simplifies the process for households to connect with domestic workers, while ensuring fair and flexible employment opportunities and improved wages for these workers. Over the ten years this vision has not only come to fruition but has surpassed expectations, to the benefit of both countless households and domestic workers nationwide.
Since inception, SweepSouth has garnered attention for its user interface and top-notch service providers. Some noteworthy milestones in SweepSouth’s journey include:
2014: Aisha Pandor (CEO) and Alen Ribic (CTO) launch SweepSouth
2015: Services expand beyond Johannesburg to include Cape Town, Durban and Pretoria
2019: Launch of the SweepSouth Connect platform offering an expanded array of services such, as gardening, plumbing and electrical work
2015:SweepSouth surpasses 2000 monthly bookings
2016: SweepSouth launches its state-of-the-art mobile app
2017: Over R18.9 million paid out to SweepStars nationwide
2017: SweepSouth reached 100 000 bookings since the launch of the product
2018: SweepSouth launches its first annual report on Domestic Worker Pay and Work Conditions in South Africa highlighting the conditions, challenges, and progress within the domestic services industry in the country
2018: SweepSouth wins the Southern African Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (SAVCA) Best Small Business Award
2018:10 000 SweepStars vetted and onboarded since launch
2019: SweepSouth launches in Kenya and the SweepSouth Connect app launches
2020:1 million bookings reached on the platform
2020: SweepSouth launches the Covid-19 Relief Fund and raises over R12 million
2020:SweepSouth launches its Outdoor Services across South Africa
2021: SweepSouth wins the 2021 Fast Company Most Innovative Business Award
2021:SweepFam Ambassador Programme launches ( a community of influencers that receive monthly SweepSouth Vouchers for posting about SweepSouth online) and the SweepSouth Foundation (an initiative to raise funds to better the lives of domestic workers) is established
2022: SweepSouth successfully closes another significant funding round, attracting investments from both local and international investors
2023: 2 million bookings reached on the platform
2024: New CEO takes over the reigns of SweepSouth
In a leadership shift in 2024, Lourandi Kriel took over the reins as CEO from Aisha Pandor.Bringing relevant experience and a unique perspective to the business, Kriel is set to take the platform to new heights while building on its stellar reputation and remaining committed to its core values.
“SweepSouth is such a unique business, a real South African pioneer and a great tech startup success story. I’m proud and privileged to take over this position from Aisha, and excited to grow the business and the platform even further, while staying true to the integrity of SweepSouth, which is first and foremost a platform to connect domestic workers with flexible, fair-paying job opportunities,” Kriel says.
SweepSouth’s annual report on Domestic Worker Pay and Work Conditions in South Africa has become the benchmark for insights on the plight of domestic workers and has paved the way for robust discussions and debates around the rights of domestic workers across the country. It’s a narrative that SweepSouth will continue to drive as it advocates for fair working conditions for this group.
As SweepSouth moves into the next decade, its focus remains steady on using technology to connect domestic workers with dignified employment at a fair wage, as well as remaining the leading voice around issues and challenges faced by domestic workers in South Africa.
To add to the festivities SweepSouth has partnered with various brands, including onedaydonly.co.za, The Home Quarter, Mr Delivery, Faithful to Nature and UCook to gift customers with a variety of prizes. Each booking made by customers in June will grant them a higher chance of winning their share of R30 000 worth of prizes.
For details, please visit SweepSouth.com or check out their social channels.