Andi On Demand targets Africa’s informal services economy with mobile-first marketplace launch

South African startup introduces a digital platform designed to connect households and businesses with verified service professionals, aiming to bring structure, trust and scalability to a largely offline sector.

South African startup Andi On Demand, a technology company focused on building digital infrastructure for local services markets, has unveiled a mobile-first platform that links customers to verified professionals across everyday home and business services. The company’s model is designed to address long-standing challenges in one of the continent’s most decentralised and informal segments of the economy.

The platform enables users to find and book a range of service providers, from plumbers and electricians to cleaners and technical support staff, through a single on-demand marketplace. By combining digital access with a vetting process and performance-based feedback, the startup aims to improve reliability for customers while creating more consistent income opportunities for independent workers.

In many African cities, access to services is still driven by word-of-mouth referrals and offline networks, a system that often limits visibility for skilled workers and creates uncertainty for customers. Despite widespread smartphone adoption, the services sector has been slow to transition into structured digital platforms.

“Skilled professionals are everywhere, but the way work is accessed hasn’t really evolved,” said Kapenda Chapeshamano, associate for operations and partner onboarding at Andi On Demand. “Our goal is to build practical digital rails that help service providers find work more predictably, while giving customers a clearer, more dependable way to get the help they need.”

Rather than operating as a simple listings directory, Andi On Demand places emphasis on onboarding standards, service categorisation and accountability mechanisms such as user ratings and reviews. The company says this approach is intended to raise professional standards without removing the flexibility that many independent providers rely on.

The platform is initially rolling out in Gauteng, with plans to expand into additional African markets where similar gaps exist between informal service providers and digitally connected customers.