Colourdots: Your personal Western Cape tour guide at the click of a button

John Maytham interviews Caryn, Founder of Colourdots.

Listen below.

Years ago, Caryn ran a small manufacturing business from home, supplying upscale shops.

Frustrated by the excessive markups imposed by these retailers, she decided to explore direct selling. 

"It was killing me; they made a lot of profit and I didn't make any."

- Caryn, Founder – Colourdots

Noticing that many others faced similar challenges, Caryn envisioned an online directory specifically for small "Mom and Pop" businesses and suburban entrepreneurs.

She found online searches to be inconsistent, with local businesses often buried in Google results or pushed down in Facebook and Gumtree listings before they could be noticed.

To address this, Caryn developed a dedicated portal for local entrepreneurs.

Determined, she began creating content herself, thoroughly enjoying the research and uncovering fascinating local businesses, activities, and creative individuals in the Western Cape.

"You can't convince people to come to a site if it doesn't have content."

- Caryn, Founder – Colourdots

What started as a simple directory evolved into a comprehensive information portal, known as Colourdots.

The site is dynamic and user-driven, allowing for continuous updates and additions.

It invites the community not only to list businesses but also to contribute any relevant information beneficial to residents and visitors of the Western Cape.

Featuring targeted searches, the site filters out irrelevant information by allowing users to select specific areas and categories, with further refinement through tags and keywords.

"The idea is to make it really a very useful site, to make it worth people going to have a look."

- Caryn, Founder – Colourdots

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.