#ZimStartup: Local Startup Offers Appetizing Meal Deals with Fara Food App

Hoping to get a free lunch worth $5 in Zimbabwe is for those in living in cloud cuckoo land. Cloud cuckoo land refers to a state of absurdly over-optimistic fantasy or an unrealistically idealistic state where everything is perfect. Someone who is said to “live in cloud cuckoo land” is a person who thinks that things that are completely impossible might happen, rather than understanding how things really are.

In the modern world, a “Cloud Cuckoo Lander” is defined as someone who is seen as “crazy” or “strange” by most average people, often doing or saying things that seemingly only make sense to themselves, but also exhibit cleverness at times in ways no one else would think of.

But in Zimbabwe, a local startup Karimts Tech lets Zimbabweans live in this enchanted land of getting these free lunches just by liking and sharing their page for their application called Fara Food App.  

Given the economic circumstances bedevelling the country, startups who are often looking to raise money for their projects, are the ones dolling out money  to Facebookers just to attract them.

Giving money, product hampers etc is usually a strategy by big companies to lure customers to their brand.

Indeed this leap of faith,the pre-launch move, worked for Subeli who has reached over a thousand likes in a space of one week.

Named in local dialect Fara loosely translated to ‘Be Joyous’, is already bringing joy to some users.

“Working on a food ordering app that will. change the food industry in Zim. With high use of cards and mobile payments,we saw it fit to help people order food from favorite restraunts and it gets deliverd in just a click.You can search nearest restaurant too. Pretty cool,” he says. “Another feature on the app is one that allows users to take pictures of their food or at events and share it on the app and it shows to their contacts(phone numbers signed on the app).people cn like or comment on the photos. You know how people take pics in a restraint or food. If you post on Facebook or instagram or whatsapp you may look new or immature but this app allows you to post your pics of food or events thereby creating our own FB or Instagram.”

Call it disruptive!!! The app is already receiving rave reviews on its Facebook page with users saying it staves off thieving while going to get some food.

Asked why choosing such an advertising model appearing burdening on a budding startup’s pockets, Subeli said they are doing social media advertising which is now the trending thing more than Press, TV and Radio.

“Numbers don’t lie bro and numbers dont fail. Business is about number and basic advertising tenet is to go where numbers are. Right now,numbers arent on press tv or print.

“They are on social media and phones .An Average user looks at his phone 700 times each day. So I decided to make our app be part of that 700 times users look at,” he said.

A stalwart believer in the impact of social media to business, the KArimts Tech boss  said he is, “..one of the young people who understand the power of technology and it has come in so many paradigm shifts and one of it is Social and mobile networking. Social and mobile networking is huge bro. So huge that we can achieve more with less.”

Fara App is set to be launched on October 15 but more details on the launch are yet to be availed.