Meet inspiring tech start-up founder of DigsConnect, Alexandria Procter
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I’ve been studying founders of technology companies and I’ve been inspired by tech start-up founder of DigsConnect, Alexandria Procter, after to speaking to her and reading her book. I was deeply impressed by how she turned tough challenges into business opportunities.
The 2015 #FeesMustFall student-led protest was a significant moment in South Africa. It shook the country’s education system and challenged the government to reconsider how it funds higher education. It also gave birth to a technology start-up called DigsConnect, the establishment of which is well described in her recently-published memoir, “Upstart”.
In a technology start-up ecosystem that is dominated by men, the book illustrates that women can create and lead tech companies with success.
At the time of the #FeesMustFall protests, Procter was a member of UCT’s student representative council and on the frontlines when it came to helping students at the university find accommodation. As the protests became more heated and the problems facing students more visible, it occurred to Procter that politics alone was not going to be enough to solve the challenges. The leader and entrepreneur in her believed there was a tech and start-up solution.
So, she built a business that has become the “AirBnB” of student accommodation, a solution that took away the pain for many of searching for student accommodation. It’s one of a handful of local businesses that has grown well beyond South African borders. How Procter went about scaling up the business to serve other markets is just one of the nuggets you can take away from her book; it will teach you how to grow an online business.
Procter’s story documents the life of a tech start-up founder in South Africa. It lists the significant problems that have to be dealt with to carry on pursuing a dream of building a business that aims to solve real-world challenges.
Procter faced many such problems in her journey as a young entrepreneur. One that almost brought her business to its knees was the Covid-19 pandemic, which shook the real estate sector to its core.
The various scenarios Procter was confronted with and her description of how she tackled them is a masterclass for anyone leading a start-up or any business through tough and challenging times. Procter somehow always found a way, even when it appeared there wasn’t one.
This is well illustrated by how she managed to persuade Helen Zille to become her mentor. The book deals not only with her success; it’s also a cautionary tale for start-ups. In one section, Procter describes how she lost a tender to provide a solution to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme. Although it was not her fault, her experience with the National Student Financial Aid Scheme demonstrates the need for start-up founders to be cautious of the minefields in the business environment.
This book offers a look into the mindset of a start-up founder, and provides the reader with several rich lessons on how to start a business that aims to tackle some of the challenges faced by our society. It also makes clear how founders need to deal with obstacles they encounter along the way.
Procter is a fine example for young women and men who are working hard to address challenges in society through technology and innovation. She’s the proof that women can add value to the technology start-up ecosystem.
Wesley Diphoko is a technology analyst. He has been working at the intersection media and technology. You can follow him on X via: @WesleyDiphoko
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