A self taught Web designer, Maverick Kabelo, is already making his mark in the technology space at the tender age of 20.
His business, Kabelo Digital, is a digital media agency specializing in web design and steadily gaining popularity for its creation of stunning websites that are tailored to his clients business needs.
Though the business only started showing profitability in 2021, it was long registered with CIPA in 2020. The 20-year-old Majwaneng native told Voice Money that his breakthrough to designing websites was brought about by his need to have a website for his creative stories.
“I was 16 when I decided to open a Facebook page to write stories and publish on. As I continued publishing on the Facebook page in 2021, I realized the need to have a website to publish on. No one was willing to assist in terms of funds and developing it. So this meant I had to learn how to make a website myself,” said Kabelo.
As a result, Kabelo had to learn web designing on his own, a skill which went on to put food on his table. “I started researching and teaching myself Web Design. I then bought web hosting which did cost me about P370 every three months. I started designing my website, and the first attempt was horrible but as I gathered feedback from friends, I continued improving until I became a pretty good web designer,” he said.
A BSC (Honours) in Business Management student at Botho University, Kabelo said it took him a year before he could call himself a Web Designer since he had to perfect his craft.
“I now understand all the aspects of designing a website. I know what goes into a website and this is basically how I got into designing websites. The business is based in Gaborone but we work digitally. I have a team of other developers with different skill sets from mine, and this helps in the problem solving. This enables us to come up with solutions for all kinds of projects, for example, websites, apps, systems. Whether they need a simple brochure website or a complex e-commerce platform, we have the expertise to deliver it,” explained Kabelo..
Some of the clients that Kabelo Digital have designed websites for include The Fields Mall, Human Resources Professionals Society Botswana, Wusa Sportswear, and Launch Comms.
“My target market for the web design is SMMEs. My mission is to help SMMEs transition into the digital space. Every business should have a website at this point, consumers are always on their phones,” said Kabelo further sharing that creating a website for The Fields Mall remains one of his greatest moments.
Despite the web industry being competitive with major industry players being dominant, Kabelo said he will not let that deter him as he is destined to become a full time entrepreneur post his graduation.
“By always delivering high quality websites, I have managed to stay ahead of my competition. I have had a few clients who came to me to complete their websites because they were either not satisfied with the work of their previous designer or the designer just didn’t finish it,” said Kabelo.
However, being an entrepreneur has its own challenges which sometimes becomes a thorn though the business is gaining traction.
“The imposter syndrome has led to me losing a lot of opportunities. I always feel like I’m not really good enough and I feel like I will be cheating the client if I take this job so I turn it down while in reality it is something I can do. I’m still battling this problem but I’m getting there,”
In addition to his web design business, Kabelo also publishes a digital publication titled Africa’s Very Own Magazine, a publication which celebrates African excellence and innovation.
