She Leads Africa

[bctt tweet=”Our passion is merging the latest technology in marketing science with strategic thinking” username=”RoundSquareSA”]

23-year-old Zimkita Nogela, founder of RoundSquare, is passionate about entrepreneurship, social development and mental wellness. RoundSquare is a boutique studio founded in 2015 based in the heart of East London. The studio crafts cutting edge ideas into delightful software and provides marketing strategist to software-based tech companies.

The company’s functional practice areas include UX design and development, strategy, process, app analytics, and growth. RoundSquare’s mission is to help clients create, manage and grow their visions, nurture their brands and provide an unrivaled user experience. Besides being mostly occupied with running RoundSquare and her accounting studies, Zimkita lives on books and enjoys rambling about life and food on her blog.

In an interview with SLA contributor Jeanette Nkwana, she shares her lesson-filled journey with us.


What gap did you spot in the market that you feel Round Square fills?

We provide proper targeted marketing for software based companies and affordable software development.

Tech people are amazing at crafting awesome code but not communicating what their creation does in a way that speaks to their prospective users, as well as that getting any type of software from as small as a website to complex intranets or apps tends to cost an arm, this is where we come in.

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What skills does it require to service your clients and how did you acquire these?

I actually studied and am studying accounting which might seem odd being in the tech field and all. I learnt coding and design online (perks of being a curious being).

Both of these skills not only build a proper business but service our clients well. Again, all this is a team effort and having the right team with diverse skills from an array of industries adds and enables us to craft the work we do.

How do relevant technological advancements or innovations impact on your business model?

They impact it tremendously and more often than not positively. We are for all things innovative and love incorporating the newest tech in both our work and the running and growth of the company.

What are 3 marketing strategies that start-ups can try out?

  • It is vital to develop a vibrant, content filled social media presence. It is one of the strategies we use ourselves.
  • Partner with organisations who have the same or similar interests as your own to drive both sales and marketing reach by leveraging on each others already established networks/client bases.
  • Lastly, (and yes I might be a bit biased) get a delightful website/app that speaks to both your current and prospective clients/customers.

[bctt tweet=”Partnerships are a good way to drive both sales and marketing reach.” username=”ZimkitaNogela”]

What are ways to increase reach with zero funds?

The simplest way for free marketing has to be using online platforms and leveraging on one’s current networks.

How does one choose a market for their product?

Choosing a market is inherent to the problem one is solving or the need they are addressing, whether that is a feasible market or not is another issue.

What has been the most important lesson your journey taught you and how did it help you grow RoundSquare to its current glory?

My greatest lesson has to be that continuous progress is better than delayed perfection.

As a recovering perfectionist, I often let this curb my progress because everything I did had to be just right. I am learning that nothing will ever be perfectly perfect.

What do you do for fun that you believe contributes to the successful running of RoundSquare?

I love reading, both for recreational and learning purposes so this consumes a chunk of my free time.

I also enjoy cooking and being around people albeit I’m an introvert. This balance contributes greatly as it keeps my mental health sound which is vital for the running of my business.

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What are some of the quotes you live by that have shaped how you manage your life and business?

  • “Never live in fear of people’s opinions,” – unknown author and;
  • “Whether you were born by, bore or born with a person, never let how they live their lives dictate how you live yours,” – my mother.

[bctt tweet=”Never live in fear of people’s opinions shapes @ZimkitaNogela’s business management” via=”SheLeadsAfrica”]

What is your vision for RoundSquare and how do you plan on forging closer to realizing it this year?

My vision is for RoundSquare to be a leading global tech firm both in software development and software marketing.

I think my main focus this year is getting over the start-up slump and mindset and going for the big project I’ve been a bit hesitant to go for. In addition to this, developing a great company culture and team to attract top talent is another focus for this year.


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