Rhodes alumni Andrew Lynch and Kiril Dobrev credit the education they received at the University for the success of their newly-established, online IT store, CableKiosk.
Rhodes alumni Andrew Lynch and Kiril Dobrev credit the education they received at the University for the success of their newly-established, online IT store, CableKiosk.
"Quintessential reminders of my experience at Rhodes ranging from Friday nights out with friends and hungover Saturdays, to 'dawnies' and pulling all nighters to finish essays, will always remain with me," said Lynch, co-founder of CableKiosk, a newly established, online information technology store.
Lynch, a De Beers House alumni, said he is no different from any other Rhodent, having had the purple experience that all ex-Rhodents reminisce about.
He said his "favourite things about Rhodes" were the friends he made, and the "community feel".
Said Lynch: "I always liked being able to go out on Friday nights and know a large number of people."
Lynch spent a large portion of his undergraduate career working at The Oppidan Press, creating an online portal and ensuring that they were the first student publication to upload video content.
Lynch, who has a degree in Politics and a Masters in International Relations from Rhodes University, spawned the idea for his new business in 2011, when he lost the cable that charged his iPod Shuffle.
Unable to find a reasonably priced replacement, Lynch used a facet of his International Relations Masters thesis, China, to fuel the start of his business.
"I asked myself: 'If other people can source goods from China, why can't I?'
"I then emailed a few manufacturers and paid about R350 for about 10 cables," said Lynch. "A month later the cables arrived. I kept one and listed the rest on BidorBuy. Within two weeks I had sold all nine," said Lynch.
Working with digs mate and co-founder Dobrev, they slowly increased the range of cables sold and put together the e-commerce platform, CableKiosk.co.za.
"Rhodes teaches you to grow up – and quickly at that," said Lynch. He said it taught him to "try new things out of my comfort zone.
"A large part of building a business involves facing unexpected challenges and finding creative solutions to these challenges. Rhodes certainly played a large part in equipping me with the skills to tackle such challenges head on," said Lynch.
The business went from stocking one specific cable, to stocking over 900 items.
A private fund that invests in start-ups that target the African market, 88MPH, saw potential in CableKiosk and invested in their success.
"We understand that crucial to CableKiosk's success is not just our own drive…but leveraging the knowledge of others," said Lynch. "The 88MPH Startup Garage has done just that for us."
Although the business is starting to shine, Lynch said, there are areas that need some polishing.
"There are three critical areas we need to concentrate on: how to scale our business, knowing our market, and how to sell," he said.
