ZoomTanzania, one of the leading online classifieds and business directory in Tanzania has announced the appointment of Ms Mili Rughani, a well-known veteran in the African technology space, to take the helm of company as it launches on an ambitious new trajectory.
With over 15 years of digital and IT management experience in a variety of African markets, Ms Rughani is an excellent fit for the position. She comes to ZoomTanzania.com from Microsoft based out of Kenya, where she oversaw Small and Medium Business (SMB) partner solutions for a portfolio of 10 African countries including Tanzania.
“I will be leaving Zoom in very capable hands, and the business will benefit greatly from Mili’s fresh perspective. I am particularly pleased that she is Tanzanian,” said Kirk Gillis, ZoomTanzania’s Founder and Managing Director.
Ms Rughani started at Zoom in January 2017, and by all accounts, the transition is going very smoothly. “This was a very exciting opportunity for me,” said Ms Rughani. “I have great faith in the growth potential of the Tanzanian digital market, and ZoomTanzania.com is in a very strong position to capitalize on that growth.”
While Ms Rughani is quickly taking over the day to day operations, Mr. Gillis remains onboard through March 2017 to oversee the re-launch of a new and improved site. The re-launch of Zoom is expected to deliver a faster and more focused and user-friendly site, including new classified products that will make it even easier for buyers and sellers to connect online.
The last few years have been very exciting for Tanzania’s home-grown dot-com. In September 2014, Ringier Africa acquired a majority share of the startup, providing it with the resources and expertise needed to further grow and professionalise. Then in 2016, ZoomTanzania.com was a keystone asset in the pending pan-African merger of Ringier Africa and One Africa Media, creating Africa’s largest classifieds group - Ringier / One Africa Media (ROAM).
“It’s been a very exciting ride,” said Mr. Gillis. “It was not that long ago when Zoom was a staff of four people, in a small, drab cement office with a huge vision but still struggling to make payroll.” Today, ZoomTanzania is the # 1 Classifieds in Tanzania with a staff of 32 young talented professionals driving sophisticated digital classifieds operations.
ZoomTanzania has seen significant growth and performance numbers are quite impressive. According to Google Analytics, ZoomTanzania receives over 1,000,000 visits from nearly 350,000 unique visitors each month. Zoom also boasts over 225,000 registered members, and the site generates more than 135,000 inquiries from buyers to sellers each month!
The decision to step down from ZoomTanzania was quite difficult for Mr Gillis. “The ROAM merger created the ideal opportunity for me to exit Zoom and focus on my other business, but I needed to find a strong, entrepreneurial, and seasoned digital leader to take over and lead Zoom to its full potential.”
Comments
Post a Comment