Running a Tech Startup is already hard enough, the least you can do is to find ways to reduce your company’s expenses and maximize the skilled support team you have.

In a Continent where waste disposition can be challenging for many, not to talk of sorting waste before disposition, the CEO of WasteDump Zakhele Shongwe has successfully built an app that sorts wastes, by connecting verified waste pickers to households who are willing to be rewarded up to 40% of its resale proceeds.

WasteDump is on a mission of wealth recovery through separation and is currently aimed at exceeding a 50% recycling rate in the whole of South Africa. This hasn’t been an easy feat, as it’s currently at 10%.

Incentivizing users with a 40% share of resale proceeds seems to be the easiest way to achieve its goals as most people are more incentive-driven.

You might be wondering how the company thrives on the remaining 60% while still covering expenses like technology development, marketing, logistics, and other crucial operational costs.

According to the latest data, up to 90% of Startups fail. Approximately 10% fall within the first year.

But Zakhele believes in his business model and has been subscribed to SkilledUp Life since April, 2024.

Through us, Zakhele has been able to scale his tech business on a budget with access to about 25 exceptionally skilled Tech Volunteers, allowing him to cover other operation costs while still maximizing profit. 

He has a goal of recruiting up to a thousand SkilledUp Life volunteers in the near future.

Here’s what Zakhele had to say about his SkilledUp Life experience during one of our weekly X Space audio events on January 24, 2025.

“We have done quite a lot of work with the team. It is a dedicated team of people who are very, very supportive of what we are trying to do. It’s amazing; the value that we have been able to extract from the participation of the team.’’

“We are really grateful to the SkilledUp Life platform, as well as the individual people who have joined us. We are seeing a little bit of light at the end of the time, and our experience could be yours.

“Thank you so much for the opportunity.”

WasteDump’s case isn’t even the only tech business that has grown through the use of SkilledUp Life volunteers.

Go here and here to see for yourself.

Looking to scale your tech business on a budget? 

Subscribing to SkilledUp Life is the most cost-effective way to get skilled help out there, regardless of your location.

This article was written by Ezinne Agbai, a SkilledUp Life copywriter.