How a former Fish Hoek student is helping families save on groceries with EasiShop

A former Fish Hoek High School learner is using his tech skills to help South African families stretch their grocery budgets.

Tinashe Madanire, a 26-year-old student at Stellenbosch University, along with his co-founder Tendai Katiyo, launched a price-comparison website called EasiShop earlier this year.

The idea? A simple website where users can track deals, build shopping lists, and find the best prices across major retailers.

But behind the code is a story rooted in the far south.

“I grew up in Noordhoek after my family immigrated from Zimbabwe in 2009,” Madanire said.

“My parents worked blue-collar jobs, but they made sure my brothers and I had a good education and food on the table. We learned to stretch every cent — that shaped how I think about money and problem-solving.”

Madanire and his siblings attended Fish Hoek Primary School and Fish Hoek High School.

It was at Fish Hoek High that his love for technology started, thanks to a subject called Electrical Technology.

“That’s what made me fall in love with figuring out how things work,” he said.

After matriculating, Tinashe began his studies at Wits University, but had to pause during the Covid-19 pandemic due to financial strain.

That led to an unexpected opportunity.

An internship at the Fish Hoek Old Mutual branch, after a chance meeting with the then-manager, Dalton Lakey.

In just a few weeks since launch, EasiShop has already gained more than 2 000 users and built a strong Instagram following, according to Tinashe. 

“We’re not just saving people time, we’re helping them save money, especially lower- and middle-income households, where budgets are tight," Madanire said. 

His inspiration, he says, comes from watching his mom compare grocery prices using paper catalogues.

“She did it all by hand. Now, we’ve made it possible in a few clicks.”

While the platform currently focuses on major chains, he envisions a delivery service that combines orders from multiple stores into one package.

“Fish Hoek would be the ideal place to test that,” he said, “because the stores are close together.”

For now, he juggles his studies, part-time work, and the business alongside co-founder and fellow student Katiyo.

“If you see a problem in your community, don’t wait for someone else to fix it,” he said.

“Start small. Speak to people. Find out what they need. You’ll face challenges, but you’ll learn and grow. Even failure can be one of your biggest steps forward.”

To explore the platform, visit www.easishop.co.za

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Cape Argus