On 1 June 2014, millions of people around the world will come together to celebrate Global Sharing Day, one of the world's largest people-driven campaigns to help raise awareness of a sharing economy.
The theme this year is neighbourhood sharing and focuses on bringing communities together to share what they have, demonstrating that most of what we need is right there on our doorstep. Last year more than four million people from around the world participated.
A sharing economy
To demonstrate the success of a sharing economy, South African company, TheRoomLink.co.za, has joined the initiative as a partner.
"Sharing resources is not new but it is slow to catch on in South Africa. A sharing economy, or collaboration consumption, is the organised idea that every single person has something to share from time, space and skills to actual merchandise. It is a rapidly growing trend overseas, but locally it is taking a little more time," says Liezl Hesketh, founder of TheRoomLink.co.za, South Africa's first online property matching website connecting renters and rooms.
Hesketh is encouraging South Africans to look at their own resources with an open mind and see how they are able to contribute. The company will be spreading the word of the initiative and promoting a shared economy via social media on Twitter and Facebook.
Collaborative consumption
"The fact that a day is set aside globally, to highlight the trend of a sharing economy is evidence of its importance. Resources are shared to maximise their efficiency; what one person has in excess, they share with another person who has a need."
Examples of collaborative consumption includes: car and lift sharing, home-exchange, renting out spare office space, renting out additional rooms inside or outside the home and even sharing and trading of designer clothes and accessories.
