Durban-based Internet research company SAFindit has grown its directory in three years to over half a million directory entries and continues to grow daily as businesses and the public turn to the Internet to meet their needs.
Internet entrepreneur Geoff Hindmarch says his site is rapidly closing in on the Yellow Pages as the country's biggest directory because of the cost advantages and easy use of the Internet.
"The simple thinking behind it is that it costs money to print and distribute directories, whereas it costs next to nothing to produce the same thing on the Internet, where we've been recording more than 2 million hits per month."
Hindmarch says all business listings on his website are free - except for banner advertisements that appear in bold at the top of each category and are much larger than the general listings. Each category comprises only one banner ad, creating demand for this position.
Hindmarch said the costs involved in securing a banner ad were negotiated with each client on a pay-per-view basis: "We negotiate a price that the client is comfortable paying for each time his ad is viewed and they pay us accordingly."
The listings on www.safindit.co.za are found in over 5 000 categories ranging from Abattoirs to Zoos. But the directory is not limited to business listings and includes listings of websites holiday resorts, business opportunities, jobs and staff.
SAFindit will be officially launched in March but advance copies are currently available from www.safindit.co.za.
