Zomato Alternatives In South Africa

Zomato is a popular food delivery and restaurant discovery platform based in India, but it has localised versions of its site in many countries around the world, including South Africa. During its time in South Africa, Zomato became a popular destination for people looking to find local dining options via their website or mobile app.

As for restaurants, listing their services on Zomato gave them access to a growing user base and improved local discovery of their offerings, menus and deals.

Zomato had been present in South Africa since 2013, but 9 years later, on 13 January 2022, Zomato decided to close down its services in South Africa. The company announced the closure on its website, citing "market challenges" as the reason.

The closure is to strengthen its India focus by closing all the non-profitable/non-active divisions in its kitty. The Gurugram-based entity has shut all its international business operations, including the US, Singapore and the UK, except its UAE operation — which is still operational as per its website.

The closure of Zomato's services in South Africa is a setback for restaurants that rely on the platform to reach customers. However, there are several alternative ways to promote your restaurant.

Here are a few tips:

List your restaurant on other food delivery platforms.

Your first step is to list on those services that were competing with Zomato for traffic, so Food Delivery websites are your best bet. This will give you exposure to a wider audience and make it easier for customers to order food from your restaurant.

If you're worried about getting into the delivery business, you should check with the service first. In some cases, you can even stipulate that you may order only for collection, should you only wish to receive orders via these platforms but not trust them to deliver your product to the customer.

Some popular food delivery platforms in South Africa include UberEats, MrDFood, and Takeaway.com.

Create a local listing.

These are free services that will help your restaurant show up in search results; for example, Google My Business, Bing Places, or Apple Maps have their own native application for geolocation listings. You would need to sign up with these services and list your business with them, and once approved, your business will be shown in map searches on these platforms.

Another option would be to list on local directories, like nichemarket, that are able to index on multiple platforms so you can reach another audience that Google, Bing and Apple are not targetting.

Use social media to connect with customers.

Social media is where a lot of people spend their time, a lot of bored and hungry people. Share photos of your food, specials, and events on Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok and Twitter, and you can attract them to your page and build a following.

The issue here is crafting a social media profile that generates traffic becomes harder every day as platforms tend to focus traffic on influencers rather than businesses and are looking to extract more from you through paid ads.

While there is still a trickle of traffic, you can extract if you know how to leverage social media; it's up to you to decide if that juice is worth the squeeze.

Create a website for your restaurant and promote it through online channels.

This will give you a space to showcase your menu, photos, and reviews and to connect with customers directly. You can also use online channels to promote your website, such as social media, paid search ads and search engine optimisation.

Use traditional marketing methods. This could include print advertising, direct mail, or even word-of-mouth. Traditional marketing methods can be a great way to reach customers who are not already using online channels.

Get involved in the local community.

This could involve sponsoring local events, donating to local charities, or simply being a presence at community events. Getting involved in the local community can help you to build relationships with potential customers and to promote your restaurant.

Host events at your restaurant.

This is a great way to get people in the door and to promote your restaurant; events can be a way to tap into cohorts you never reached before and also get your name out there through dual marketing efforts.

Offer discounts and promotions.

This is a no-brainer if you have margin to play around with, everyone loves a deal, and this is a great way to attract new customers and to keep your existing customers coming back.

Create more avenues that lead to your business.

When one website closes or stops servicing a region, it doesn't mean that user interest and searches stop; it only means they are funnelled through different channels. Customers are still searching and scrolling social media, they are still bookmarking websites and sharing links with one another, and that's not going to stop.

As a restaurant owner, your job is to ensure you get into these circles and tap into this user behaviour so your brand remains top of mind, and that can turn into new walk-in customers, online or telephone orders or reservations.

You're also not alone in losing Zomato traffic, as all South African businesses listed on it take on the blow, so they all need to react in a means that works for them.

But everyone has to start or risk falling behind or being buried in parts of the internet that no one visits. If you're worried about a drop in traffic to your eatery, you can begin by following these tips; local vendors can continue to promote their restaurants in South Africa, even after Zomato has closed down its services.

However, if you're looking for performance, your best bet would be to consult with a marketing agency that can effectively turn your ad budget into paying customers.

Are you looking to promote your business?

South African food and catering businesses can create your free business listing on nichemarket. The more information you provide about your business, the easier it will be for your customers to find you online. 

Registering with nichemarket is easy; all you will need to do is head over to our sign up form and follow the instructions. If you require a more detailed guide on how to create your profile or your listing, then we highly recommend you check out the following articles.

• How to create a nichemarketer profile
• How to create a nichemarket business listing

Recommended reading

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Tags: Zomato, Restaurant , Marketing