When Charles Okoroafor was several years younger, he wanted to attend an AY Life event. The radio had said to visit a couple of locations to purchase a ticket so he ended up walking all around Port Harcourt with some friends to these venues. It had been futile, because not only had they not found any tickets, they ended up wasting a considerable amount of money on transporting themselves around. This incident birthed the idea of Syticks over six years ago.
With the solution of bringing more ease in purchasing events tickets to the average African, Syticks was born in February 2021. Charles, along with his long-time friends, Somtochukwu Onoh and Chukwujekwu Ebuka, began to breathe life into the dream. These three young men are final year students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, and given that school was still in session, they made Awka their base for the meantime.
The issue of having to travel a long distance to Cinemas or restaurants just to purchase a ticket had to be dealt with, as well as repurchasing an already sold ticket.
The idea was to solve the incessantly increasing problem of mobility surrounding ticket sales, increase interaction between eventgoers, help them build a profile thereby retaining users, and also build a following. Also intended as an avenue for Organizers to develop a solid relationship with their attendees by building trust, it is the first social ticketing platform in Africa.
During the interview, we asked the CFO, Somtochukwu Onoh what he would say was the biggest challenge for him since this venture began. “I’ve had to go outside my comfort zone a handful of times on the account of selling our brand. I’m not used to being at the forefront. It’s been challenging yet eye-opening.”
The website development began in February 2021 as well as the development of the Syticks App. And while it was challenging, these relentless young men spent many nights and days giving form to what was just a dream.
The Website was launched on the 28th of May, around the same time they handled their first event on the 18th of June. There, they did a quiet survey and testing, from which they implemented the feedback they received from the attendees. They also handled the 2021 Sparks of Live event that was attended by Obi Cubana, Mayorkun, and Buju, to mention but a few. One of the founders, the CTO Chukwujekwu Ebuka said in the interview, “We actually attended the event so we could establish a face-to-face relationship with the users. Fortunately for us, people preferred our payment and enter the system which was faster and easier than waiting in a line to buy tickets and then having to stand in another queue to be checked in. It was unreal. We sold over two thousand tickets that night and it was such a success. Probably our biggest event yet.”
From that time and leading up to now, they have successfully managed dozens of events in the East and the West as well, earning a reputation of consistency and efficiency.
On the 21st of March 2022, the Syticks App was launched into the market. It is incorporated with amazing features like sharing tickets with family, friends, and followers, there is a comment section for events where attendees can mingle and interact with one another. There is also a feature where users can scan the codes of a particular event without having to undergo the hassle that is searching for an event amidst so many others. Payment is easy and stress-free and users are assured of the availability and accessibility of their tickets.
There is also an App for Organizers where they can create a following, post their events, monitor their ticket sales to avoid any fraudulent activities, communicate with their attendees, and get feedback on their events. Also, Organizers have access to user data/personas to assist them in planning future events. While this is impressive, it is also important to note that it is a breath of fresh air from the status quo that is considered a norm.
According to the CTO, the full social features is underway and will be available to users from June 2022 as well as the IOS app for both the users and the Organizers.
When asked what the bigger picture for Syticks was, Charles Okoroafor the CEO, said, “For us, the goal is to have Syticks in the hands of eight out of every ten Nigerians who have an interest in attending events.”
Being the first social ticketing platform in Africa, it is safe to say they are well on their way to achieving that. With funding as well as determination, Syticks has the potential of being a powerhouse in the entertainment industry.
