Langalihle Mhiti
ZIMBABWEAN entrepreneur and digital innovator, Rayvines, is celebrating a major milestone after his locally developed marketplace application, Madeals, won the Startup Category award at the Innovation Expo and Conference 2026.
Madeals scooped the award in the Financial Inclusion, Smart Postal Services and SME Market Access category, walking away with a US$7,000 prize.
For Rayvines, born Melusi Chiripowako, the recognition has provided an exciting boost to a platform he created with a vision of giving Zimbabweans their own digital marketplace.
Speaking in an interview, Rayvines said he was thrilled to see Madeals receiving recognition for its growing impact.
“I am very excited about this achievement because it shows that the impact Madeals is having on people is very big,” he said.
Madeals was developed as a marketplace where Zimbabweans can advertise and market their products.
It offers an alternative platform for people who traditionally rely on international social media platforms to conduct business.
Rayvines said the idea was driven by the need for Zimbabweans to have a marketplace that was specifically designed with them in mind.
“I created the application so that we Zimbabweans can have our own marketplace and not depend on Facebook Marketplace,” he said.
The entrepreneur said the response to the platform has been encouraging, with Madeals having already attracted about 31,000 users and more than 4 000 products posted on the application.
For Rayvines, the figures demonstrate that the platform is addressing a genuine need among local entrepreneurs, traders and consumers.
“We already have 31,000 users and 4,000 products that have been posted on the platform, and that is something that really excites me,” he said.
The Innovation Expo award has also given Rayvines greater confidence in the credibility and potential of his creation.
He believes the recognition validates the work that has gone into developing Madeals while giving users and businesses greater confidence in the platform. “Being given this award shows the credibility of the application. It shows that people are recognising what we are doing and the impact we are making,” he said.
Rayvine said the US$7,000 prize was not only a financial reward, but also an important milestone for a project he hopes will continue growing. “This recognition means a lot to us because it shows that what we are building is being seen and appreciated,” he said.
With Madeals continuing to expand, Rayvines revealed that the team is preparing to introduce another major feature, Madeals Pay, which will allow users to make payments for products directly through the platform.
