For two decades I've stood on both sides of the events industry — on stage as a speaker and performer, and behind the scenes building the businesses that make events happen. And for just as long, one thing has frustrated me: how much of this industry still runs on a tangle of WhatsApp threads, email chains and PDFs.
So we rebuilt Gigster to fix it. From the ground up.
What Gigster is now
Gigster started life as a live-entertainment booking site. The new platform is something far bigger: a technology-driven marketplace connecting event organisers with professionally vetted suppliers across South Africa — entertainment, audiovisual production, video and photography, livestreaming, décor and styling, hospitality staffing, speakers, facilitators, technical crews, content creators, event planners and promotional talent.
We're focused on strengthening our South African footprint first, with longer-term plans to expand into other African markets.
The events industry has evolved enormously, but much of the booking process still happens through disconnected emails, PDFs and WhatsApp messages. We wanted to build technology that doesn't just help clients find suppliers — it gives suppliers the proper business infrastructure they've been missing: quotes, contracts, protected payments, the lot.
Built around trust, workflow and visibility
The rebuilt platform is engineered around three things suppliers and clients have always needed but rarely had in one place:
- A built-in quote builder and digital contract — suppliers issue itemised, professional quotes that automatically generate a signed booking agreement on acceptance.
- Deposit protection — client deposits are held by Gigster and only released to the supplier after the event, protecting both sides.
- Verified reviews only — only clients who booked and paid through the platform can leave a review.
- AI-assisted profile writing — suppliers can polish their bios and taglines in seconds, tailored to their service category.
- Supplier dashboards — enquiry tracking, booking management, earnings and analytics in one view.
- SEO-optimised supplier and category pages — driving organic discovery for every listed supplier.
- A Pro Booker referral programme — for accredited event coordinators who source clients on behalf of the platform.
A curated marketplace, not a directory
This is the part I care about most. Every Gigster supplier application is manually reviewed for professionalism, portfolio quality and event experience before it goes live.
We're intentionally building a curated marketplace rather than an open directory. Clients need confidence that the suppliers they discover are professional and event-ready — and suppliers need to know they're listed alongside peers of the same standard.
What's next
We're onboarding new suppliers across South Africa right now as part of our next growth phase. If you're a supplier who takes your craft seriously — or an organiser tired of chasing quotes across five inboxes — I'd love for you to take a look.
Visit thegigster.com to explore the platform or apply to be listed.
Bring Carina to your stage.