IDWork, the home-services marketplace founded by Arjun Khoosal and Sayo Folawiyo in 2014, evolved into Kandua, which has since grown into South Africa’s leading online marketplace for connecting homeowners with vetted tradespeople.
The problem the founders set out to solve
Independent artisans, electricians, plumbers, handymen, have historically struggled to be taken seriously as professionals, while homeowners struggled equally to find reliable help. IDWork’s founders built a vetted profile system to give both sides of that transaction the professional track record and trust that was missing.
From IDWork to Kandua
The platform rebranded and scaled into Kandua, now positioned as South Africa’s number one online marketplace for home services, a significant expansion from IDWork’s original Gauteng-only footprint of a few hundred vetted service providers. Co-founder Arjun Khoosal continues in a technical leadership role at Kandua today.
The lesson in the founders’ own words
The founders credited early global exposure trips, through an Investec and E-Innovate programme, with reinforcing one lesson above all: set strong values early and build a culture that lives on beyond the founders. That focus on culture over rapid feature-building is a large part of why the platform scaled successfully rather than stalling as a niche Gauteng service, growth in exactly the digital-economy space the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies is trying to expand.
Frequently asked questions
What happened to IDWork?
IDWork evolved into Kandua, now South Africa’s leading online marketplace for home services.
Who founded IDWork?
Arjun Khoosal and Sayo Folawiyo founded the platform in 2014 to connect vetted independent tradespeople with homeowners.
What problem did IDWork/Kandua set out to solve?
The lack of professional trust and track record for independent artisans, and the difficulty homeowners faced finding reliable service providers.
Is Arjun Khoosal still involved with the business?
Yes, he continues in a technical leadership role at Kandua.
What lesson did the founders emphasise for other startups?
Set strong values early and build a culture that outlasts any single feature or founder-led decision.
Further reading
Originally published in September 2016. Updated September 2026 to confirm IDWork rebranded and scaled into Kandua, now South Africa’s leading home-services marketplace, well beyond its original Gauteng-only footprint.
