Made By Knysna

The quiet revolution has begun

Growing Local.

Made By Knysna is a local online marketplace connecting Knysna's producers, makers and growers directly with the people who live here.

Join The Revolution
Fresh local produce arranged in a vibrant market-inspired composition.

For vendors

Sell what you make. Without the faff.

If you have a product or service to sell, chances are you tried to build a Shopify-type website and ran into a wall of thorny tech jargon patrolled by avaricious guard dogs

Maybe you got a website up and running. Congratulations (seriously, well done). But what happened next? Flooded with sales? Probably not.

Made By Knysna removes all of those technical and practical barriers to selling your stuff online - and that includes bringing customers to your storefront.

You get to focus on your craft and we handle everything else.

Find out more
Hands shaping dough beside fresh loaves and herbs in warm workshop light.

For customers

100% local.
0.0% effort.

We all want to support our local producers. We know the benefits.

But it’s not easy: send a WhatsApp order to your honey supplier, make an EFT, arrange delivery; now repeat for your meat, veggies, eggs, bread, milk, cheese, yoghurt, coffee, hand cream and a gift for Mum.

Made By Knysna brings together all of our incredible artisans for a seamless local shopping experience that combines the time-honoured tradition of a local marketplace with modern technology.

One shop. One checkout. One delivery.

Sign me up as a beta tester
A basket of fresh local groceries and produce gathered for a thoughtful weekly shop.

For investors

Built by Knysna.

Made By Knysna is a quiet industry-disrupting revolution. It's a simple, effective and scalable solution to the future’s most pressing needs: food and money.

So it’s going to be huge.

You can help us launch locally or get involved with our global roll-out in many ways.

The first step is to start the conversation.

Get involved
A conceptual illustration showing community infrastructure, food systems, and local investment.

About

Who is behind all this?

Made By Knysna is led by Ian Rowett — father of two, food lover and a Knysna resident with over 20 years' experience in tech.

This project combines technical competence, long-term thinking and deep personal commitment to the future of Knysna and its people.

Because it's high time our community builds a robust, resilient local supply chain before the next catastrophe drops.

Because doing nothing is no longer an option.

And also... it's just a better way to live.

Contact me
An editorial portrait-style image conveying warmth, clarity, and grounded leadership.

FAQ

Questions?

If you're wondering whether MBK is practical, realistic, or worth paying attention to, you're asking the right questions.

What is Made By Knysna?

Think of MBK as Knysna's very own Takealot or Amazon except our products are local and deliveries are weekly.

What is the definition of 'local'?

During this initial phase, the local zone for customer deliveries extends roughly 10km around Knysna. The local zone for vendors exteneds roughly 25km around Knysna.

What if I live outside the local zone?

If you live on or near the edge of the local zone we may be able to accommodate you; if you are too far out we will encourage and help you to start your own marketplace.

Why local only?

We might open up the platform for 'exports' outside the local zone but that would be as an exception for specific, non-perishable products. Our goal is to sell products in demand by the community so when the sky falls you won't go out of business. Knysna alone has a population of about 75,000 potential customers; if you need a bigger market consider refining your products.

What can I sell through MBK?

You can sell any product or service through MBK so long is it is legal. Anything that serves the needs of your community will do well. Think meat, dairy, poultry, pantry staples, fresh produce, crafts, gifts, household products and professional services.

Can I import raw materials?

Yes. We have a gold standard 100% Local designation but you can import your tools and raw materials so long as your production is substantially local.

Do I need technical skills?

No. We have removed as much technical friction (faff) as possible. You focus on your product and inventory and we handle the rest including the shopfront, payments, orders, deliveries, marketing and customer relations.

Won't this kill the local markets?

It will strengthen them. MBK works as an additional sales channel that helps local producers reach local buyers more consistently. Markets are essential community centres where your customers can see your products and interact with you and each other. And a more robust local economy means more robust local markets.

How much does it cost?

MBK is free for life for all founding vendors. A transaction fee is added to your order total meaning there is absolutely zero outlay or risk to you. For customers, deliveries over a reasonably low threshold (to be decided) is free.

How do deliveries work for customers?

We will start with a weekly delivery (day to be decided) and evolve as needed. In most cases the vendors themselves will also be the deliverers. This system will be supported by a very exciting community delivery start-up called GoBuddy which is also (sort of) made right here in Kynsna.

How do deliveries work for vendors?

Assuming delivery day is a Thursday then you will bring your week's orders to the warehouse by Wednesday (or before a fixed time on Thursday for fresh goods). We assemble customer orders into a returnable basket and you have the option to join the delivery network and earn a bit to cover your in-bound transport costs. We will partner with GoBuddy to support the vendor delivery network.

Is there a preview of the marketplace?

The marketplace platform is a relatively trivial problem to solve. The non-trivial part is you and your products. MBK is growing from the ground up: first we find the right vendors and solve their problems, then we launch the marketplace and refine it into a valuable, durable platform. Not empty noise.

When will MBK launch?

We will start with beta testing when we have a reasonable catalogue of weekly consumables; we will launch when we have the right mix and quality of products.

How can I support the project?

Support can take different forms: financial backing, technical and practical assistance, beta testing or championing the cause. Contact us for more information.

Is any of this likely to change?

Definitely. Starting with our recruitment drive for vendors we will uncover unforseen anomolies, quirks and problems to solve and we will continue to grow and refine our platform.

Contact

Get Involved

Whether you want to sell, buy, invest or simply learn more about this exciting project — let's start a conversation.

We'll respond with more information, honest answers, and probably a few good questions of our own.

Sending your message...