Uzaonline: Classified marketplace web + mobile
Website and cross-platform app development for Mr. Sammy N. Njoroge: a national buy-and-sell platform with deep category trees, admin and staff moderation, buyer and seller flows, live chat, and publication to Google Play and the Apple App Store.
A classifieds vision for Kenya
Uzaonline is a multi-category classified platform where users buy and sell property, vehicles, jobs, electronics, fashion, services, and more. The project was commissioned by Mr. Sammy N. Njoroge under a June 2023 development agreement with Bytelogic Technologies, with Sammy as the single designated client representative for approvals and content. The mandate covered a public website, native-quality mobile experiences on Android and iOS, and a web-based admin control panel so the business could approve listings, manage categories, run featured ad packages, and support buyers and sellers at scale.
One platform, three surfaces
- Build a classified website and cross-platform mobile apps that share one backend and consistent listing data
- Support deep category and subcategory structures (property, cars, jobs, mobiles, fashion, pets, services, and more) with configurable fields per category
- Enable admin and staff workflows: approve or reject ads, manage users, featured packages, external ad placements, and operational reporting
- Deliver full buyer and seller journeys: social and email login, profiles, post and boost ads, geo-based search with radius expansion, favorites, chat, and calls
- Integrate push notifications, email and SMS hooks, payments, and client-supplied gateways within a fixed 80 to 90 business day programme
- Publish to Google Play and the Apple App Store, with proofing builds during Apple review timelines
Website, apps, and admin as one product
Bytelogic delivered Uzaonline as an integrated stack: Figma-led UX, Django APIs and admin, a React-based web front, and Flutter mobile apps, released through milestone-based delivery, professional QA, and store submission.
Foundation & admin
- Requirements, personas, and timeline; ongoing Figma for web and app screens
- Django backend: authentication, database design, migrations, and REST APIs
- Web admin dashboard: staff management, category and attribute editor, user and ad moderation
- Featured ad packages, external ad slots, reporting, and payment history views
Web, mobile & launch
- Responsive website: home, search and filters, registration, profiles, and API integration
- Flutter app: login, listings, messaging, seller and buyer dashboards on Android and iOS
- Live chat, social linking, push notifications for ad status, guest browsing where scoped
- Testing, bug fixing, deployment, Play Store and App Store publication, and three months post-launch support
Stack & integrations
| Layer | Technology | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Backend | Django | APIs, auth, listings, admin logic, notifications |
| Web frontend | React.js / Next.js | Responsive classifieds website and user flows |
| Mobile apps | Flutter | Cross-platform Android and iOS from one codebase |
| Database | MySQL | Users, categories, ads, payments, messaging |
| Design | Figma | Wireframes and UI for web, admin, and mobile |
| Distribution | Google Play & Apple App Store | Production app publication by Bytelogic |
Milestones from kickoff to store launch
Work followed the agreed roadmap: planning and Figma, backend and milestone one, parallel API and admin build, web and Flutter development, then integration testing, deployment, and public launch. Instalments mapped to milestone completion. Bytelogic provided proofing environments before go-live and three months of maintenance for technical issues, with ongoing business support across the client relationship.
80 to 90 days
Website, apps, and admin per agreement
4 milestones
Backend, web, mobile, launch & QA
3 months
Included post-launch support
Uzaonline vs. Jiji
Jiji is one of Africa's best-known classified marketplaces, with deep category coverage and large mobile adoption. Uzaonline was built as a client-owned product for Kenya: matching core marketplace expectations while putting moderation, monetisation, and branding under the operator's control.
| Capability | Jiji | Uzaonline |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-category buy & sell listings | Yes | Yes |
| iOS & Android apps | Yes | Yes (Flutter, client brand) |
| Buyer–seller chat & contact options | Yes | Yes |
| Jobs, property, vehicles, electronics & more | Yes | Yes |
| Promoted / featured listings | Yes | Yes |
| Owned platform (your brand, your rules) | Third-party marketplace | Client-owned product |
| Custom admin & staff moderation | Platform operator only | Web dashboard for client team |
| Approve / reject ads before publish | Platform-controlled | Staff workflow per scope |
| Configurable featured ad packages | Jiji pricing model | Admin-defined packages |
| External banner ad slots (operator revenue) | Platform ads | Admin-managed placements |
| Custom fields per category | Standard taxonomy | Admin-defined attributes |
| Full stack control (API, web, mobile) | Closed platform | Django, React, Flutter deliverable |
| Built-in national audience on day one | Very large (Nigeria-led footprint) | Grows with client marketing (Kenya focus) |
Live marketplace across web and app stores
Uzaonline shipped as a production classified ecosystem: buyers and sellers interact through web and mobile, while admin and staff keep listings trustworthy through approval workflows, category control, and monetised featured placements. The platform remains live at uzaonline.com, demonstrating Bytelogic's full-stack delivery from design and Django APIs through Flutter store apps for international marketplace clients.
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