Reviewing advertising platforms in Stellenbosch (Pt. 1)

By Daniëlle Gerber

Whether it is winter, load-shedding, or a long day at work, having a ready-made meal has never been more tempting. Thanks to the new app, On The House, you do not have to say goodbye to a convenient lunch or dinner at the end of the month. Emma Theart, one of On The House’s creators, recently shared the app on Facebook – motivated by the lack of up-to-date platforms that share available specials in Stellenbosch.

Figure 1: On The House (source: Emma Theart)

On The House is completely free for users and restaurants and allows users to find available promotions listed by restaurants on the app. Theart took to Facebook on the 14th of June to share On The House with the public through the Stellenbosch Community Facebook group. Not even a week later, on the 20th of June, the post has seen over two hundred likes and 38 positive comments praising the idea. 

Figure 2: On The House interface (source: Screenshot from app)

The number of downloads has not been specified on The App Store, but many comments were from users stating that they had downloaded the app. Upon further inspection, the app has an intuitive layout. At the top, users can choose a specific day of the week – so that they can view the available specials of that day. Underneath this feature, users will see a search bar and the option to sort restaurants randomly or from nearest to furthest.

While the app is helpful when viewing which restaurants have available deals, the information can get quite vague when general comments about the specials are included. The prices of all items or restaurants are not always disclosed due to restaurants creating their own listings. The contact numbers of restaurants are provided for ease of use, should you want to ask a question or make a booking.

Contrary to popular belief, On The House is not the first of its kind. Students from before the pandemic might remember the popular Instagram page, @stellies_does_deals, – with over 12 000 followers! Come back next week for the ins and outs of this page.

On The House benefits:

  • Focuses on restaurant meals
  • Can sync with your phone’s reminders to help remember your favourite promotion
  • Easy navigation and search bar function
  • Syncs with your location to get distance-sensitive deals
  • Address and number of the establishment listed
  • Shows the time availability of the promotion

On The House room for improvement:

  • Price/product listing consistent for all restaurants
  • Menu viewing option