2013: A Rosebank start with a simple need
OurTeam was founded in 2013 in Rosebank, Johannesburg, after years of hearing the same frustrations from managers and supervisors: rosters took too long to build, shift changes were hard to track, and team messages were often scattered across calls, notes and chats. The business began with a clear local focus, serving companies that needed a straightforward way to organise people without adding more admin.
In the first year, the work centred on understanding what South African businesses actually needed on the ground. That meant thinking about split shifts, weekend cover, public holidays, transport delays and the pressure that comes with load-shedding. It also meant keeping rosters aligned with the Basic Conditions of Employment Act in general terms, so managers had a better starting point for fair scheduling.
2014 to 2016: Building the core day to day tools
Over the next few years, OurTeam focused on the essentials. The team built around scheduling, shift swaps, messages and group activities so managers could handle the basics in one place. There was no interest in overcomplicating things. The aim was to make it easier for supervisors to see who was on duty, how changes were handled and what each team needed to know for the day ahead.
- Roster planning that could be adjusted when staff were off sick or working across more than one site
- Shift swap handling that reduced confusion and back-and-forth messages
- Team messaging for daily updates, late changes and reminders
- Activity planning for staff engagement sessions, team meetings and internal events
Those early years also shaped how support was delivered. Businesses in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Pretoria wanted clear guidance, not long explanations, and that approach became part of the way OurTeam worked from the start.
2017 and 2018: Helping managers work with real-world schedules
As more businesses began using the platform, the work shifted from core build to practical rollouts. Different industries had different pressures. Some needed early starts, some had night teams, and others had changing rosters across branches in places like Midrand, Sandton and Bloemfontein. The system had to support these patterns without making the process harder for the people running it.
During this period, OurTeam put more effort into account setup, roster template setup and manager training. That was important because a roster only works well when the people using it know how to keep it consistent. The team also spent time on policy alignment, helping businesses connect their internal rules with their day to day rostering practices.
2019 to 2020: More support for rollout and change
By 2019, the business had grown into a more structured service with stronger support around site rollout and training. Many companies wanted help moving from paper-based planning or spread-out spreadsheets to a more consistent process. OurTeam responded by putting more emphasis on implementation, staff training and go live support so teams could move across without unnecessary disruption.
When 2020 brought more pressure on workplaces, the importance of clear communication became even more obvious. Rosters changed more often, teams had to adjust quickly and managers needed a way to share updates without creating more admin. The focus stayed on practical support, with ongoing check ins helping businesses keep systems working in a changing environment.
- Site rollout support for single locations and multi-site operations
- Staff training for everyday use, not just managers
- Go live support for the first days of a new process
- Ongoing check ins to help teams stay organised after launch
2021 to 2022: Growing with businesses across South Africa
As more businesses in Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria and Johannesburg began looking for better ways to manage teams, OurTeam continued to grow with them. The product stayed focused on practical rostering and communication, while the support side became more structured around different business sizes and working styles. Whether a company had one busy site or several branches, the need was the same: keep the schedule clear and the message easy to follow.
These years also deepened the emphasis on swap process help and message setup. A shift change is often where confusion starts, so the process had to be simple enough for staff to use and clear enough for managers to approve with confidence. Small improvements in how teams communicate can save a lot of time over a month, especially where stores, service teams or operations staff are involved.
2023 to today: Steady service from Rosebank, Johannesburg
Today, OurTeam is still based in Rosebank, Johannesburg, and continues to support businesses across South Africa with team-building and staff-rostering tools that are practical for everyday use. The company remains led by Thabo Mokoena, with a team that includes Ayesha Naidoo, Lerato Molefe, Johan van der Merwe, Nomsa Dlamini and Michael Petersen. Each person plays a part in helping clients set up, train teams and keep their systems running properly.
The story from the first year of trading to today has been one of steady improvement rather than big promises. The work is still rooted in the same basics: scheduling, shift swaps, messaging and team activities that help people stay connected. For businesses needing help in Rosebank, Sandton, Midrand, Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria or Bloemfontein, the path is simple. Enquiries come through the contact page form, and support starts from there.