• South African entrepreneur Carina Bruwer founded Gigster to connect event organizers with talent and service providers across Africa.
• The platform operates as a digital marketplace covering artists, speakers, content creators and event-management specialists.
• Gigster also offers "Gigster Direct," a business management tool that helps service providers handle contracts, invoicing and payments.

Entrepreneur, musician and competitive swimmer Carina Bruwer has combined her professional interests to build solutions for the entertainment and events market. She serves as founder and chief executive officer of Gigster, a platform that connects event organizers with industry professionals.

Founded in 2015, Gigster operates as a talent marketplace serving the African events ecosystem. The platform brings together artists, hosts, speakers, content creators and a wide range of event-related service providers through a single digital interface.

The platform enables companies, institutions and individuals to identify and engage professionals that match their event requirements more efficiently.

Within the entertainment segment, Gigster lists musicians, bands, dancers, comedians, disc jockeys, stage performers and other specialized entertainment professionals. The platform also features event speakers and facilitators, including masters of ceremony, keynote speakers, trainers and auctioneers. By aggregating diverse talent categories in one marketplace, Gigster seeks to simplify talent sourcing and improve visibility for industry participants.

Gigster extends its offering beyond artistic performances. The platform provides access to creative and media professionals, including photographers, videographers, content creators, voice artists and audiovisual production specialists.

In addition, the marketplace includes event-support providers specializing in logistics, decoration, beauty services, guest management, security and event coordination. This broader service offering allows organizers to source multiple event-related services through a single platform.

Beyond its marketplace activities, the company offers a solution called Gigster Direct. The tool targets service providers who secure their own clients independently of the marketplace.

Gigster Direct helps users manage administrative processes associated with their engagements, including invoicing, contract management and payment collection. The company aims to reduce administrative burdens while allowing professionals to focus on service delivery and business growth.

Carina Bruwer’s academic and entrepreneurial career reflects a diverse professional profile. She earned a degree in Musical Performance from the University of Stellenbosch in 2003. In addition to leading Gigster, she founded and directs Sterling EQ, an instrumental music group.

She also founded and serves as creative director of Visio Productions, a video and photography production company launched in 2020. In the same year, she founded PanaStream, a company that provides live video-streaming solutions.

This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba

Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum