After several years in the fashion retail industry, she founded a company empowering South Africans to resell their unused clothing.

Phumi Körber (photo), holder of a Higher National Diploma in Somatology from the University of Johannesburg and a Diploma in Communication Management and Brand Communication from the Vega School of Branding, is the founder of the e-commerce platform WiSi-Oi Resell Fashion App. Launched in 2020, WiSi-Oi is a video-based social platform for second-hand clothing resale, providing sellers with real-time analytics to manage their online stores and earn extra income.

WiSi-Oi, an acronym for WEAR IT. SELL IT. OWN IT, offers customers secure and reliable payment systems to purchase their favorite brands at discounted prices. The platform aims to reduce fashion waste by extending the lifespan of garments and promoting sustainable circular fashion. “The aim is to extend the life of clothes that are already in circulation and reduce the need to buy new clothes all the time. The business also offers an empowerment factor, where sellers can generate an income just by selling clothes that are hanging in their closets,” Körber told Disrupt Africa in 2022.

Before founding WiSi-Oi, Körber worked as a category manager for hair care at health, beauty, and wellness retailer Clicks in 2014. She later joined The Foschini Group, a fashion retailer, as an e-commerce and marketing manager in 2018. In 2023, AfricArena accelerator recognized Körber’s startup as the best femtech startup.

Melchior Koba