South African startup Gigster has relaunched its platform with a broader focus on event industry infrastructure, repositioning itself from a live entertainment booking service into a marketplace connecting organisers with vetted suppliers across multiple event categories.
Founded in 2015 by Carina Bruwer as a platform for booking live entertainment, Gigster has rebuilt its platform architecture to address workflow challenges that continue to shape the event sector, where supplier sourcing, quoting and coordination often remain dependent on email exchanges, messaging platforms and static documents.
The updated marketplace expands beyond entertainment and now includes suppliers across audiovisual production, livestreaming, photography, video production, décor, hospitality staffing, technical crews, speakers, facilitators, content creators, promotional talent and event planning services.
According to the company, the immediate focus remains South Africa, with expansion into additional African markets planned over a longer horizon.
“The events industry has evolved enormously in recent years, but much of the booking process still happens through disconnected emails, PDFs and WhatsApp messages,” says Bruwer. “We wanted to build technology that doesn’t just help clients find suppliers, but gives suppliers the proper business infrastructure they’ve been missing – quotes, contracts, protected payments, the lot.”
The company said the platform was redesigned around three operational priorities: trust, workflow management and supplier discovery. The marketplace includes tools such as quote generation, digital contracts, supplier dashboards, deposit protection mechanisms, verified reviews and search optimised supplier pages. It also includes AI assisted profile creation and a referral programme for professional bookers.
Rather than operating as an open marketplace, Gigster said supplier onboarding remains controlled through manual reviews intended to evaluate portfolios, experience and professional standards before profiles become visible on the platform.
“We’re intentionally building a curated marketplace rather than an open directory,” said Bruwer. “Clients need confidence that the suppliers they discover are professional and event-ready, and suppliers need to know they’re listed alongside peers of the same standard.”
The relaunch reflects a broader push among marketplace platforms to move beyond simple listings and provide transaction infrastructure and workflow tools designed to manage fragmented service industries.
