Okay.
Let’s talk.

We’ve been working on this update since we launched back in October—and yo, it’s been wild. Like, words really don’t do justice to what we’ve been through. From full-blown designs with over 30 screens scrapped, to false starts, crash-and-burn test runs, and more coffee-fueled all-nighters than I’d like to admit—this version tested us in every way.

People think we’ve only had two versions out. Technically true. But behind the scenes? We’ve had more versions than most people have playlists. Some worked. Most didn’t. But all of them taught us something about building tech for creatives by creatives.

Honestly? Building an app in 2025 feels a lot like making a feature film. You need a vision, a crew that believes in the impossible, tight scenes (read: screens), edits, rewrites, drama, heartbreak, and a whole lot of “we’ll fix it in post.” There’s just so much that can go wrong… and a million tiny things that need to go right for it to feel good in your hands.

And to be real? People don’t download apps the way they used to. Just like people don’t pull up to the cinema like before. They want reels. They want vibes. They want utility. So when you do make an app that stays on someone’s phone? It hits different. It’s sacred.

We didn’t build CoLab 2.0 because it was easy. We built it because we knew it was necessary.

Every single bug, crash, and late-night dev call led us to this version. This one? This is the foundation we’ve always dreamed of. This is the base that finally feels like CoLab. Like us.

We wanted to build something that didn’t just function, but felt like home for creatives. Something that says:
“Yo, your creativity deserves infrastructure too.”

So what’s new?

• Start and post your own creative projects

• Tell the story of your project with thoughts and updates

• Create tasks and timelines to manage your workflow

• Discover and join projects that need your skills

• See what other creatives are working on and get inspired

Basically, it’s your everyday creative playground and collaboration space—wrapped into one.

And this wouldn’t be possible without the CoLab core team, who’ve gone through it all to bring this thing to life:

• Benis Mulenda, our head developer—this guy’s a full-on wizard. He is the backend.

• Hloma Monama, our frontend dev and UI guy—making things actually look like 2025.

• Hussain Ismail, our Head of Business—aka the “Let’s keep the lights on” realist who grounds all our wild ideas.

• And then there’s some dreadlocked dude who keeps calling himself the CEO… we let him cook.

But here’s the truth:

We’re just the builders.
YOU are the heartbeat.

If you’re reading this, and you’re part of the CoLab community, the only way this platform reaches its full potential is if you push your work on it. That project you’ve been sitting on? Post it. That collaboration you’ve been thinking of starting? Start it. Share it. Grow it.

Because CoLab isn’t just an app.
It’s the space where this next era of South African creativity lives.

And one day, when people ask about the digital movement that shifted how creatives build, work, and collaborate—you’ll say:
“Yeah. We did that sh*t.”

Let’s build.
Together.