Lesego Puso (27) chats about how she moved from being a journalist to a public relations officer for the company she works for, Zomato.
When did you finish school?
2006.
What and where did you study after matric?
I was at Midrand Graduate University from 2007 – 2009, studying for a BA in Journalism. I went on to study towards my Honours in 2012 at the University of Johannesburg.
Where did you first work? (Internship)
My first job was a free internship at a media monitoring company in Centurion. It was an unpaid internship that I needed for my hours in order to graduate. I went on to become a journalist and work for Caxton Community Newspapers.
What do you do now?
I am now the National PR Manager for Zomato SA. It’s a global company that is currently present in 33 countries and active in 22.
What sort of challenges do you face in this industry?
Having been a journalist before, I thought going into a PR role would make my job easier. I used to think, “How tough could it be?” Boy was I in for a surprise! I have a new appreciation for anyone working in PR. I have dealt with some really awesome journalists, met some of my favourite editors who I idolised and could never get a meeting with when I was a journalist. But, I have also come across some really unpleasant journalists, especially those who have no idea what Zomato is about. Being a relatively new company, in actual fact, a start-up, I always have to have my pitch ready and because of this, I could probably sell Zomato better than any other company that I have worked for – this was the biggest challenge but knowing the product inside out helps me get things done. However, for gags, sometimes when I receive calls from banks or insurance sales people, I tell them I have no idea what their company does and it’s so interesting to see how many of them actually know how to describe what their company is or does before they can even sell me their product. 
Please tell us more about the company you work for?
Zomato is an online and mobile restaurant search and discovery service, providing in-depth information for over one million restaurants across 22 countries. Zomato’s core content features include menus, photos, and geocoded coordinates for restaurants. It currently serves over 80 million monthly visitors globally. I like to say that it’s fast becoming the Facebook of food. Despite the great directory function the app has, there’s a social media aspect to the Zomato app and we have seen this foodies network grow at an incredibly fast pace. Our app isn’t meant to replace traditional food reviewers or editors, as some have suggested, but rather we encourage users to share their restaurant experiences. With the big bulk of the reviews complimenting restaurants on their food and service, we are convinced that we are not a platform where people go to complain but rather to share their food journey.
What was the purpose of Zomato when it started?
When the company started seven years ago, the founders just wanted to simplify the lunch ordering process at the offices in New Delhi. They scanned restaurant menus for their colleagues so that instead of fighting for menus during lunch, everyone could just go on their company drive and see what they wanted to order. The concept worked so well that other companies asked them to do the same thing. It was then that they realised they could turn this into a business. Zomato was founded in 2008 by Deepinder Goyal and Pankaj Chaddah and it is now present in 200 cities.
What exactly does Zomato do?
The entire premise of Zomato is to offer a neutral platform whereby users can firstly, find up-to-date and correct information about any restaurant, take away, bar, or nightlife establishment in their city; and secondly, to give users the platform to offer their own opinion on their dining and nightlife experiences to their network of followers, and social media connections. The purpose of the app is for the convenience to those who eat out. You can go onto the app, search for restaurants according to proximity, cuisine, price, area and type of foods and you can also call the restaurant directly from our app. Soon, users will be able to order for delivery on the app; it’s all about convenience. It also gives a platform for customers to compliment or complain about the restaurant but restaurant owners also have right of response so it’s not one-sided.
How can the public be involved with Zomato?
Have you ever had an incredible food experience and you’ve just been telling anyone that’s willing to listen about it? This is the platform to do it on. It’s food-specific so those who read your review will genuinely be interested in what you have to say about a certain establishment. We want people to discover new places to eat and also to get out of the thought process that stand alone restaurants must be expensive because I’ve had some of my best meals at a stand-alone restaurant that no one has heard about.
