Since 2013, Neighbourly has been shaping what it means to live well together. But it didn’t start with an app. It started with an idea — that neighbours, when connected, can do extraordinary things.
Ten years ago, in a quiet street in Claremont, a handful of residents created a WhatsApp group. The first message? An alert about a suspicious car. That night, five strangers became a neighbourhood team. That was the spark.
The Early Days: WhatsApp and Word of Mouth
Back then, there were no fancy dashboards or verification protocols. Just determination. More groups formed. Kenilworth. Harfield. Pinelands. Before long, a patchwork of networks had emerged. They shared crime trends. Coordinated patrols. Checked in on pensioners. Neighbourhood heroes stepped forward — “captains” who maintained spreadsheets of watch rosters and printed flyers on home printers.
Building Structure from Chaos
With growth came complexity. Group chats got full. Miscommunications crept in. People needed ways to coordinate more clearly. The founders began exploring better tools: password-protected drive folders, simple websites, event sign-ups. But it wasn’t scalable. A platform was needed — one that retained the spirit of street-level unity, but added structure, security, and scalability.
Local Partnerships & Trusted Voices
Neighbourly began to build alliances with local security companies, law enforcement liaisons, and residents’ associations. In Claremont and Kenilworth, it became normal to see residents hosting crime trend briefings and feedback meetings. These were often facilitated by Neighbourly leads and supported by local police. Word spread.
From Southern Suburbs to the Seaboard
By 2018, Neighbourly had become a trusted name among hundreds of families. The move to Sea Point, Green Point, and Mouille Point marked a new chapter — a more diverse urban community where the need for connection was just as strong, and sometimes harder to achieve. Neighbourly adapted. New tools were piloted. More Socials were hosted. Local businesses came on board.
From Patchwork to Platform
In 2023, plans were formalised for a standalone platform: an app and website where every resident would be verified in person, and where every street could reclaim its sense of community.
Early beta testing proved successful. From crime alerts and lost pet listings to neighbourhood social calendars and community support drives, the platform handled it all.
The Impact So Far
Neighbourly has helped reunite hundreds of pets. It’s coordinated responses during fires and floods. It’s given small businesses new customers and made elderly residents feel safe again. It’s not just a digital product — it’s a grassroots movement shaped by thousands of local conversations.
More than anything, Neighbourly has shown that when neighbours know each other, streets thrive. That small kindnesses compound. That collaboration can prevent crisis. And that the smallest of networks can spark the biggest of changes.
What’s Next
From 2025, Neighbourly will officially launch its platform across the Atlantic Seaboard, expand to new cities, and begin rolling out dedicated business tools and street-level analytics. But it won’t lose its roots. The captains from 2013 are still here. And their commitment — to safer streets and stronger connection — remains the heartbeat of the platform.
To everyone who said yes in those early years: thank you. And to every neighbour joining now — welcome to something bigger.
