Fleurieu App is celebrating four years of supporting and working with the businesses and people of Fleurieu Peninsula and Kangaroo Island.

Launched on August 5 2019 by owner and founder Susie Williams, the app has seen growing popularity with locals and visitors to the region.

In the last year the app hit increasing download milestones, reaching 50,000 downloads in July 2023.

In 2022 Fleurieu App won the McLaren Vale Business Award’s best home-based business category, after taking home finalist positions each year prior.

Williams said she is forever grateful for all of the support she has received from her friends and family along the app’s journey.

“I am so thrilled to be celebrating our fourth birthday with over 52,000 downloads,” she says.

“And I am very grateful to news editor Julia and sports editor Anthony, who share the same vision as myself and have been here with me since the very beginning.”

Williams worked on the launch of a similar app for a publication in Marlborough on New Zealand’s South Island before bringing that inspiration back with her to the Fleurieu.

“We have lived in many rural areas within Australia and New Zealand and we choose to live here on the Fleurieu Peninsula,” she says.

“It’s the best of all worlds."

“I decided that an app could help encourage a shop local attitude in the Fleurieu and help locals and visitors find businesses and events operating around them.”

Growing up in a fairly remote community on the Eyre Peninsula, Williams said that as she got older, businesses in the area seemed to shrink and shut down.

“How would you feel if every second business door was closed because they could not afford to stay open and service their communities?” she says.

“People tend to be really vocal when it comes to shopping local, but not so good when it comes to actually doing it.”

By connecting locals and visitors with businesses and events in the Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island, Williams hopes the app will help the region to continue to prosper.

“If we support each others businesses, and continue to encourage and actually shop local, together we will all thrive,” she says.

“I love being able to support local businesses, share our local events and connect our community.”

The app has also been picked up by tourists and visitors to the regions.

“We have plenty of people download it because they are down for the holidays or the summer,” Williams says.

“There are QR codes in visitor centres which direct visitors to the app, as well as AirBnBs in the region that recommend it to guests.”

Williams said that visitors have told her that their own regions could benefit from their own apps.

“A major goal is to keep growing the number of Fleurieu App users, which is happening quite nicely and I am really proud of that,” she says.

“I want to make sure that 80 or 90 per cent of businesses in our region are supported on the app.

“Plus I have a wall full of ideas for different things that I want to create that add even more function for both locals and visitors.

“I’d love to expand to other regions, but I need to make sure that this app is looking after all of our Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island businesses first.”