Leuotele Felise Ambrosinus Tamati promotes Uilo, the ride-hailing app he developed and recently soft-launched in Samoa. Photo: New Zealand High Commission in Samoa

Samoan entrepreneur Leuotele Felise Ambrosinus Tamati has soft-launched a cab-hailing application aimed at providing practical transport solutions for communities in Samoa.

Leuotele recently graduated from the University of Otago with a Bachelor of Applied Science, majoring in Software Engineering with a minor in Entrepreneurship.

He studied in New Zealand through the Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship Programme.

Leuotele is from the villages of Sapunaoa in Falealili, Safa’atoa Lefaga and Siutu.

While studying at Otago, he took part in internships and leadership opportunities and gained experience working with global organisations, including Google and Fast Enterprises.

Leuotele said studying in New Zealand gave him opportunities to grow outside the classroom and exposed him to different working environments.

“There is so much opportunity to grow when studying in New Zealand. The exposure to different environments in terms of work and internships pushes oneself outside of their comfort zone, and that’s where most of the growth happens,” he said.

He has now returned to Samoa and is using the knowledge, skills and experience gained overseas to support innovation in his home country.

“It fuels my mission to give back to the people here at home,” Leuotele said.

The New Zealand High Commission in Samoa highlighted his story as an example of how the Manaaki Scholarship Programme can contribute to education, entrepreneurship and Samoa’s future development.