Newcastle is mourning the passing of local app developer Zamir Sherriff, who died at the age of 46. Described as “Newcastle’s own Mark Zuckerberg,” the beloved father and dedicated professional developed and published several innovative apps in recent years.
Born on 21 June 1978, Zamir was a cherished member of his community. He is survived by his loving wife, Shamila, and their three children. Professionally, Zamir served as a Training and Development Facilitator for Realtree, where he delivered impactful training programmes to employees at ArcelorMittal South Africa.
In 2021, Sherriff released a new social media app called ‘Shout’ and ‘eezishop’, an app designed to help users buy, sell, rent, and exchange items with a single click.
At the time of its launch on the Google Play Store, Sherriff described ‘Shout’ as a versatile, user-friendly social networking app where users could post videos, images, and text. It also allowed users to share, comment, view profiles, and chat privately with each other.
The other app launched that year, ‘eezishop’, was designed to assist businesses. The concept came to Sherriff during the Covid-19 lockdown when he witnessed many businesses struggling to stay afloat. His idea was to bridge the gap between consumers and suppliers. He explained that creating an online presence and developing websites was an expensive process that many small and medium enterprises simply couldn’t afford. As such, ‘eezishop’ was created to help businesses establish an online presence, allowing them to register and create an online store to sell their goods.
Zamir’s widow, Shamila shared her grief: “I loved him dearly and will miss him. Life is never going to be the same without him, there was never a dull moment when he was around. He was the person with the kindest heart and purest soul, he was always there to lend a helping hand even through his own trails.”
ArcelorMittal SA, Sherriff’s employer, released a statement honouring his passing: “Beyond his professional achievements, Sherriff was known for his kindness, generosity and unwavering support for those around him. His warm presence and compassionate spirit will be profoundly missed by all who knew him. As we bid farewell to a remarkable individual, we take comfort in knowing that his legacy will continue to inspire and guide us.”
