The road to recovery for South African businesses will be a long and difficult one,
especially for the small players. In a remarkable effort to help alleviate these pressures and assist
micro-suppliers with getting back on their feet, Supplier Development Initiatives (SDI) will, in partnership
with FNB, hand over eighteen vehicles to individuals who run micro businesses as part of SweepSouth and
Loadit, as well Bolt e-hailing drivers. Not only will the vehicles enable these micro-suppliers to keep their
small businesses going, they will assist with growth and expansion, giving them the opportunity to earn an
income, contribute meaningfully to the economy and uplift themselves. This SDI initiative aims to put small
businesses and micro-suppliers back to work, and help keep their families and communities alive. These
vehicles, purchased through FNB funding, will be donated free-of-charge to micro-suppliers from each
organisation that have a professional, proven track record.
All they will need to do is arrange their
own insurance. It’s a move that will fundamentally change the lives of these individuals and their businesses.
With unemployment on the rise, initiatives like this contribute to economic stability by creating
self-employment opportunities.SDI, an existing service-on-demand platform, has built its model around
supporting and enabling micro-suppliers in multiple industries, giving them access to greater business
opportunities. “We have always championed the little guys,” explains Andile Ramaphosa, SDI Co-Founder. “And in
the current economic climate we’re ramping up our efforts to ensure that they don’t fall through the cracks.”
The handover event, a small affair for less than 50 people taking place on Friday the 3rd of July, will be
called Rishume Day, a Venda phrase meaning “let’s work to make things work.” The Katherine Street Bridge in
Sandton has been chosen as a symbolic venue, as it acts as a connecting point between big corporates and the
smaller businesses in neighbouring Alexandra. Brad Fisher, Co-Founder of SDI, has a long history of developing
projects that connect different aspects of business and society with local government, all for the greater
good. “One of the key drivers for economic and societal change is developing bridges between the established
and informal business sectors,” explains Fisher.
“This is something I have personally been involved
with for years, and so the site of the handover is of deep significance, as it truly represents the coming
together of these two worlds.”This initiative would not have been possible without generous funding from FNB.
A portion of the bank’s R8 million donation has gone into hard assets such as these vehicles, helping to
achieve the project’s main objective of giving these individuals the opportunity to grow their businesses
without having to worry about monthly car repayments. “FNB is committed to helping small businesses grow,”
says Heather Lowe, Head of SME Development at FNB Business. “As such, we are proud to partner with SDI for an
initiative that will assist high-performing individuals in reaching their true potential. These are trying
times for us as South Africans, and every life we can help influence for the better goes a long way to
achieving economic recovery.”SDI aims to be both a guiding light and helping hand to micro-suppliers during
these tough times, assisting them to rebuild and revive.
SDI has partnered with enablers like cleaning
service SweepSouth, delivery and moving service Loadit, and e-hailing platform Bolt, because these companies
have similar business models, and share the same commitment to keeping micro-suppliers employed. In
SweepSouth’s case, SDI’s assistance – in the form of vehicle donations and PPE kits – has helped the company
and its contractors branch out into the business market. SweepStars are being trained as disinfectors,
up-skilling them and equipping them to help fight Covid-19. By owning their own cars, Bolt e-hailing drivers
will enjoy real business growth, and Loadit contractors will be able to open their own logistics businesses
now that they have their own transport and access to market. FNB, in collaboration with SDI, Bridge Taxi
Finance, The City of Johannesburg and micro-suppliers from SweepSouth, Loadit and WastePreneurs, are also
helping implement Safe-Passage-to-Work / School, an initiative that tailor-fits taxis with protective measures
to ensure that they are Covid-compliant. With close to 80% of South Africa’s workforce and scholars using taxi
services, their safety is of national importance, especially given that commuting has been internationally
recognised as the single most infectious space for the spread of Covid-19.
Five micro-suppliers from
SweepSouth will receive BAIC D20 Hatchbacks, two from Loadit will receive JAC 3-tonne trucks, and 10 from Bolt
will receive BAIC D20 Sedans. The D20 range of models are cost effective mobility options ideal for first-time
buyers, families and businesses, offering a combination of style, comfort and features to SA buyers.
Chinese-owned motor manufacturer, BAIC, a company with over half a century of experience, has generously given
discounts on their vehicles to enable this project. Although new to the country, BAIC has started
manufacturing in South Africa, and has aligned with SDI in the territory.“This wonderfully generous donation
by SDI to these five SweepStars comes at a critical juncture," says Aisha Pandor, the Managing Director
of SweepSouth. “Even though we have been supporting SweepStars through the SweepSouth Covid-19 SweepStar Fund,
many domestic workers have been hard hit by lockdown. The recipients of these vehicles all work for the
government-approved SweepSouth Business Sanitisation service, and in addition to the potential for increased
earnings, this huge opportunity to up-skill will make a profound difference to their lives.”“Thank you to SDI
and FNB for their fantastic donations to Loadit micro-suppliers,” says John Greenland, CEO of Loadit.
“Our guys have had a very difficult time during lockdown, and as we emerge from it, every bit of
assistance goes a long way to ensuring that they can continue to put food on the table. We see this project as
a massive contributor, both to these individuals and to broader society. Thank you from the bottom of our
hearts.”“e-hailing has enabled entrepreneurship opportunities for more than ten thousand drivers that use the
Bolt platform to earn an income,” says Gareth Taylor, country manager for Bolt in South Africa. “Thanks to
this partnership between SDI and FNB the recipients of these vehicles are now empowered - as owner operators
and small businesses in their own right - to reduce their costs and increase the sustainable earnings that
they take home to support their families.”These initiatives are just a few of the many that SDI will be
implementing across South Africa, working with big business to help repair our economy through ongoing grass
roots supplier development. Businesses are urged to get involved and effectively utilise their ESD spend, and
in so doing contribute to a future that is more prosperous for us all.
