NYDA delivers Buddibox to Tembisa

Buddibox is a new entrepreneurship program coming to Tembisa.

It is an initiative funded by the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) to address challenges faced by matriculants who have passed their 2016 National Senior Certificate.

“The entrepreneurship program is focused squarely on development and job creation – it’s a program that trains up 18- to 35-year-olds to become entrepreneurs who ultimately become financially emancipated,” said Buddibox CEO Isaack Lesole.

“The 442 672 matriculants who passed their 2016 National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams are now faced with big decisions about their careers and job opportunities and for many the future looks less than promising.”

Mr Lesole said fees didn’t fall and, without a tertiary degree or a job in a country with one of the highest unemployment rates in the world, these youth all too often become trapped in a destructive downward spiral.

“These young people become a burden instead of positively contributing members of society.”

He said Buddibox is a unique product which gives retailers and manufacturers the opportunity to deliver household products (and services) to greater township communities.

“The launch phase is currently being piloted in the City of Ekurhuleni with long-term plans to roll out nationally.

“The service is managed by youth – referred to as ‘Buddis’ – from within the community,” said Lesole.

He said the the program has launched with 100 Buddis, but the goal is to have 2 024 Buddis operational by March and at least 10 000 in Gauteng by the end of 2017.

“As the face of the organisation, the Buddi’s responsibility is to engage directly with the consumer (200 allocated households in a ward), using direct sales to secure orders, capture data and build profiles of the families they cater for. They will need to manage this relationship and develop the trust of the community,” said the CEO.

He said Buddis will canvas communities by walking door to door introducing the service, building a rapport with the households they are responsible for and securing future repeat orders.

“We will give them access to branded tuk-tuk vehicles which will be used to deliver provisions from the Local Distribution Centres (LDC) to the various homes they service in the ward.”

Lesole adds that prospective Buddis can now start applying for consideration, but he cautions that to be accepted onto the program they must have a matric certificate and no criminal record.

“Perhaps, more importantly, they must be positive, driven, motivated and ambitious self-starters who are entrepreneurially minded and want to be in business and economically independent. Buddibox is seeking unemployed and unskilled young people with a view to transforming them into academically empowered entrepreneurs.”

He said a partnership has been established with the University of North West and it’s compulsory for each successful Buddi to study through the programme.

“It’s hoped that, through the opportunity to earn and develop skills, those who work with us will go on to become the big business leaders of tomorrow, leading fulfilling, successful lives because they make life-affirming choices today. In so doing they will build a brighter future for themselves and the larger community in which they live and operate,” says Lesole.

“While it’s expected that the program will contribute towards township economic revitalisation, we believe it will also reduce prevalent social ills like crime, drug abuse and alcohol addiction.

Any fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) can be acquired for the family shopping basket – from toiletries to fresh produce. All the transactions happen via an ecommerce platform. A cashless exchange has been set up using online apps and eWallet, thereby ensuring the safety of the Buddi and removing risk.

Buddibox will effectively bridge South Africa’s digital divide with this approach,” he said.

He said offering more than just retail on wheels, Buddis will also gather data from each household that is relevant, accurate, current and verified. Satisfaction surveys, service delivery checks, gathering brand research and consumer insights are other services on offer.

“This basket of services will grow as the program’s network matures and expands.

The program is intended to work alongside existing spazas and tuck shops and will not wipe them out.

Where communities may buy a loaf of bread from the spaza – using Buddibox they can place big monthly orders for supplies that are cumbersome and difficult to carry using public transport,” explains Mr Lesole.

Prospective Buddis can apply for consideration via an online portal at https://www.buddibox.co.za/buddi-registration.