Spaza Eats is a food and goods delivery service much like Mr D and Uber Eats.
However, the uniqueness of this on-demand delivery service lies in the fact that the business is entrenched in townships and it has gained thousands of customers as a result.
Analytics X founder Talifhani Banks, a businessman hailing from Makhado in Limpopo, is responsible for the creation of the service.
With prior brand analyst experience for companies such as Pick n Pay and Autozone, Talifhani was able to break into an untapped market, namely, delivery services in townships.
Up until Talifhani had come along, the market had remained relatively unexplored as industry giants avoided the areas to minimise safety risks.
The business, which launched in July of last year, directly links spaza shops, small-scale farmers and township cuisine stores to the surrounding community.
In less than a year, the business has over 60 000 customers, around 4 500 merchants, seven full-time drivers and 1 105 independent motorcycle drivers.
The service can currently be found in certain areas of Gauteng, Cape Town, Durban and Limpopo, but expansion is on the horizon.
Talifhani intends for the delivery service to be available in every small town across the country by June 2025.
Once the delivery service is available in townships across the country, the company will set its sights on expanding further into the African continent.
Countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Nigeria and Rwanda are first on its list.
The delivery service focuses on authentic cuisine, which merchants take their time to cook and the result is delicious cross-cultural food.
Merchants often sell food such as kotas, bunny chows and more, depending on available vendors in a given area.
Spaza Eats has further extended its services to include the delivery of products such as cellphones and solar panels.
Spaza Market, a business-to-business marketplace, has also been established to facilitate trading between merchants within various townships.
In addition, Spaza Eats has entered into partnerships with BP Express as well as the National Agricultural Marketing Council.
Furthermore, MyBroadband reports that the business has recently added merchants that supply Apple, Huawei, Samsung and Skyworth products.
First published by: Cape Town Etc
words compiled by: Kirshni Kulsen
Also see: Capturing moments and inspiring youth: The journey of a township photographer
