BCM hawkers offered new digital system

A small group welcomed an initiative of A2pay, a Jozi-based company that aims to roll out computers to spaza owners and hawkers in BCM to improve their business management.

COO Tina Mason said they had rolled out more than 900 computers to spaza owners in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

“After six weeks of individual training we give the business owners the machinery to help them keep stock of their business growth, for them to run their outlets like retail stores and help them professionalise their skills. We want them to identify what is selling better or less so and to have records of what customers look for.”

Mason said they aimed to create job opportunities with the training and rollout of the computers to informal traders in the city and surrounds through Harambee, a programme that aims to place unemployed youth in jobs.

Tsholomnqa Cash Store owner Richard Gower said it was eye-opening for him after running his store for more than five years without formal records.

“My wife and I started the business in 2013 and we have been running it without having employed anyone or keeping any records. We only registered the company in 2015, but with regard to bookkeeping, nothing has ever been done.

“I got a wake-up call when we went to apply for funding from the ECDC in an attempt to open a fuel station and they said the fact that we had no records worked against us,” he said.

Mason said although they are looking for about 200 business owners, they were not disappointed with a turnout of only 20. “We will do everything in stages and word of mouth works,” she said.

A free computer is installed and connected for a business owner who is trained how to use the system, which offers prepaid airtime/electricity and sells bus and lotto tickets among other services.

When I applied for funds the fact that we had no records worked against us