Realising a lifelong dream

MASHA’S FOOD: BENEFITTING FROM THE PICK N PAY SPAZA MODERNISATION PROGRAMME

From a small family business into a thriving, multipurpose store.

For Masha’s Food owner Tiisetso Masha, it was a bittersweet launch as he originally joined Pick n Pay’s spaza modernisation programme with his father, who sadly passed away last year. Tiisetso will now run the business with his brother, Kagiso.

Tiisetso Masha’s father Micca started the family spaza store in Mamelodi, Pretoria, in a container in 2006. In an area then occupied by only informal structures, there was no electricity at first, but the business grew and served its customers well.

Micca had a dream, says Tiisetso. He wanted to grow the family business and offer greater convenience to his customers.

“It made sense for us to grow and develop our offering,” says Tiisetso. “If customers can shop close to home they don’t have to spend money on taxi fares. It’s also about creating a store that offers them more of what they want, and more third-party services.”

His dream was realised with the opening of Masha’s Market on February 28, 2018 as the first Gauteng-based township entrepreneur this year to join Pick n Pay’s innovative programme.

This programme sees the retialer and its partners upgrade spaza stores to meet the needs of customers and communities, helping to grow a new generation of modern retail entrepreneurs.

Sadly, Micca, the founder of Masha’s Market, didn’t live to see his dream come true as he passed away last year, while the partnership between Masha’s and retail giant was being put in place.

Tiisetso knows the Pick n Pay business well: he worked for for the retailer as a trainee manager after finishing his studies.

Tiisetso adds: “My father originally started the business selling soft drinks and my mom added a butchery next to the container to sell frozen meat. The whole family has been involved in Masha’s, and I think my dad would have been incredibly proud today.

“Nothing was handed to us on a plate; my dad was the first black man to rent business premises in Denneboom in Mamelodi. With my mom Patricia, my brother Kagiso, and sister Lefentse, this is a real family endeavour.”

The spaza modernisation programme enables local retail entrepreneurs to remain independent owners, but equips them with cutting-edge systems and retailing techniques to create a unique township shopping experience.

The retailer has worked with its suppliers to fit Masha’s Market with new refrigeration and IT systems.

It will stock 1 300 lines of edible and non-edible groceries, fresh produce and perishables.

Masha’s Market will also offer Mamelodi residents services like money transfer, ticketing, airtime and data, bill payments, lottery tickets and prepaid electricity.

Tiisetso’s store boasts a 136m² grocery trading store, and a liquor store of 91m².

The launch of Masha’s Market will see the employment of 17 people from the area, “job creation was a real dream of my dad’s,” says Tiisetso.

Tiisetso says that the opening of Masha’s Market was the “fulfilment of a dream”.

Since the spaza modernisation programme was piloted in 2016 in partnership with the Gauteng Department of Economic Development, 15 stores have now opened in Gauteng, including Masha’s Market.

It made sense for us to grow and develop our offering. If customers can shop close to home they don’t have to spend money on taxi fares. It’s also about creating a store that offers them more of what they want, and more third-party services.