The Community Distribution programme is part of the Shelfline route to market strategy, enabling the FMCG and Fintech suppliers to reach its customers in the townships and rural areas using local transport solution such as Taxi’s, Uber, Bolt, Zebra. We collaborate closely with the communities, which has ensured smoother delivery and customer service, but it has also created much needed opportunities for entrepreneurs.
All of TaxiConnects operators are from previously disadvantaged groups, where we have applied a learn to earn model, and rolled out in Western Cape, Gauteng & KZN. We have not only do we create work opportunities for the communities, but we also contract with the Taxi drivers, use unemployed youth which we train, to manage the warehouse and through technology deliver a local communities servicing model to the Spaza stores. In a country like ours, every opportunity for job creation should be nurtured,” says Orin Roesstorff, Founder of Shelfline.This is a highly significant move for our Taxi distributor network because it means they can now deliver to all customers in their delivery area through South Africa’s oldest ride hauling solution.
Previously, certain of our customers could not accept deliveries from wholesalers and suppliers because they were not using the right systems, did not have a sales rep, did not have access to logistics operators, suppliers do not have access to this market.We therefore anticipate that this would have the effect the expansion for our suppliers and creating new opportunities. We have proven to the traders, homes that Taxi’s and communities’ drivers can deliver on a tested system which has been something of a milestone because it shows how successful this programme has been, can be and shows the advance talent we have in the townships, and through the right skills incubation programmes you can digitise the wholesale and retail sector, finance, and banking sectors. What we have done is help small businesses, most of operators, black- and Black female-owned, grow to become true business partners in KZN, Western Cape and Gauteng.We believe that’s genuine empowerment,” brands you love delivered by the communities for the communities.
