Vuuqa Lifestyle - November 2020

LIFESTYLE | THE PLUG TO AFRICA CTFTHYLIIPEEEVFNSATSOESHFINION NOVEMBER 2020 | ISSUE 12 INDUSTRY AFRICA'S B2B ECOSYSTEM! For Entrepreneurs. BOX SHOP LIFESTYLE WIN TAOS-OMCAIRAKLEETNTTHEIRNPKRITSAENAKC. CESS- A Free Virtual Coaching Session with Coach Thenji! BUY BLACK WEEK VUUQA.COM 7STPHEN-1D4ATHMDINECIMEUMMBEORF2R012000 A DAY ON A BLACK OWNED BUSINESS. VUUQA’S TOP 4 AANFRDICEANNTRPEOPDRCEANSETUSROSHNIBPU. SINESS CREDIPPLE CREATIVE CREDIBILITY AUTHORITY

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ADVERTISE YOUR Save The Number BUSINESS FOR +27 68 254 2149 FREE ON VUUQA WHATSAPP. JOIN OUR WHATSAPP COMMUNITY OF SME'S AND GET A CHANCE TO PROMOTE YOUR BIZ EVERY 1ST FRIDAY OF THE MONTH. Join the Vuuqa Whatsapp Group T's and C's 1. Strictly For Trading, Advertising 2. Open for 24 hours every 1st friday of the month from 12:00 am SAST to 11:59pm SAST 3. Be Kind & Considerate

VUUQA LIFESTYLE | THE PLUG TO AFRICA VUUQA'S NOTE Africa is in Vuuqa's DNA. Everything we stand for and represent is for the progression and digital inclusion of African brands and businesses. The term 'ecosystem' has been used in business for over 20 years. Mckinsey OUR TEAM defines an ecosystem as the following: EDITOR -IN -CHIEF “A partnership of players that combines deep industry insights, profound customer understanding and relationships, established industry-specific Horesia Nyawade networks, and highly complementary value chains to create true value-add to their end customers”. Copy Editor | Art Director For an ecosystem to succeed, the businesses within would need to see CREATIVE & DIGITAL MEDIA themselves as partners and not competitors. By combining skills, talents and resources, they complement each other in order to deliver products and Manqoba Ringane services which serve and bring value to customers. Chief Designer | Social Media Officer In this month’s issue we look at the following players in the African entrepreneurial business to business (B2B) ecosystem: SPONSORSHIPS & CONTENT ADVERTISING Marketplaces Tshiwela Ncube Payment solutions Delivery services Snr Content Producer | Account Manager Professional connectors SUBSCRIBE TO OUR Live Africa. Be Africa! NEWSLETTER Enjoy the read, wear a mask and keep safe! o4 | Vuuqa Lifestyle - www.vuuqa.com

VUUQA LIFESTYLE NOVEMBER 2020 / ISSUE 12 22 CONTENTS THE ROLE OF A COACH IN YOUR VUUQA'S TOP 4! 16 LIFE African podcasts on Business 0 6 Coaching provides you with the 2 0 and Entrepreneurship. opportunity to generate solutions THE BOX SHOP 09 and solve problems on your own 29 while bringing out your very best. The Box Shop Lifestyle physical 13 BUY BLACK FOUNDATION 2 2 space is set up as one of the most Mobilizing consumers of all races, innovative, creative and futuristic 0 9 and black consumers in particular, township based creative hubs. to support black owned businesses. 5 TYPES OF CLIENTS IN THE 19 FASHION INDUSTRY BUSINESS DIRECTORY 2 6 We currently have about 10 clients Connecting you to local businesses who have been with us since the 1 2 in your community through the beginning or the first time they came. eDirectory of the future. 13 ASK DR. SIYA WHOOSH A payment gateway for merchants Navigating the new normal - 10 tips 32 on how to stay calm through life 2 9 who sell products/services online storms. and within mobile applications. 16 MIXO FORTUNE NGOVENI CREDIPPLE Empowering young Geeks and Connecting clients to trusted creative Innovators with skills for employment and/or Innovation 3 2 and digital service providers, by development. vetting compliance information and work credentials. ZACK'S PASSIONATE TOUCH IN THE NEWS A first-hand Hair and Beauty Salon Integer\\Hotspot SA secures 1 8 Review. 3 5 exclusive rights for SoPost invisible sampling platform. 06 19 ZANELE ABRAHAM MATOME Welo - a last mile medicine delivery platform, offering an at home medicine delivery service for the townships and suburbs. 26 CLICK TO CHECK OUT LAST MONTH'S ISSUE VUUQA VUUQA VUUQA_ VUUQA o5 | Vuuqa Lifestyle - www.vuuqa.com

BLOG - THE ROLE OF A COACH IN YOUR LIFE The role of a COACH in your life WRITTEN BY THENJIWE MORULE Y ou may be feeling that life is a struggle right My role as your coach is to: now, we all are. Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives, to bring Focus on your strengths and not your weaknesses. about change towards new growth paths. Help you uncover your true passions and how to position your life around them. Without obstacles, both our minds and bodies Co-create new possibilities that didn’t exist prior. would wither. There would be no opportunities for us to grow Help you develop your action plan and a path to help and learn from our experiences. you achieve your goals. Challenge your thinking, attitude and assumptions The premise of coaching is to connect with who you are at about your perceptions in order to increase your level your core. While you’re on the journey of striving to become of awareness and boost your effectiveness as a business your best self - coaching can help develop a safe space to co- owner/manager/salesperson. create new possibilities, which can be used to reinvent oneself. Coaching provides you with the opportunity to Build the momentum you need to achieve your goals generate solutions and solve problems on your own while and generate results at an accelerated pace than it bringing out your very best. would have taken you to do it on your own. Life has its fair share of challenges which often leave us at a crossroad. From losing your job and feeling directionless, to your business not hitting its sales targets, to wanting to improve your management and/or leadership skills; and to having to coach your staff on how to be successful at their jobs - coaching just might be the light you need at the end of the tunnel. o6  | Vuuqa Lifestyle - www.vuuqa.com

BLOG - THE ROLE OF A COACH IN YOUR LIFE We don’t only focus on what you need to do to be successful WIN but also on who you are and your thinking patterns. An A 30 min Virtual increasing number of business owners and professionals are Coaching Session with turning to coaches because they offer expertise, third party perspective, targeted advice and a safe sounding board. Coach Thenji! In this busy world, coaches are there to offer you the Vuuqa has collaborated with Coach Thenji to give attention and guidance you need to look inward and find away two 30 min online complimentary coaching your core self. We help you create your world from a place sessions to a Vuuqa reader. of self-belief and self-acceptance. Coaching is guaranteed to How it works: enrich your life experience and that of those around you. 1. Submit 2 leadership or business development goals to Vuuqa by emailing [email protected] COACHING BIO: 2. Copy Coach Thenji on [email protected] Thenjiwe Morule is a Successful Business Leader with 20 years’ experience working in Business Development, Account 3. Include your Industry details (ie Sales, Beauty) Management, and Marketing across various industries. As a mother of 3 children, with a demanding career, coaching 4. Winners will be chosen and contacted directly offered Thenjiwe the time and space to develop her self- by Coach Thenji. awareness and consciousness as she navigated the various roles in her life. Her purpose is to coach business owners and professionals in identifying and leveraging their strengths in order to achieve their business and personal goals. o7  | Vuuqa Lifestyle - www.vuuqa.com

o8  | Vuuqa Lifestyle - Our readers What Readers Are Saying... I'm loving your magazine! - Reader Hi, I hope this finds you well. Thank you for sending your magazine monthly. It's a great read. - Reader Thanks Tshiwela, Great issue and appreciate the love - Featured Business I love the music pages and that everything is touch and go to page- Reader I have enjoyed a few & can’t really rank them though as each has something different- but love the whole “ african women killing it\" vibe. The mag is improving from month to month - Reader Bless up Vuuqa Lifestyle - Musician

BUY BLACK FOUNDATION T he Buy Black Foundation is a non-profit The Buy Black Foundation influences and encourages company, founded in August 2020, that black South Africans to circulate money within the black exists to mobilize consumers of all races, community by buying black products and services to achieve inclusive economic development. and black consumers in particular, to support black Buy Black Foundation Founder: Sihle Bam owned businesses. It has been shown that money circulation plays a major role in alleviating poverty and economic development in many communities around the world. Currently, black South Africans spend on average of only 10% of their income on black-owned businesses and products. This denies the growth of the black entrepreneurial class and small businesses, which contributes significantly to widespread poverty within the black community as our income is primarily spent on large firms outside of our own communities. The Buy Black Foundation’s directors are: Sihle Bam (Founder)- Entrepreneur with background in Sales and PR. Thembi Mkhize (Co-Founder) - Former HR Consultant, now Entrepreneur in the textile sector. Tim Makamu (Operations Director) - Qualified Engineer and Entrepreneur in the training sector. Zigizendoda Yeni (Director of Research) - Qualified Researcher and Content Producer. Thamsanqa Hlatshwayo (Creative Director) - Qualified Film maker, Video Editor and Producer. 09 | Vuuqa Lifestyle - www.vuuqa.com

BUY BLACK FOUNDATION Black Week Q What does building your own look like? For us at the Buy Black Foundation, building our own 7th-14th December 2020 means supporting and investing in our own communities Spend a minimum of R100 a day first. It’s about recognizing our own power to transform the reality of black South Africans through prioritizing the on a black owned business. growth of the black entrepreneurial class. South Africa is the most unequal society in the world, with a Gini coefficient of The short interview below provides further insight .63. Race continues to be an unacceptably significant determining factor in educational attainment, income, and into their powerful initiative. quality of life. Q Which ecosystem would you say Buy Black The same dynamics are at play in the business arena. A 2015 Foundation is a part of and what role do you report by the JSE found that half of the companies listed on play within the ecosystem? the exchange have less than 25% black ownership, while less than 3% are 100% black owned. Given that reality, it is We play a facilitation role within the ecosystem, much like shocking that more than 45 million black people in this country spend 90% of their income outside of their own Vuuqa Magazine. Through a variety of media campaigns, racial group. If you observe the spending patterns of other racial and ethnic groups in SA, you will find that black people consumer events, and research publications, we provide a are unique in this regard. Simply put, we cannot and should not expect anything to change if we are not spending our platform for black businesses to grow. We mainly do this by money where it’s needed the most - in our own communities. connecting emerging black entrepreneurs, who for so long have been locked out of the markets, with a consumer base that is conscious of the transformative power of their spending. 10 | Vuuqa Lifestyle - www.vuuqa.com

BUY BLACK FOUNDATION Q What events inspired Buy Black Week? Q What kind of support does your organization need Buy Black Week is the Buy Black Foundation’s to move to the next level? marquee annual event and will be held from the 7th to the As a newly founded organisation, we need support in many areas, but the most important is spreading our message to 14th of December 2020. During this week, we are challenging the public. This is a grass-roots movement and will require broad-based involvement to be a success. People can support all South Africans, but particularly black South Africans, to us by telling their friends and family about us, sharing our content online and encouraging others to participate in Buy spend a minimum of R100 a day on a black owned business, Black Week. You may also support our ongoing mass media campaign for for a total of R700 per person. If 10 million South Africans join Buy Black Week by helping us to access funding, and by volunteering your time, skills and/or network to help us with us in this endeavour, we will circulate a minimum of R7 billion the campaign. within the black economy in the space of a week. This idea was motivated by the recognition that internal Self Plug: money circulation is crucial for poverty alleviation and wealth creation in the black community. The success of this week The Buy Black Foundation is currently developing will be a powerful demonstration of this economic principle the African Business Directory. The directory will serve as a to the public, and will provide a foundation for long term database of African and black-owned businesses to help change in consumer behaviour. consumers to find businesses to support. We want to develop an extensive directory of African businesses of all kinds to Buy Black Week is particularly relevant in 2020, in the face of drive online traffic and ultimately spending on African and COVID 19 and the effects of the National Lockdown. The black owned businesses. We invite black business owners to South African economy shrank by an annualized 51% in the contact us to be included in the directory. 3rd quarter of 2020, and wages for the bottom 10% of wage Social Media: earners have been steadily declining over the last decade. The impact of this contraction is felt most sharply amongst black Buy Black Now @buyblacknowsa people and by black entrepreneurs; Buy Black Week will go a long way in mitigating these effects by providing a timely @buyblacknowsa Buy Black Now boost in consumption on black businesses. +27662343600 www.buyblacknow.org.za 0760726186 / 0640005380 11 | Vuuqa Lifestyle - www.vuuqa.com

BUSINESSES IN AFRICA DIRECTORY FOOD SERVICES APPAREL Tayari Meals Latore House of Weli M We sell ready to cook African Natural hair & Beauty salon and Design house bringing you food - Delivered cleaned, Natural hair products. bespoke female clothing items, prepped and ready to cook. Location: Pretoria, SA Interior pieces and indoor plants. Location: Johannesburg, SA Location: Johannesburg, SA www.latore.co.za www.tayarimeals.com @Houseofwelim +27 63 980 1902 [email protected] +27 72 725 1663 Cakes By Kiumbi Latore_boutique Soweto Surf +27 79 871 5680 Delicious home-baked goods by a Activewear Apparel. certified baker! Contact us to Ataare Advisors Location: Johannesburg, SA order cakes, cupcakes and cookies for all occasions. Bespoke management consulting @soweto_surf and implementation services. +27 64 796 4986 Location: Nairobi, Kenya We have experience across @cakesbykiumbi sub-Saharan Africa working with Adzjoa +254 723 527 630 SMEs, non-profits and big corporate. Giving you the best combinations EDUCATION Location: Nairobi, Kenya in terms of fabric, colour and style! Tshiwela Crèche and Ataare Advisors Aftercare www.ataare.com Location: Nairobi, Kenya @adzjoa Registration is open for 2021. Gabriel Ngouessy-Guibinga [email protected] Registration fee: R350. Kid Intake: 3 Months - Grade R Entrepreneurial Leadership R150BULSISINTEYSOSUHRERE Location: Centurion, SA Workshops. KSMH 1O,0N00T| UHSDL1Y0 (Opposite Irene Primary School) Location: Johannesburg, SA APPLY HERE [email protected] Gabriel Ngouessy-Guibinga +27 71 596 9855 / +27 66 453 2671 +27 72 670 9020 The Golden Goose Institute 12 | Vuuqa Lifestyle - www.vuuqa.com Author, Coaching and Publishing. Location: Johannesburg, SA thegoldengooseinstitute.com +27 79 213 2927

ASK DR. SIYA Navigating the new normal - life after the hard lockdown. 10 tips on how to stay calm through life storms. T he novel Coronavirus pandemic created Another way to help yourself navigate this new normal unique clinical and scientific questions. Over by being kind to yourself. This entire pandemic and the last few weeks, we have seen the country accompanying changes are new to everyone, and we’ll all need to find our own way of living with it. open up bit by bit. This has brought a sense of relief; like Support may be around you, and having a dedicated going to the hairdresser or spending quality time with person or space to talk about your feelings can help tremendously. family and close friends. The world has started taking on To everyone juggling many priorities and trying to stay some semblance before the words “COVID-19” and calm, here are a few tips to help you get through: “Coronavirus” entered our vocabulary. 1 Be realistic and honest with yourself about how the lockdown and covid-19 pandemic has affected While we’ve started partaking in our normal daily you in all areas of your life. Some of us have lost activities, we are actually realising that things are not like loved ones, income, social life, relationships, they used to be. opportunities for travel & growth. We are continuously being reminded about our choices 2 Reflect on what you will need to be able to and how they may affect the next person, including those recover or heal. You may need long term who are close to us. Some of us are finding ourselves counselling, coaching or strengthening your either feeling anxious or “more on edge” than usual. In spiritual life. and among these new rules, we need to find our feet to feel a sense of support in this ever-changing new world. 3 Explore what your priorities are moving forward; like recovering emotionally, psychologically or Sounds easier said than done, but there are many ways financially. we can integrate some mindfulness into our daily doings. It may come in various forms, like walking & talking, to breathing or even better, meditating! These activities help the nervous system reset itself, calm you down and build resilience. 13 | Vuuqa Lifestyle - www.vuuqa.com

ASK DR. SIYA 4 Prioritize your wellbeing on all levels - All aspects of your health come first. That is your greatest wealth. 5 Look at what strengths have helped you cope thus far; like remaining hopeful or communicating openly with your family and friends about your challenges. Build on those strengths. 6 Avoid unhealthy coping mechanisms - Alcohol, unhealthy food, smoking and illegal substances. 7 Find support systems like friends & family or other available support systems in your community. 8 Explore how you can live a full meaningful life within the new normal - What activities can you participate in and enjoy, whilst feeling safe and keeping to the covid-19 regulations? 9 Learn to smile with your eyes - It’s hard to see people’s facial expressions behind a mask. Practice this whilst wearing a mask; it will help build a connection when interacting or socializing with other people. 10 Self-care & building resilience - Try to find a healthy routine for yourself. Learn to switch off, especially when you are working from home. Understand your emotions and accept them. Exercise. Encourage positive and healthy self-talk. There’s much speculation on what the future will look like, resulting in the “new normal” terminology. A key concern, as we continue to navigate this new normal, is how we’ll treat our mental health. Dr Siyajabula Mjwara Therapist & Wellness Coach [email protected] AskDrSiya Therapist Directory Siyajabula Mjwara 14| Vuuqa Lifestyle - www.vuuqa.com

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Mixo Fortune Ngoveni Geekulcha With the ultimate goal of helping young Geeks The short interview below with founder Mixo, gives us further insight into the value Geekulcha provides to its and Innovators with skills for employment and/or community. Innovation development, Geekulcha was established on the 15th of March, 2013 by techie Mixo Fortune Q Which ecosystem would you say Geekulcha is a Ngoveni. part of and what role do you play within the ecosystem? “We focus on empowering young geeks through ICT skills development and training, while Geekulcha is part of the tech ecosystem. Our main role is giving them a taste of what awaits them in the creating a platform where young people, especially those big world through industry exposure.” doing technology related courses, can tap into this - Mixo Ngoveni. ecosystem for networking, job opportunities, exposure, peer to peer learning, and knowledge sharing. We’ve also Geekulcha works with and provides services to the built a space where these young geeks will collaborate on corporate, academic, embassies, incubators and projects that can make South Africa not only a better place governmental institutions/organizations. All but a very competitive player in the tech world.We have a Geekulcha programmes are curated with the intention major role to play in making this come to life and have of building skills capacity in the tech/digital ecosystem already been seeing positive results coming out of it. with these aspects: Q What was the inspiration behind Geekulcha? Realization Geekulcha was created after we identified a Acquirement massive gap between the tech industry and tech students Development within academic institutions. The tech industry is always Redistribution looking for talent to take in but felt that fresh talent from Utilization the universities weren’t skilled enough. On the other hand, 16  | Vuuqa Lifestyle - www.vuuqa.com

GEEKULCHA Self Plug: the students didn’t have much exposure to the tech If you are a tech student, tech enthusiast or an industry either. So we took the chance and intended on aspiring geek then I highly recommend that you follow narrowing that gap but bringing the two worlds together. Geekulcha on all social media platforms. You will not only learn and gain access to opportunities, but will meet like minded geeks who are not just hard working and doing cool stuff but also fun and very creative. We have a campus focused initiative called Geekulcha Student Society (GKSS) which is focused on directly impacting and empowering students on campus. There are 22 chapters across different institutions. If you feel you can run one then reach out to us on gkss.geekulcha.dev Q Why is it important to build a tech community for the youth in Africa? We face a lot of challenges on the continent and although Social Media: tech won’t fix all our problems, it can address some of them and make them better much faster. Technology has the Geekulcha @Geekulcha capability of leveling out the playing field while making @Geekulcha Geekulcha people’s lives better. It is therefore very important that we should not only just be consumers of technology but also www.geekulcha.dev producers who can come up with technology based solutions to help our fellow Africans. To get this right we need to equip as many people as possible with basic digital literacy skills. We also need a vibrant and thriving tech community that is capable of developing world class solutions while helping each other grow and sharpen their skills. Young people are well positioned to lead this tech revolution. Q What kind of support does your Ecosystem need to move to the next level? Our tech community is always in need of support in the form of mentoring, skills development, job opportunities and access to the tech market. We have a vibrant community of young techies who definitely need guidance not only within the tech world but also on how to navigate it and develop products and solutions that will land in people’s hands. 1 7 | Vuuqa Lifestyle - www.vuuqa.com

REVIEW - HAIR AND BEAUTY SALON Zack’s Passionate Touch A Hair and Beauty Salon Review by Horesia Nyawade Overall Rating: Cleanliness: Location: It’s the first thing most of us look at Located off of a slip road on when going into a beauty Beyers Naude, the place is a little salon/barber shop. You might be hard to find or easily recognize. skeptical when you first approach It’s one of those places that you the entrance - but once you have a just have to know where it is. seat, you will notice how spotless each corner is. Not to mention how Address: 273 Beyers Naude quick “the cleanup” is done - by the Drive,Blackheath, time you’re leaving, the place Randburg(Next to KFC/Opp already looks exactly like it was Cresta Mall) when you walked in! Expertise: Price: My weak and brittle hair needed At R50 a haircut, this price made me some TLC. I was particular in the so happy!!! I was honestly ready to way that I needed my hair to be pay double. I did pay double. The treated with care. He went above care and time Barber Zack took with and beyond, he listened. my hair was way more valuable than I left the shop feeling confident the price. I hope he doesn’t and beautiful! drastically increase his price after reading this (smiles in worry) lol. Other services: Friendliness: You can also get your hair braided/styled and your nails As a woman who just joined the done! Call/Text/WhatsApp for “buzzing” crew, it’s extremely your appointment. Or you can important to find a barber who choose to just walk in like I did. :) cares. Barber Zack was super welcoming - from his energy to his +27 71 017 5661 smile, I felt comfortable and confident that he had my hair’s best +27 71 129 5241 interest at heart. 18 | Vuuqa Lifestyle - www.vuuqa.com

WELO - MEDICINE DELIVERY PLATFORM A last mile medicine delivery platform, offering an at home medicine delivery service for the townships and suburbs. Founder: Zanele Abraham Matome. The innovative solution impacts it’s local Started in: September 2020. community by: Based on a technology that speaks the masses Delivering health directly to their homes. language, Welo is one of the few solutions in the Offering an affordable monthly subscription for continent within the HealthTech industry. patients on chronic medication. Welo uses a WhatsApp chatbot service to communicate with their customers, and coordinate the delivery of Conveniently allowing adults in cities to order and cost-effective health to their clients. deliver medicine to their elder parents in townships. The solution was inspired by personal events. Zanele is also the founder of AfriFemTech, an organization of African female tech founders. She created the space for “I was frustrated by my mom's lack of immediate African women in tech to help each other to grow and access to her medication and with the pharmacy only elevate their startups. www.afrifemtech.org delivering on specific dates” To learn more about Welo Explains Zanele - Welo founder. and Zanele’s innovations and stay update on their growth, connect with them on any of the platforms below: www.welo.co.za www.afrifemtech.org @zanele_matome @zanele_matome 19 | Vuuqa Lifestyle - www.vuuqa.com

VUUQA’S TOP 4 - AFRICAN PODCASTS VUUQA’S TOP 4 AFRICAN PODCASTS ON BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP NAME: NOT A UX DESIGNER @VarimaHenry HOST: VARIMA HENRY NOT A UX DESIGNER A podcast about doing better UX, building better products for humans and the people that make it happen. NAME: THE LEAD CREATIVE @Mongezi HOST: MONGEZI MTATI @CreativesLead The Lead Creative podcast hosts a series of conversations THE LEAD CREATIVE with great minds in the creative, marketing, and communications industries. NAME: THE AFRICAN TECH CONVERSATION @MasukuAndile HOST: ANDILE MASUKU TCHOENVAEFRRISCAATNIOTNECH The African Tech Conversations series features relaxed, in-depth chats that Andile Masuku has with leading entrepreneurs, innovators and thought-leaders who are intimately involved in Africa's tech scene. NAME: THE EAST AFRICA BUSINESS PODCAST BTHUESIENAESSTSAPFORDICCAAST HOST: SAM FLOY A podcast interviewing entrepreneurs and business leaders in the emerging market of East Africa. Host Sam Floy showcases companies operating across Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia. Find conversations with companies ranging from solar power and food production to smoothies and toothpicks. 20 | Vuuqa Lifestyle - www.vuuqa.com

YOUR PLUG TO AFRICAN-OWNED BRANDS AND BUSINESSES. SUBSCRIBE TO LIFESTYLE | THE PLUG TO AFRICA LIFESTYLE | BUSINESS | ENTREPRENEURSHIP | FASHION | TRAVEL | FOOD | TECH SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

THE The brand was founded in 2016 by Sifiso Moyo and BOX Bernard Msimango, and offers a vast and diverse SHOP portfolio of services including but not limited to: A SOCIAL ENTERPRISE ACCESS-TO-MARKET An online and offline retail store THINK TANK An eatery restaurant Located on Vilakazi street, the most iconic street in the world with two Nobel Prize winners, The Box CMT Manufacturing Shop Lifestyle physical space is set up as one of the most innovative, creative and futuristic township Media Agency based creative hubs, whose work and offerings are centered around the development and resuscitation Online Radio of the township economy . Art Gallergy 22 | Vuuqa Lifestyle - www.vuuqa.com The short interview below gives us further insight as to how this social enterprise, access-to-market think tank, is making powerful moves in the township economy of Soweto.

THE BOX SHOP Q Which ecosystem would you say The Box Shop is a part of and what role do you play within the ecosystem? The Box Shop Lifestyle is part of a broader ecosystem primarily in the retail - creative - textile - tourism sectors. The role which we play is to provide ACCESS, which translate into smme’s be able to access each other’s services and collaborate. Corporate and government also get to access the smme’s which we interact with through The Box Shop Lifestyle. We are literally a link between two farfetched worlds. Q Why is a space like the box shop important in the Township? The Box Shop Lifestyle, is the heart beat of Soweto. It is centered around the philosophical outlook of convergence, where ideas meet to re-create impactful and progressive communities as well as thriving local economies from grassroots level. Q What is different about the boxshop this time around? The difference is a full lifestyle experience that has adopted a shared value model. We are intentional about providing a shared platform with emerging and existing brands in areas of their speciality within our ecosystem offerings. A perfect example is that with each offering in our ecosystem, we have partnered with an enterprise or an entrepreneur to help us manage it whilst propelling their brands forward. We’re 'incentifying' both our customers and employees to feel a sense of ownership when interacting with the brand. Q What kind of support does your organization need to move to the next level? The Box Shop Lifestyle has been forging strong partnership and collaborations with international partners and key local strategic government departments like tourism, to position the space as a tourism destination but also a space with readily available solutions. The idea has always been about pushing a local agenda from product to fully participating in the value chain, and that’s where we need support to develop an in-house CMT’s operation. 23 | Vuuqa Lifestyle - www.vuuqa.com

THE BOX SHOP Self Plug: We have also partnered with Gauteng Tourism to produce and customise their apparel range. Currently the Box Shop Lifestyle has launched multiple initiatives - we have partnered with the Winnie Lastly we are proud to announce the opening of our Mandela Foundation to produce Mum Winnies Blanket to revamped HQ space in Vilakazi. This has been made possible retail. with our partnership with Mutualism Investment. We have renovated the Vilakazi HQ to bring an eatery and restaurant offering named the Box Shop Kitchen and Ncaaa Social Media: Pizza joint. We’ve also fully renovated our retail shop to feature and POP UP existing and prominent local brands. the boxshop lifestyle @theboxshoplifestyle During the Covid 19 pandemic through a partnership with Soweto Surf, we manufactured and distributed over 10,000 the boxshop lifestyle +27 65 857 1353 Masks to the community of Soweto. Sitting on the highest peak of Soweto we are also launching www.theboxshoplifestyle .co.za a HOT AIR Balloon ride the 1st in Soweto and adding a telescope on the third floor to have a 360 view of Soweto at 7166 Vilakazi Street, Soweto, Orlando West night to have a look at the stars. 24 | Vuuqa Lifestyle - www.vuuqa.com

Open a Free Instant Online Shop and Start selling now! Benefits APPLY NOW! Free: Save on set-up costs Shared economy: More brands = More buyers Zero inventory: Keep your stock Community: Online marketplace for African-owned brands International reach and online visibility

BLOG - 5 TYPES OF CLIENTS 5 TYPES OF CLIENTS IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY. Why do people buy from me? And better yet, why do they return (as repeat customers)? A huge question - I should probably ask them ne? But maybe, let me say what I think the answer is. I will try my best to not make my business sound like the best that there is, I will attempt to be fair LOL! Over the years I have learned how to take criticism and assess it. I have managed to sit and see our strengths and weaknesses without being emotional about it. This type of introspection is very difficult for any skill-based business since artists tend to be very personal about their work…so bear with us. My first client My next many clients It was 2014, I had just resigned from the fashion Miraculously, that skirt paid way more to me than I could ever accessories buyer position with no plan really except measure. Immediately after making it, I ironed it, put it on a to finish the fashion diploma. I do not recall how I met mannequin, snapped a photo and posted it on Facebook. I am this neighbour; she lived a street up from us. But, I sure at that time we had 100 likes on the page. This, ladies and ended up agreeing to sew a skirt for her, she managed gentlemen, is how people started knowing me for making to convince me to do it for R200! She claimed it was ‘traditional attires’. This is how I made Ankara, after African her fabric and I gave in mainly because I had no print, after shweshwe dresses for the many coming years. comeback to that statement. Guess what, she never People saw the skirt on facebook, shared it or not; loved it and fetched it or paid for it! called me. This also taught me the power of social media. 26 | Vuuqa Lifestyle - www.vuuqa.com

BLOG - 5 TYPES OF CLIENTS The return client They return again, and it is during that through moving to Midrand, to consultation that I will confirm what Modderfontein and back to the house. I’m Most clients who return, return they liked about us. I don’t want to say sure I can move to New York and I will be because there was always some item we attempt to make people fall in love couriering clothes to them from there to they loved but couldn’t make it then, with us but you know…love is strong Cape Town. Our partnership just works. and can have it now. Bear with me. A LOL. We currently have about 10 clients We click. large number of my clients come as an who have been with us since the urgent need for an outfit for the beginning or the first time they came. The myths wedding next week. There are These clients have over 30 items in their I would like to tell you that your family numerous reasons why they waited so wardrobes made by us. We do and friends will be your biggest clients long or so close to the date of the event something right for them and we are BUT I’D BE LYING. This would work out to get an outfit, but it’s always just more than honoured for this privilege. well for me, because I have 19 uncles and never clear…or just that they didn’t do aunts; who have approximately 70 it in time. For a long time, my business children. If they all bought from me, I’d serviced this need. We were based in be rich overnight. But it is not so. My Midrand, I had an assistant and could friends and family share, retweet and turn around orders in a few days. This repost my work. This is the best thing way, they come back a month later for they can do for us. Remember how I the item they have had their eye on for discovered the power of social media a long time. back in 2014 from the unpaid skirt? Yeah. My family and friends also refer us to The click client people in their circles. I appreciate this too. These people are my sisters. I have no But all in all, come to us. Why? Because I love what I do, and I tell all my clients we biological proof but listen ….I love them. don’t make ugly clothes! And this is a promise I keep, or else I would not sleep These are the people I choose fabric for for a good week LOL. before even showing them because I Written by: Brigette Mashile Brigette is a 34 year old fashion know! These are people who I have sat designer based on the east of Johannesburg. Her brand, Roka Roko with in consultations longer than 2 hours specializes in customized outfits for ladies for all occasions. talking about everything but their RokarokoSA dresses. And because of these super long The staying client conversations, I have studied them so During this second item consultation, much I have a good idea of what they they are more relaxed. I meet the real love. Our relationships are so solid they person and can do my work calmly. This have payment agreements with me LOL. I is where the hook happens. For a client tell them all the time, if you need a lower to come back, especially based on an price today, it's ok, you are coming back experience of immense pressure such as next week, I’ll get it back somehow LOL! a wedding, they must have liked These clients have remained with me something about us. through my mental exhaustion, 27 | Vuuqa Lifestyle - www.vuuqa.com

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AN AFRICAN-OWNED PAYMENT Q Which ecosystem would you say Whoosh is a SOLUTIONS COMPANY part of and what role do you play within the ecosystem? Whoosh was founded by Lebeko Mphelo after recognising the need to digitise payments in Whoosh, primarily, forms part of the broader payment South Africa and the rest of Africa. After going ecosystem. We playing the role of a PSP (Payment Service through different payment models and Provider) between a merchant and a customer, seeking to extensive research, Whoosh defines itself as a buy from the merchant, within the e-commerce or company that was established to participate m-commerce environment. within the convergence of technology and payment solutions in Africa. The core business Merchants usually rely on a third-party PSP to perform of the company is the provision of a payment payment processing for convenience and expense gateway for merchants who sell products / reasons. This is primarily because most PSPs maintain services online and within mobile applications. compliance with PCI DSS, an information security standard that regulates the safety of cardholder data, The Whoosh Payment Gateway is hosted on the that’s the essence of our service offering to customers. latest and most robust payment system, including the Payment Cards Industry (PCI) Q What separates you/makes you stand out Compliance. Whoosh does not only provide from your competitors? off-the shelf technology but also consults and project-manages the client’s need to ensure The first would be our ability to tailor payment optimal deployment of the payment platform. solutions for our customers to suit their needs. Whoosh is South Africa’s first black owned and managed payment solutions company. Second would be our extreme focus on ensuring a pleasant payment experience for our customers 29 | Vuuqa Lifestyle - www.vuuqa.com and their customers at large. Lastly would be our focus on creating shared value for our customers which is embedded in our values as a business.

WHOOSH Q What is the future of African cross border Other than that, support from large organisations providing payments? a digital service through enterprise development would be helpful. We pride ourselves with building customer specific The future of cross border payments is growing in Africa payment experience which in itself differentiates the client spurred on by the improvements in technology and mobile from its competitors. penetration. The solution for Africa has largely been centred To rephrase: the support we need is that of entrepreneurs around facilitating mobile payments, with the likes of MPESA and corporates just trying us out! leading the way and recent events has seen payment gateway MFS Africa partner with Moneygram, a global leader Self Plug: in P2P payments, to increase their offering and develop cross-border P2P payment across Africa. We are very passionate about the art industry in The future for cross-border, and payments in general, shall South Africa. With COVID-19 having affected every sector in be led by the ability to drive financial inclusion through our economy, there was a big impact on the arts sector. In innovative solutions of which mobile payments has been response, we started an initiative called FRONT ROW which seen to do very well. is meant to bring innovative solutions to the music industry Over and above cross border payments, there is a and indigenous content production. tremendous need for one merchant account Through FRONT ROW we hope to create a variety of events operating across multiple countries. and productions that bring new life toward music artists and bring their talent to online channels that will enable Q What kind of support does your organization them to benefit from this growing new-age sector. need to move to the next level? Social Media: @Letswhoosh_za Our solution is built for Africa by Africans, and moreover by Whoosh Payments 010 009 6926 entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. Over time we hope to Whoosh Innovations digitise African businesses as well as partner with the business of the future: the entrepreneurs building the next www.letswhoosh.com big tech thing. We would like to work with them to build a seamless service/product with payments. 298 Witch-Hazel Ave, Eco-Park Estate, Centurion, 0046 30 | Vuuqa Lifestyle - www.vuuqa.com

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PHOTO CREDIT: XARA CALLAN FOURIE CREDIPPLE Through continuous research, the Credipple team stays updated on and understands in-demand skills that - CREATIVE CREDIBILITY AUTHORITY businesses typically need. Thereafter, they use this information to guide professionals to further their learning C redentials you can trust. and development as well as improve their professional profile. Thanks to Credipple, businesses can now trust who they choose to work with. The The short interview below gives us an in-depth platform connects clients to trusted understanding of Credipple’s offering. creative and digital service providers, Q Which ecosystem would you say Credipple is by vetting their compliance information and work a part of and what role do you play within the ecosystem? credentials. Credipple’s work focuses on 4 key themes as we look to solving the problem of education to the workplace for young Co-founded in 2018 by three individuals who all met at the South Africans through: University of Pretoria, Sibusiso Manentsa, Lethabo Sekhu Improving data collection efforts and sharing the info within our freelance market to better and Kgololo Lekoma, Credipple currently manages a fast- discover, recognise and collaborate with other trusted freelance professionals and clients. growing network of professionals and small businesses in Assisting emerging professionals especially with media and ICT industries. R building social capital. “We believe the more time freelance professionals invest in their continuous learning and development, the more credible they will become and the more they will increase their income capability.” Sibusiso Manentsa 32 | Vuuqa Lifestyle - www.vuuqa.com

CREDIPPLE Embracing digital work through appropriate Thankfully, they have stayed on as advisors as we grow the training and development. company. Creating professional digital identities to We also need to start bringing on more hands to assist contribute towards the global gig economy. especially with the customer fulfilment aspects of our company when a brief comes in. This activity currently takes Credipple sees these challenges as opportunities to help up most of the internal team’s time as it is a very important grow the Media and ICT industry in South Africa, with aspect of our service offering. ambitions of scaling across the continent. Self Plug: Q Does credibility matter? Why or Why not? At Credipple we believe that trust can only be Yes it does. Especially now that most organizations built by recognising the professionals that join our network operate digitally, it is becoming increasingly difficult to tell on the basis of merit. We ask pertinent questions such as: between what is true and what is not. This also applies to the work as it is easy for someone to make a claim to a skillset What have they studied? without you knowing whether or not that person can Are they recommended by previous clients? execute accordingly - unless you view their work or get What is it like to work with them? referred to them by someone you trust. Credipple provides Are their skills reliable? freelance professionals with an online platform to manage their career development in a trustworthy manner as well as These types of questions give clients better information grow their professional networks through participating in when making buying decisions. A portfolio of work with campaigns such as Dreamers Wanted. Dreamers Wanted is a reliable references are some of the only ways to share these learning and development initiative where emerging and answers with clients to give a measure of a professional’s established professionals participate in activities such as career development and the trustworthiness of their skills. hackathons where they can compete in creative and digital challenges. These types of questions give clients better information when making buying decisions. A portfolio of work with Using this initiative we are helping freelance professionals reliable references are some of the only ways to share these build professional relationships with other professionals so answers with clients to give a measure of a professional’s that they can learn from each other and have an opportunity career development and the trustworthiness of their skills. to build their own social capital despite not belonging to one single organisation. These interactions allow them to professionally support each other in building more trust in their professional network. Q What kind of support does your organization Social Media: @credipple_ need to move to the next level? Credipple Credipple @credipple Currently our biggest deficit comes in the tech side as none www.credipple.com of the current co-founders are actually developers. We [email protected] therefore need the right tech partner who will assist us in our development. When we first started Credipple, we had brought on a few people to assist us with the technical build but unfortunately, they were all talented and as a result they have all been poached by a much larger company. 33 | Vuuqa Lifestyle - www.vuuqa.com

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IN THE NEWS IN THE NEWS Integer\\Hotspot SA secures exclusive rights for SoPost invisible sampling platform. Integer\\Hotspot SA, a Through-The-Line marketing The agency has become synonymous with result-driven agency and a member of the Matrix Group, has communication solutions that bring brands to life. In announced its exclusive partnership agreement with contrast, SoPost has become one of the UK's fastest- SoPost that will enable local clients to benefit from growing technology companies, partnering with more SoPost's digital sampling platform. than 200 brands across markets in the UK, North America and Europe. The SoPost sampling platform and its visualisation tool, \"Campaign Manager\" aims to be the most \"As sampling continues to play a significant role in powerful product sampling platform in the world and getting brand products in the right hands, we've found will enable local brands to get their products into the a partner that has built a powerful technology solution right consumers' hands as well as collecting valuable that will help us unlock the value of our customer data and insight. products.\" Di Wilson, CEO of Integer/Hotspot Integer\\Hotspot SA said synergies influenced its partnership with SoPost. Both companies are The rise of product sampling marks a significant interested in delivering to touchpoints that create opportunity for companies such as Integer\\Hotspot to connections and accelerate transactions. drive revenue while retaining and attracting high-quality customers. Although the use of social media is on the 35 | Vuuqa Lifestyle - www.vuuqa.com rise, it comes with challenges such as sampling to the right consumers and measuring returns on investment.

IN THE NEWS \"As a trusted partner to the world's largest global brands, we have a unique vantage point from which to identify and provide the most advanced solutions for our clients. \"This platform removes the limitations associated with traditional forms of sampling and makes the process easier and more efficient. We help our clients drive sales and deliver a high return on investment whilst also capturing valuable data and analytics.\" Di Wilson SoPost's proprietary sampling platform neatly combines the world of free samples, social media advocacy, publicity, customer acquisition and loyalty in a straightforward process. The platform also offers many advantages, such as using social media to reach customers and then provide feedback on the items to the clients. It also collects location, age and gender insights from those who ordered a sample, along with detailed feedback on whether they'd recommend it, what ratings they'd give and whether they're likely to purchase it. The pandemic has changed the rules of product trials. It will result in an evolution of consumer behaviours and attitudes, which in turn will force the health and beauty industry to adapt. \"At Integer\\Hotspot, it's our mission to stay at the Di Wilson - CEO of Integer/Hotspot forefront of change and lead the way for brands to enable their customers to interact with their products. matrixgroup.co.za integerhotspot.co.za Hence our partnership with SoPost to upend sampling of products in South Africa post-COVID-19 pandemic,\" For more information or to use the platform for your next Explains Di Wilson. campaign, please contact Di Wilson on 083 676 1822 or email [email protected]. The SoPost platform enables intelligent sampling for both high-end and low-end Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) products. The platform is overcoming challenges of copycats by ensuring that it keeps ahead of them through new sampling solutions that make them better at what they do. It ensures that SoPost remains the most compelling product sampling platform in the world. \"Finally, we are excited to bring a sampling product that harnesses data to help brands measure the precise impact of each campaign,\" Di Wilson 36 | Vuuqa Lifestyle - www.vuuqa.com

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