Informal traders from Khayelitsha and surrounds were recently taught how they can use technology to improve their businesses.
The workshop was facilitated by Successful Journals, Ahlume Digital, The Khayelitsha Bandwidth Barn and the Cape Innovation Technology Initiative (CITI).
More than 35 informal traders were present on the first day, and about 40 on the second day of the two day workshop. Most of them were elderly women and a few elderly men who have as many as 25 years of experience of working for themselves.
Among the workshop participants were vendors who sell meat, vetkoek, construction material, clothing, and fruit and veg; as well as those who transport children to school and bake cakes for events.
While informal, their work has enabled them to put their children through school and university and even start their own businesses.
During the workshop the traders highlighted advertising, marketing, weather conditions and crime as some of the challenges they faced.
To address some of these, they were introduced to tools such as Canva for graphic design; and Yoco and Hubspot for sales and marketing.
By using something like Yoco, the participants were told, their clients could pay by card and it limited the amount of cash they had to carry on them, thereby reducing their risk of being robbed.
According to Stats SA, South Africa’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is R1 131 billion in the second quarter of 2021, with the township economy contributing close to 2% of growth in the economy of South Africa. Transport and communication, tourism, food and entertainment are leading contributors to growth in Khayelitsha.
