Community Empowerment

Tsakane Youngsters Create Own Employment through Courier Services

Thuma Mina Express Service is a youth driven courier service company that operates in Tsakani and surrounding areas.

 As the name suggests (Send Me), the company thrives by delivering goods such as groceries, fast food and other essentials to households and businesses in need of the service at a minimal fee.

“The idea of the service was born when a granny from my neighbourhood used to ask us to go buy groceries for her at the local mall as she was old and unable to stand in the long queues herself,” said Thabang Dlamini from Tsakani, who is a founder of the courier service company.

“We started the service using bicycles to deliver goods to the community. Through patience and a grand vision of where we want to take the business, we have managed to expand our service and obtained resources to conduct the business.

“We have since acquired sponsorship from ABSA which enabled us to purchase seven motor bikes and employ seven young people. For our express service we charge R50 for delivery to customers within Kwa-Thema, Duduza and Tsakani. Customers give us a call with a list of goods they need, we then buy those goods and deliver to their homes with the invoice from the store,” explains Dlamini.

He added that they intend to expand the service to the whole of the City of Ekurhuleni where there is a lack of such a service, but for now they only operate in malls from the three areas.

“The reception of the service from the community has been positive and people are beginning to appreciate the value and convenience that our service brings. It is practically a new service for this community and it might take us time to increase the number of clients to our level of satisfaction.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has posed a huge threat to business. With the ban on the sale of alcohol we have lost a lot of clientele that helped to keep the business afloat,” said Dlamini.

He added that they have approached various pharmaceutical companies as well as the City of Ekurhuleni to grant us permission to courier prescribed medication to patients who are in need of our service” said Dlamini.