Godiragetse Mogajane makes a difference in people’s lives one business at a time. 26-year-old Godiragetse (Godi), who hails from Hammanskraal in Pretoria, took a keen interest in business from a very young age. “I started selling sweets in primary school, and I was hiring other students to sell on my behalf too. As I grew older, I began to understand that this is what entrepreneurship is, and I loved it.”
Much of his business acumen can be attributed to his love of reading, as well as watching business television, such as Business Day TV and CNBC Africa. “When you come from a township, watching results presentations from companies like Shoprite seemed like a different world.”
The experience of moving from a township environment to a business owner excited Godi, to the point where he dropped out after six months and went into business full-time. He did later go back to university, this time to the University of Witwatersrand, where he is still a BComm student.
In 2019, he was listed as one of Anzisha’s Top 20 very young entrepreneurs, the only one from South Africa. The Anzisha Prize is Africa's biggest three-year Venture Building Fellowship for her youngest entrepreneurs.
Turning township into opportunity
Having come from a township, he is keen to uplift those who live in similar circumstances. Goodie Tutors, which is now eight years old, provides math and science tutoring for kids based in his home township who are in first grade through to their third year at university.
Clearly passionate about social educational development, he also created AskGoodie, a maths and science call centre platform, in conjunction with a small team that he calls Edupreneurs.
Godi is currently busy with his latest venture, an app-based service that delivers food from local vendors, fast-food chains, and retailers to township communities in Gauteng, Limpopo and North West provinces, which he has just expanded into Mpumalanga.
Delivery Ka Speed, which means ‘speedy delivery’ in Sepitori, was started in 2021 with the aim of providing not only convenience to township consumers but also enabling unemployed youth to earn a sustainable income, and eventually own an asset such as a car or scooter by driving for the business.
“I wanted to do something that can help young people in townships get employment,” he says.
The idea came to him during the Covid-19 pandemic, when Godi went back to Hammanskraal to stay with his mom. It became acutely apparent to him that young people were really battling, standing around on the streets with nothing to do and no way to earn money. “There are no opportunities in the townships. There aren’t any jobs in the townships, especially not at an entry level, they're in the big cities.”
He also realised that convenience just does not exist in townships. “Food delivery platforms are simply not available in my area - or any townships.” Godi decided to try to solve these dilemmas in one go with Delivery Ka Speed.
“Everything that is happening in the urban area can be implemented in townships and I see those gaps as business opportunities,” he adds.
Meeting township needs
In just 80 days, Godi set up a WhatsApp chatbot offering food delivery options. He understood that most people living in the target area may not have the luxury of downloading an app.
At the same time, the drivers that Delivery Ka Speed was onboarding couldn’t buy a scooter or a car, says Godi. “We had to be innovative and introduced bicycles and electric scooters. This distinguishes us from Uber Eats and Mr D. We can also navigate the township roads, unlike our counterparts.”
Drivers are able to buy vehicles through Delivery Ka Speed’s relationships with banks. “After a couple of months, they get ownership, which is the sort of empowerment we've always wanted.”
Godi believes that the gig economy (which consists of short-term jobs or freelance work instead of permanent contracts) is a great way to help mitigate some of South Africa’s socio-economic issues. “We're giving young people an opportunity to participate in the country’s economy. You can work when you want to, set your own targets and earn your own money. Young people want that flexibility.”
Drivers also struggle with connectivity in rural areas, which makes it hard for them to get orders and directions, but there isn’t much Godi can do about this yet.
Delivery Ka Speed also donates items such as shoes to school kids in townships, says Godi. “That's our way of asking the community to be part of our movement and to raise awareness for the good we do.”
Godi adds that it’s been an amazing journey so far. “It’s like a hobby for me, which is really fun even though it can sometimes be challenging – it’s all part of the business game.”