While almost everyone felt the pinch due to the national lockdown and subsequent regulations to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, Bulelani Mgaguli’s repair business at J -section, Khayelitsha, was thriving.
This is thanks to a Repair Programme, a joint venture between the Shoprite Group and Taking Care of Business.
The programme trains unemployed men to repair broken, damaged or faulty small electrical appliances, to re-sell for a small profit.
The men also received extensive financial, business and life-skills training, as well as coaching and mentoring.
For Mgaguli, while many were stuck in their houses and in some instances with their broken appliances, it was time for him to market his work via social media platforms such as Facebook.
“My business flourished during the national lockdown because most people were cash-strapped and couldn’t afford new appliances. This opportunity has changed my life,” he said.
“Not only can I continue providing for my family, but I have also discovered my passion. The Covid-19 period ensured that my business expanded and boomed,” said Mgaguli.
He said he was trained on the repair programme where he later was appointed as an ambassador.
The retail giant says since the inception of the programme in 2017, it donated damaged appliances valued at more than R18 million – with more than R4 million being in the last financial year – to the Repair Programme to assist men like Mgaguli.