The post-Covid gig economy can be a cold, hard place with its no-frills, no-cushions, no-warnings approach.
It is a landscape where being small, moving fast and talking less can mean the difference between surviving and, put baldly, not.
So when you find a friend, and your business and that friend's business just keep boosting each other, you should hold on tight.
Sisa Mbangxa, the passionate voice of SA's informal car repair world since 2009, says the explosion of buzzbikes on SA roads since the Covid lockdowns kickstarted home deliveries has taken his sector to the next level.
Today there are an estimated 50,000 delivery bikes on South African roads, and the number is set to more than double in the next three years as people get used to shopping online.
With over 2,000 affiliates of his African Panel Beaters and Motor Mechanics Association (APBMMA) operating from backyards, containers, garages, pavements — and in some cases, even on streets — Mbanga's dream has always been to see these micro enterprises thriving.
And now, "our members are the ‘go to’ people for the flourishing scooter delivery sector,” he said.
No rev, no rand
"It’s part of the new gig economy, where few riders have permanent jobs but, at R30 per order, as long as they stay focused and keep moving, they can make enough to get by — about R14,000 a month.
Bikes cannot spend more time getting repaired than absolutely necessary, because a garaged bike doesn’t earn.
APBMMA members get them in and out in record time, with a service costing between R2,500 and R6,000.
“It’s a great business to be in and we have the corner because of service, price and speed.”
Deliveries are in high demand. With online shopping, and meal and grocery delivery services becoming increasingly popular, there is a lot of room for delivery companies to make money.
The advantage of running a scooter delivery business is that scooters cost a lot less to purchase and maintain, said Mabangxa.
“However, we must focus on contributing to skills development, employment creation and poverty eradication.
"We pride ourselves on being a united and fully representative organisation that can assist in building a vibrant economy, while heeding the call for transformation through supporting small and micro enterprises.
“The more we build capacity through skills development and training, the more our members can function optimally and be self-sufficient.
"This translates to helping with access to resources like finance, information and infrastructure. We aim to establish and strengthen stakeholder relations through promoting the integrity of the sector."
Tweaking strings
A main focus for him is monitoring performance of the sector, evaluating its impact, then identifying service gaps and filling them.
Aside from the hard skills, which are enhanced by a non-stop focus on training, many of the soft skills need ongoing mentorship.
He's had well over a decade to keep tweaking both kinds, and both in himself and his growing family of proteges.
In Nov 2014, he decided to lodge a complaint with the SA Competition Commission for consumers to be afforded their constitutional right to service, maintain and repair vehicles at workshops of their choice without losing the manufacturers’ warranty.
“In 2017 the commission ruled in our favour and the process of developing a voluntary code of conduct ensued.
"The APBMMA was on the steering committee that developed that Code of Conduct."
Enforceable guidelines, published in December 2020, came into effect in July 2021, and updated amendments in September last year.
“Our job is to ensure vehicle owners are confident of their choice of artisans, and equally, that entrepreneurs are empowered and ready to work on warranty vehicles.
"We won't rest until the industry benefits everyone and the playing fields are level.”
How does he feel he is he doing?
"I'm winning," he said.
"But it's been a long battle, and it's far from over."
Daily Dispatch
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