The Inspirers: Mobile App enhances S. Africa's township businesses

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To South Africa now where an agency is helping to come up with creative concepts to assist local businesses. It's developed a game-changing Mobile Application, which taps into the collective buying power of township tuck shop owners, to improve profit margins. CGTN's Yolisa Njamela has more.

I am Emerge is the brainchild of Brian Bonang Makwaiba and Oscar Monama.

Makwaiba dropped out of medical studies when his Spaza owner father couldn't pay fees.

They then started "I Am Emerge" app based business which buys stock in bulk for Spaza owners so they can sell for less.

The business now buys stock for thousands of spazas in the Gauteng province.

BRIAN BONANG MAKWAIBA CO-FOUNDER, I AM EMERGE "We help to grow these businesses in a number of ways. Firstly, we buy on their behalf. Through our Vuleka app, they make orders of goods that they sell. We aggregate and make a bulk purchase from the manufacturers. The team gets into our warehouse, we take it from the warehouse and distribute and deliver to them. We save them time; we save them money."

I am Emerge gives suppliers or manufacturers of goods a platform to access the township market and the businesses that sell their products.

The co-founders attest that this township market has been a difficult terrain to penetrate.

OSCAR MONAMA CO-FOUNDER, I AM EMERGE "First of all, we had to dispel the whole trust issue. There's been a lot of people that come to townships and do projects and some of them its brands that do hit and runs."

MIKE MABUSELA YOUTH MARKETER'S MANAGER "We give them free delivery which most of them hardly get. That's mostly our selling point and also selling products with expiry date."

I am Emerge has been able to close some gaps. Through this project, they've also managed to create employment in the townships.

TSHEPO MOLEPO YOUTH MARKETER "This has been great for me. Helped me get employment. I was mostly just loading around before. Now I and have business skills."

YOLISA NJAMELA JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA "According to a Nielsen report, Spaza Shops do business that is worth billions of rand and are the backbone of township economy, but they face relentless challenges."

They lack access to credit, are often vulnerable to crime and cannot compete on price with the big retailers unless they cut their margins to the limit.

BRIAN BONANG MAKWAIBA CO-FOUNDER, I AM EMERGE "Apart from the fact that there are no jobs, the businesses are failing. For us to tackle both areas, we work with the township based businesses as well as youth marketers on the ground."

I am Emerge also provides entrepreneurial training to the township based businesses to help them make a profit and to become sustainable. Yolisa Njamela, CGTN, Johannesburg, South Africa.