Young people in Langa Township, in Cape Town, are putting their free time to good use and earning a little bit of money.
The 13 youngsters are helping the elderly by collecting and delivering their goods. The service allows customers to enlist their help via phone. The group of youngsters are using bicycles for the delivery of their service.
The concept was hatched in 2019, with many using their savings to buy their gear. By the time the country went on lockdown, the service was up and running and is now gaining further traction.
22- year-old UWC law student, Colin Mkosi, says the idea was born from a need in the community and innovative thinking.
“Cloudy deliveries has helped a lot of old people, people who take some time to go to shops so we catered for those people, and in Black townships with all the poverty some pocket money, which is something that’s big. We have helped these boys to be able to get some pocket money to do some stuff which they need to do so it has helped us in that way.”
When most of their own second-hand bicycles were damaged, a local businessman stepped in and brought them new ones.
Most of the youngsters are high school learners, who say they will continue doing their rounds after school and on weekends when they are back in class.
“When we started in my side, I was proud because this business I thought, it will keep me out of bad things and I try most of the time, I’m at work,” says Iviwe Ntshewula.
Members of the community have lauded the group’s efforts and say they are trustworthy young people with hearts in the right place.
“This is a very good thing and they are useful because they just give you their numbers and another thing, these kids when they come back they bring your groceries and you pay them, and I love these kids,” says one of their customers, Nontuthuzelo Mchunu.
For a nominal fee of R9 per delivery, the service is a win-win for all.
“These guys they help us a lot, because mostly the old people if you can’t go to the shop you phone them, they have a cell number on their bicycles and if you phone them, they come quickly and they will buy anything you want,” says another happy customer, Patrick Maji.
