South Africa - Business creation project

Describe your project or startup in a few words

Bulk sale of basic grocery items

01.01 Describe your project in more detail

The go big or go home project is a project which is aimed at reducing the cost of basic grocery items like Rice, Cooking Oil, Maize Meal and Sugar for low income households. This eliminates costs such as packaging costs and packaging material costs. This will be achieved by consumers using containers such as re-usable buckets and bottles to purchase the products which are sold at a bulk scale. The consumer will therefore save on packaging material and will be able to use re-useable packaging material in turn saving money and saving waste in the form of product packaging material.

01.02 What is the main problem you are trying to solve?

There are 2 problems in which the project is aimed at solving, firstly the high cost of basic household groceries and secondly the waste generation of packaging material.

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your project intends to provide (at least 3).

The major benefit which the project intends to provide is that poor households will be able to afford the basic grocery items at low and affordable prices therefore addressing the economic challenges and poverty facing the country.

01.04 Please describe who exactly your project is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

The target beneficiaries are people of Estcourt area in Kwa-Zulu Natal

01.05 When did you start working on your project?

2025-01-01

01.06 How many other partners are associated with your business venture?

1

01.07 Among the other partners, how many are female?

1

01.08 Please describe the profile of each of the other partners (skills, experience, etc.)

Yonela Gwanya-Mchunu: holds a BSc Bicohemistry & Chemistry Degree and BSc Biochemistry (Hons) Degree. Has 7 years experience in the food manufacturing industry as a Quality Control and Quality Assurance professional. Philani Mchunu: holds a BCom Logistics Degree. Has 7 years experience in the food manufacturing industry as a Supply Chain, Production and Demand Planning professional.

01.09 If you have a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin…), or app, please provide the link here:

01.10 Which industry best describes your project?

d) Primary commodities (food, drink, household and personal products)

02.01.01 My project contributes to the No poverty goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification

The project is aimed at reducing poverty for low income households by providing basic grocery items at low prices through bulk sale in reusable packaging material.

02.02.01 My project contributes to the Zero hunger goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification

The project is aimed at zero hunger as poor communities will be able to access basic grocery items at low prices and therefore improve nutrition in poor households as poor households will be able to receive their nutritional needs. The project will also support the agricultural sector in the form of purchasing some of the items required to be sold from farmers

02.03.01 My project contributes to the Good health and well-being goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification

The project is aimed at good health as poor communities will be able to access basic grocery items at low prices and therefore improve nutrition in poor households as poor households will be able to receive their nutritional needs.

02.04.01 My project contributes to the Quality education goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification

02.05.01 My project contributes to the Gender equality goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification

The co-founder of the project is a female who also aims in future to empower young women to establish their own businesses

02.06.01 My project contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification

02.07.01 My project contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification

02.08.01 My project contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

7 - Strongly Agree

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification

The project is aimed at creating employment in the surrounding community

02.09.01 My project contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

4

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification

02.10.01 My project contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification

The project is aimed at selling affordable basic grocery items to reduce the inequality gap in affording grocery at low prices

02.11.01 My project contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification

The project aims at selling basic grocery items in recyclable containers in turn reducing the packaging material waste in the community

02.12.01 My project contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

4

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification

02.13.01 My project contributes to the Climate action goal

4

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification

02.14.01 My project contributes to the Life below water goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification

02.15.01 My project contributes to the Life on land goal

4

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification

02.16.01 My project contributes to the Peace justice and strong institutions goal

4

02.16.02 Peace justice and strong institutions - Justification

02.17.01 My project contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

4

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification

05.01 There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating.

4

05.02 The product/service we envision creating represents an entirely new type of product/service.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.03 The product/service we envision creating could be described as a new technology.

4

05.04 The product/service we envision creating is an improvement on an existing product or service.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.05 The product/service we envision creating could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.06 The product/service we envision creating responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/services.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.07 The product/service we envision creating is a new version of an old product/service.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.08 Justification

At the present moment, basic grocery items are not sold in re-usable containers rather disposable containers.

05.09 Who are your main potential competitors and what makes you stand out from them?

Main potential competitors are supermarkets, hypermarkets and spaza shops and what sets apart from them is that they sell grocery items at inflated prices due to consideration of packaging costs and packaging material costs.

10.06 Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs?

No