Township mechanics in South Africa join together to turbocharge their small businesses

Independent car mechanics in South Africa’s townships have long faced challenges accessing spare parts due to the buying power of large urban car repair chains. But now, a cooperative is bringing township mechanics together to give them a fairer slice of the pie, providing speedy access to quality parts, as well as business support and development. The Motor Spares Collective allows them to have combined purchasing power and place orders online. That avoids what some mechanics say is their biggest challenge: spending hours away from their garages queuing for parts. The online orders are placed with a spares shop through WhatsApp, with authentic parts delivered within 24 hours. Sharief Bartus, a mechanic in the township of Brakpan, is a board member of the Motor Spares Collective. “Time is a big thing for a local mechanic. We lose time for 3-4 hours at a spares shop, where the cars could have been worked on. So if we can bring the spares to you, you can be productive,” he says. The Motor Spares Collective—which launched at the end of last year—is an initiative designed to unlock the potential of small township businesses in South Africa in the hopes of driving growth and creating jobs in areas where unemployment and poverty are high. For a $10 monthly membership fee for the first year, members of the Motor Spares Collective get more than just access to car parts and tools for their garages. The collective also offers skills development opportunities, help with business registration and financing. The collective is also looking to offer life insurance packages and other social safety net services for its mechanics. “In our communities, if somebody is skilled with their hands, which is what a mechanic is, when they pass away, you find that then the family moves into poverty. There’s no life cover. Why? Because life cover wants a… they want a pay slip from you,” says Amanda Gcabashe, a managing director of UBU Investment Holdings that helped set up the cooperative. This article was provided by The Associated Press.