Given the important role that township economies play in uplifting communities and the national economy, the Grand-PA brand commits itself to empowering the success of spaza shop owners for the last decade.

So successful has the Grand-PA Spaza Academy been that the brand has now opened the programme to a broader variety of business owners across Gauteng including car washes, hair salons, internet cafes, resellers, and more.

“These small businesses and entrepreneurs are the cornerstone of the South African economy, and as such the Grand-PA Academy is on a mission to help them refine their skills and knowledge”, according to Grand-PA Brand Manager, Kanyisa Qhutywa. “This way, they’re upskilled and empowered to run profitable and sustainable businesses – and subsequently uplift themselves, their businesses, and their communities.”

Having empowered over 1400 Gauteng-based spaza shop owners since its inception in 2013, with some participants winning as much as R15 000 in business development grants, the Grand-PA Spaza Academy has four objectives for small business owners:

To give them the tools to bring innovation into their competitive business environment,

To help them build an ethos that encourages them to be financially sustainable

To enable owners with the ability to brand, market and pitch their business effectively to customers and funders

To make business management for spaza owners practical and manageable

“We are excited to see how our impact can grow as we target even more township-based small business owners. From the spaza shops to the hair salons, from the cafés to the car washes, these small business owners need all the support they can get,” says Qhutywa.

Owners like Morris Mascheke of Unclemo Trading, who took the Spaza Academy’s first prize of R15 000 cash into his business. “I started my business in 2016, that same year I lost my job due to liquidation and needed a plan B as soon as possible. I had to look after my wife and kids. Starting this business was the only option and it was the best decision I ever made,” says Mascheke.

For Morris, every day is an opportunity to put what he learned from the Grand-PA Spaza Academy into practice. “We track every expense and take note of everything that takes place in the process of logistics. We have even earned enough to purchase a 9-seater Toyota Condor to start a school transport business on the side.”

For Qhutywa, this is what the Grand-PA Spaza Academy is all about. “We give people the tools they need to become confident business owners. As they build and grow their spaza businesses, they get the confidence to venture further and start growing their empire and extending their reach.”

Having opened opportunities to a broader variety of small business owners, Qhutywa is confident that the Grand-PA Spaza Academy will continue to play a critically important role, in helping unlock growth, inclusion and long-term social stability in the townships.

If you want to know more or are keen to join in and become your community’ kasi-stering, WhatsApp 076 666 3173 to get more information.