Just like clouds take over the sky bearing the gift of rain, bicycles are taking over Langa bearing the gift of a much-needed delivery system, for a small fee of between R15 and R50 with each trip.
Like many townships located around the outskirts of Cape Town, the residents of Langa often find themselves outside the radar of major delivery service companies like UberEats and Mr D. This is often due to issues of informal address systems and crime.
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Another prevalent issue within the community is the poor rate of youth unemployment.
In February 2020, young entrepreneur Colin Mkosi decided to address these issues. And thus, Cloudy Deliveries emerged.
The homegrown delivery service consists of up to 15 local riders, mostly between the ages of 16 and 19, who understand the “ins and out” of their community’s infrastructure. A modest container serves as the company’s headquarters from which orders are placed, riders are dispatched, and bicycles are repaired and maintained.
Customers are able to place an order by calling headquarters or sending a WhatsApp message. A delivery rider is then sent out to the given address where a list of the goods to be collected is received along with the money required for the order.
Orders range from spaza shop grocery requests and restaurant takeaways to collecting laundry and other goods from home-based businesses.
To date, approximately more than 6000 orders have been delivered in Langa by bicycle.
While speaking to Business Insider SA, Mkosi expressed his hope that Cloudy Deliveries will aid young people in creating a form of income and lead to the overall growth of his community.
“Langa is really close to my heart, and I’d love to see this community grow. The challenges that we have here in Langa are also common in other townships as well, which is [mainly] unemployment within the youth.
There are so many young people who are unemployed and so many who are unable to generate an income for themselves and be able to sustain themselves.
So, as Cloudy Deliveries, that is one of the things we look to address, to employ young people and allow them to sustain themselves.”
This heartfelt desire for growth and employment alongside his admirable entrepreneurship has not gone unnoticed.
In 2021, Cloudy Deliveries took first place in the City’s Youth Start-Up Entrepreneurial Challenge. Business Insider SA reported that he was recently deemed one of South Africa’s 29 most inspiring social innovators by the SAB Foundation’s Social Innovation Awards.
Cloudy Deliveries was given a development award of R400 000 which Mkosi is using to improve the company’s bicycles and technology.
He also explained that once the company becomes well established, Cloudy Deliveries aims to expand to different communities and beyond.
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Picture: Cloudy Deliveries / Facebook
