BUILDING THE
FUTURE OF THE INFORMAL
ECONOMY TODAY.
HEER
WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?
THE FORMAL ECONOMY IS FAILING A GENERATION
OF YOUNG SOUTH AFRICANS.
34.9%
70%
43.8%
South African Unemployment
(Q3, 2021)
Disposible income estimated to leave informal settlements
South African Youth Unemployment
(Q3, 2021)
It is clear the formal economy is not creating enough jobs. Individuals unable to find employment are often left reliant on the informal economy to survive.This leads them to be further marginalised and excluded from economic opportunity, with a lack of access to markets, capital, formal supply chains and training.
Furthermore, with transactions paid in cash, they have no proof of income, making access to finance to grow their micro-enterprises impossible.
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WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT IT?
THE POTENT AL
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WE UNL CK
OF THE INFORMAL
ECONOMY AND
ITS EN REPRENUERS
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(LIKE ZIMKI HA).
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We have achieved this by building South Africa’s first online marketplace to exclusively serves informal settlements. We stimulate local trade in informal areas by building trust, capacity, and connections, to create new livelihoods opportunity where it is needed most.
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But we are more than just a marketplace...
WHAT DO WE OFFER INFORMAL BUSINESS OWNERS (PARTNERS)?
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NEW
CUSTOMERS
TRAINING
CAPACITY & TRUST
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ACCESS TO FORMAL SUPPLY CHAINS
CONNECTIONS
Partners can fulfill orders by accessing with formal supply chains through WOM, that are not available in informal areas.
Partners can attend training so they grow with their businesses.
CONNECTIONS
Our marketplace organises local markets to connect Partners with customers who previously couldn't find or trust them.
LOGISTICS AND PAYMENT
CONNECTIONS
Our network of drivers, pick-up and drop off Partners and products safely with customers.
WOM PARTNER
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THE TECH BEHIND THE IMPACT
Our digital platform is highly scalable ensuring WOM's solution could not just affect the lives of South African's but
micro-enterprises across the continent.
FEATURES:
Instant quote
No credit card required
Zero space requirement
On-demand services
Delivery tracking
Partner reviews
Skill verification
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WHATSAPP BOT
PROGRESIVE
WEB APP (PWA)*
*BETA
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Loyalty rewards
SCALE
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WHAT SETS US APART?
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OUR
APPROACH
Other organisations have focused on connecting informal actors with formal income opportunities (markets and jobs). We are different because we create local income opportunities and build local capacity in the informal areas.
WOM’s directors have over 40 years’ experience developing and scaling products for low-income groups across Africa. While WOM's hiring strategy has focused on individuals from the locations we serve, providing local ownership, connections, partnerships, and product insights.
WOM collects highly sought after data on the informal economy. This data can help inform the development of WOM’s training packages, drive policy change, and further support financial inclusion for everyone.
The platform's growth also creates additional income opportunities for other informal actors (beyond our Partners). The platform is run using local drivers, and local sales agents who understand the informal areas intimately.
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OUR TEAM
OUR DATA
OUR LAYERS
OF IMPACT
OUR IMPACT
> 30,000
Requests
> 250 WOM Partners Supported
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>200K
USD in
additional income
9 Out of 10 Customers would recommend us
to a friend
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WE DON'T WANT THE IMPACT TO STOP...
We love what we do, and we don't want the impact to stop, that's why sustainability
has been central to our mission.
The platform currently recovers over 20% of its total costs each month, through revenue generated through the platform's sales, and is projected to fully recover its costs in the next five years.*
*Even sooner if we scale faster.
JOIN THE PARTNERS...
WHO HAVE HELPED US BUILD THE FUTURE OF THE INFORMAL ECONOMY.
