By: Sizakele Nduli
After running a traditional food eatery business at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, twin brothers Thando and Luthando Adam saw the potential to establish a delivery service for township residents who loved their dishes, but could not access them. Thando Adam, 29, told Vutivi News that due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and financial exclusions, the two had to stop their operations at Xhamela Kitchen, which they founded in 2018.
In January 2022, the twins then established X Bro’s Delivery Services. It delivers to areas including Phoenix, Ntuzuma, Inanda, and KwaMashu. They charge R25, which increases with longer distances. “We procured our first bike through the stipend that my brother was getting from an internship. The other (bikes) followed through on the effort being put in and invested,” Adam told Vutivi News. The brothers both hold undergraduate degrees in Community and Development Studies, which is why they also operate in townships in order to create job opportunities, develop township businesses, and expand their markets.
Adam said they were open to working with small, thriving businesses in the townships “Actually, the small businesses are the main targets since we [are] helping them by expanding their markets,” he said. The delivery service posts advertisements from various businesses, franchises, and local eateries on its social media channels. Customers can select what they want to purchase and place an order through X Bro’s. They prioritise fostering relationships with these establishments to assist them in reaching their customers in remote areas. “As we always say, anything that fits in a box we deliver, like pharmaceutical stuff, groceries, food, alcohol, laundromat and documents,” Adam said.
Today, the business has more than eight young employees and one day wants to operate throughout KwaZulu-Natal. “We also aim to venture into long-distance courier services and end up owning trucks.” While most township locals in the province consume food from established brands, Adam said that it was difficult to form partnerships with these franchises. “We actually wish to partner with those big restaurants. [The] thing is, it’s very difficult for us as a black nation, although we’re trying every day,” he said. “We have been chosen to represent the township businesses in the e-commerce space by the economic development unit under eThekwini Municipality in their last business. One must say that branching to [the] CBD also forms part of our success story,” Adam concluded.
