Solving Food Insecurity in South African Townships
A Social Enterprise Built on Dignity, Not Profit Extraction
Food insecurity has reached its highest point in more than a decade, with South Africa's food security score dropping sharply from 64.9 in 2019 to 45.3 in 2023.
Children in the poorest households are going hungry
South Africans fail to meet minimum daily energy requirements (up from 1.8M in 2001)
Of South African households are food insecure (1 in 5)
Female-headed households in rural areas face hunger (vs 12.5% for male-headed)
It's not lack of food - it's a CASH FLOW PROBLEM.
Simple: Families pre-purchase bread once per month when they have money (payday), then collect daily from local spaza shops using a QR code. No cash needed daily.
Buy when you have money, eat all month
No begging, no debt, no shame
Forces budgeting at month-start
Spaza shops get upfront payment
Better forecasting = less spoilage
Our mission: Ensure every township family can afford daily bread with dignity.
Bread costs: R20.00 PrePurchase fee: R0.20 (1% - almost invisible) Total paid: R20.20
Why only 1%?
Monthly revenue: R10,000 Platform fee: R100 (1%) Settlement: R9,900 (paid weekly/bi-weekly)
Why shops win:
Total Core Revenue: R9,800/month = R117,600/year
This is intentionally low - we're solving problems, not extracting profit.
The Opportunity:
Revenue Model:
Featured product placement: R10,000/month per brand Consumer insights reports: R25,000/quarter Promotional campaigns: R15,000 per campaign
Example:
Why Brands Pay:
The Opportunity:
Our Solution:
Revenue Model:
Government contract: 0.5% of disbursed funds 10,000 beneficiaries × R350/month = R3.5M Platform fee: 0.5% = R17,500/month NGO partnerships: R25,000 setup + R10,000/month management
Impact Proof:
3A. Savings Circles (Stokvels)
11.4 million South Africans participate in stokvels worth R50 billion annually.
Our Approach:
Revenue:
Social Impact:
3B. Micro-Insurance (Partnered, Not Owned)
The Problem:
Our Solution (Partnership Model):
Revenue:
Why It's Ethical:
3C. Emergency Bread Credit (VERY Limited)
The Problem:
Our Solution (Strict Limits):
Maximum loan: R100 (enough for 5 breads) Duration: 7 days maximum Fee: R5 (5% - covers admin only) Repayment: Automatic from next month's purchase Default protection: Only 1 loan at a time
Why It's Responsible:
Revenue:
Residents: 1,000 Shops: 50 Monthly Revenue: - Transaction fees (1%): R4,800 - Shop fees (1%): R5,000 - Brand partnerships: R30,000 Total Monthly: R39,800 Annual Revenue: R477,600 Operating Costs: R300,000 (tech, staff, operations) Net Profit: R177,600 Social Impact: 1,000 families with food security
Residents: 5,000 Shops: 200 Monthly Revenue: - Transaction fees: R24,000 - Shop fees: R20,000 - Brand partnerships: R75,000 - Government pilot: R17,500 - Stokvels/Insurance: R7,500 Total Monthly: R144,000 Annual Revenue: R1,728,000 Operating Costs: R900,000 Net Profit: R828,000 Social Impact: 5,000 families fed
Residents: 25,000 Shops: 1,000 Annual Revenue: R8,640,000 Operating Costs: R4,500,000 Net Profit: R4,140,000 Social Impact: 25,000 families (100,000+ people)
Residents: 100,000 Annual Revenue: R35M+ Net Profit: R18M+ Social Impact: 100,000 families (400,000+ people)
| Year | Residents | Shops | Annual Revenue | Net Profit | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 1,000 | 50 | R477,600 | R177,600 | 37% |
| Year 2 | 5,000 | 200 | R1,728,000 | R828,000 | 48% |
| Year 3 | 25,000 | 1,000 | R8,640,000 | R4,140,000 | 48% |
| Year 4 | 50,000 | 2,000 | R17,280,000 | R9,072,000 | 53% |
| Year 5 | 100,000 | 4,000 | R35,000,000 | R18,000,000 | 51% |
Impact investments are estimated at $1.571 trillion in assets under management globally as of October 2024, reflecting a 21% compound annual growth rate since 2019.
Impact investors in South Africa are increasingly focused on ventures that address the country's underlying structural deficits and wicked problems.
PrePurchase checks ALL the boxes:
Impact investors are primarily focused on financial competitiveness and return on their investment, but also want measurable social impact.
We deliver BOTH:
Returns for Investors:
Network Effects:
Switching Costs:
Data Advantage:
South Africa:
Africa Expansion:
Food Security Metrics:
Economic Impact:
Financial Inclusion:
families served
people fed daily
spaza shops supported
kept in township economy
families missed meals due to cash flow
average customer rating
Location: Langa, Khayelitsha, Gugulethu (Cape Town)
Approach:
Success Metrics:
Locations: All Cape Town townships + Soweto (Johannesburg)
Approach:
Target:
Locations: All major metros
Approach:
Target:
Technology Development: R600,000 (30%) - Platform build - QR code system - Mobile apps - Testing Operations: R500,000 (25%) - Staff (5 people) - Office space - Support systems Marketing: R400,000 (20%) - Community outreach - Shop recruitment - Brand building Working Capital: R300,000 (15%) - Initial settlements to shops - Buffer for growth Legal/Compliance: R200,000 (10%) - Licenses - Contracts - Insurance
Equity offered: 20% Valuation: R10M (pre-money) Expected exit: Year 5-7 Exit valuation: R100M - R200M Investor return: R20M - R40M (10-20×) IRR: 60-80%
We're seeking R2 Million in seed funding to:
In return, you get:
Plus the satisfaction of knowing:
For Interested Investors:
PrePurchase is not a charity.
We're not asking for donations. We're not begging for handouts.
We're building a REAL business that solves REAL problems for REAL people.
We'll make money - but we'll make it ethically, sustainably, and transparently.
Impact investing prioritizes both financial returns and positive social or environmental outcomes, and that's exactly what we deliver.
Our 1% fee model proves that you don't have to exploit poor people to build a profitable company.
You can do well by doing good.
The question for investors:
Do you want to fund another app that makes rich people richer?
Or do you want to fund a platform that feeds 100,000 families while generating 60%+ IRR?
The townships are waiting.
The families are ready.
The technology exists.
All we need is capital to start.
Let's build this together.
Contact Us to InvestFounding Team:
Investment Deck: Available on request
Pilot Data: Available after 3-month pilot
References: Community leaders, early shop partners