• Sonwabo Mkosi (27) founded Cloudy Deliveries in Langa, providing affordable grocery transport services to the community using bicycles and electric bikes.
• Mkosi’s business, started in 2020, has grown to 15 bicycles, 21 employees, and partnerships with local stakeholders, offering shopping and delivery services for R20-R60.
• Cloudy Deliveries recently won the DHL GIBS Route to Market Challenge 2024, providing Mkosi with expert guidance and potential business opportunities.

Good things come with small packages, which is evident in Sonwabo Mkosi the founder of Cloudy Deliveries in Langa.

Mkosi (27) owns a delivery service business where he assists the community to carry their groceries home. He started the business in 2020 after picking up a gap in the industry.

“I noticed that most people struggled with transport when they returned from shopping because there was no Uber or Bolt to transport them.

Founder of Cloudy Deliveries Sonwabo Mkosi (wearing maroon t-shirt) together with some of his employees Ntando Gqoboka (left) and Tshepang Smous (right).

“I organised young people in the vicinity to assist me,” he said, adding that he started with seven second-hand bicycles that he bought from various people.

Mkosi said initially it wasn’t easy as the community was not familiar with his business. He said he had to familiarise and build relationships with them so that they could trust him. He stated that they are also delivering in the neighbourhood areas.

“People are calling us or WhatsApp us to go and fetch them from any supermarket, restaurants and other stores in Langa. We also do the shopping for them, whereby someone calls us to his or her house and asks us to do the shopping for her. She or he gives us money and a list of the items she or he wants us to buy. We are doing that for only R20 and charge R25 to deliver in all informal settlements. But if someone wants us to deliver in Pinelands, Epping, Maitland and Vanguard, we charge R60,” he said, adding that they only deliver in those neighbouring areas.

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He said his business has gradually grown as he has 15 bicycles with 21 employees including the mechanics. He said they also have five electrical bicycles.

Mkosi works closer with other local community stakeholders for their safety and recently won the DHL Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) Route to Market Challenge 2024. He is one of the businesses that received guidance from GIBS experts on positioning their business for growth and pitching to funders and partners.

“The competition means a lot to me because it gave me an opportunity to rub shoulders with other businesses who are in the logistics industry. As a winner I have chances to forge business with DHL to assist my business to grow,” said Mkosi.