Delivery ka Speed, a young man's solution to big delivery brands pulling out of the township

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade or so they say. In the case of this Pretoria businessman, his lemonade was the creation of a food delivery system that flourishes when Eskom goes dark. 

Owner and founder of Delivery ka Speed Godiragetse Mogajane has been in business for just over a year. And he's learnt a few lessons. 

They include the fact that people will support you, if you are consistent and that South Africans want their meals piping hot, even during loadshedding.

Delivery services such as Uber Eats and Mr D have stopped operating in some areas, reportedly because of high crime rates, and this is where Godiragetse saw a gap. 

On his Delivery Ka Speed app, he's got a number of restaurants that stay open during loadshedding in townships around Pretoria – including Hammanskraal, Mamelodi, Atteridgeville and Soshanguve – that have started to depend on his services. 

“There are more merchants on our app that have generators,” he tells Drum.

Since loadshedding is here to stay, the 25-year-old Godiragetse says his business is making the best that it can with the circumstances. 

Currently, the delivery service is only available in certain townships in Pretoria as well as Tsakane, Katlehong and Vosloorus.

He tells us that it was important to have a name that resonates with the people it serves and because of that, “We haven’t had any issues [of crime] because the brand speaks to the people, they take pride in it.”

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Because they understand that Covid-19 lockdowns were tough and South Africans went through a lot, each delivery is accompanied by an inspirational quote or affirming note.

“You are currently living at least one of the prayers you used to pray” and “Just because they’re in your circle, doesn’t mean they’re in your corner” are just some of the messages received by Delivery ka Speed customers.

He's very intentional about his brand. From how he treats his riders to his customers, everyone gets the same respect. 

He tells Drum he consults his riders before making any decisions that will affect them. 

And his dream is that after a few months working with him, his riders will own the e-bikes they are using to make deliveries. 

Delivery ka Speed riders ready to tackle the work.

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Godiragetse is the last born of three kids raised by a single mother. He's always been thinking about the next business, from the time he was selling sweets at school. He proudly says he wakes up every day to work for his riders and not the other way around.

“It’s literally God using me to have an impact on the young people that we work with. We’re building this business to change lives,” he says. 

He's doing so well that he recently won an award a month before the business turned one. 

“For me, [winning the award for best services brand at the Top 16 youth-owned brands award ceremony] was validation that we’re on the right track. When we started, I had a lot of question marks: Is it going to work?”

And it seems to be. 

Getting this validation was crucial, especially as someone who's battled mental health problems and a lot of uncertainty.  Godiragetse says he was grateful for the recognition and doesn’t even remember how he walked to the stage to deliver his speech as he was emotional.

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As an aspiring businessman, he had one goal in life. But Delivery ka Speed has changed him and given him a new focus. 

“I used to want to be rich but with Delivery ka Speed, I realised that there is so much more that you can live for. After Delivery ka Speed, I really found my purpose and once that happened, my whole mindset really changed. How I do business isn’t always about the numbers and percentages but the impact [I have on the youth].”

Godiragetse Mogajane receives a top services brand award

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He wants to impact even more young people in townships around the country. 

“Fast food delivery is only the beginning,” he says ecstatically.