Cape Town - Entrepreneur Isaac Mpofu, who has been renting out chairs for people queuing outside the Department of Home Affairs offices for R5 each, says he is inundated with calls from people asking him to expand to other parts of Cape Town.
The 26-year-old rents out chairs to people queuing outside the Department of Home Affairs offices in the City centre and Bellville – a business venture he started at the beginning of the pandemic, after his own experience at the Department.
“I went to the Home Affairs in Bellville to upgrade my ID two years ago and I queued the whole day and could not believe that after queuing for hours I could not be assisted. I had to come back the next day and queue for more hours again. After this experience I thought of the elderly and the disabled who have to do the same thing and that is how this business idea came about. I thought it was a great business venture that will benefit those people,” he said.
"I had just completed my degree wish l proudly obtained at UWC, with the outstanding fees, l thought I could earn something and start paying those off. Also from an entrepreneurship standpoint it made a tremendous sense at the time. With our high unemployment rates, l couldn't fold my arms and only wait on the expected responses from my applications, so I did my research and executed without hesitation.”
He charges R5 per chair for two hours and R10 for the whole day. The elderly, and the disabled as well as pregnant women rent out the chairs, free of charge.
“Things are going well so far but the days are not the same. Some are busier than others. I come here from Monday to Friday every week and I currently have two people working with me. Some people don’t understand what I am doing, they think these are government chairs. I also read a post on social media that said I am happy when people are queuing because I can rent out my chairs more. That is not the case, I am renting out the chairs because I see the desperate need from people. But some do understand the entrepreneurial side of what I am doing and how it helps people,“ he said.
Mpofu said he was looking at responding to the calls of people who want him to expand the business.
“The queuing is just terrible here. Some people start queuing from 4am in the morning. People are very frustrated with this situation. People have asked me to expand and I am thinking about that possibility. I love small businesses that people wouldn’t care to start; I am innovative in that sense and I also love reaching out and helping people,” he said.
Home Affairs spokesperson, Siya Qoza said they have been made aware of Mpofu’s business venture.
“The department is aware of the people renting out chairs outside the offices in the City of Cape Town and in Bellville. That activity is taking place in an area that is not under the control of the department. As such, the department has requested the City of Cape Town to verify if these traders are authorised by the City to do what they are doing,” he said.
“The Minister is concerned about the plight of people who have to stand in queues in Home Affairs offices. Earlier this year, he instructed the Department to purchase chairs to be used by people who are visiting our offices. The company that was awarded the contract, delivered sub-standard chairs. These sub-standard chairs were different to the sample the company had provided. Because of this, the Department cancelled the contract and started looking for a new service provider,” said Qoza.
The new service provider is expected to distribute the first batch of these chairs from Monday.
Cape Times