Samsung South Africa is supporting entrepreneurs by establishing and growing Accredited Service Centres (ASC) in previously under-served communities.
Recently, two new proud owners of Samsung accredited service and repair businesses enthusiastically welcomed customers as they opened for business in under-served South African communities. As part of its R280-million Equity Equivalent Investment Programme (EEIP), Samsung supported the passionate entrepreneurs so that they can now serve consumers who had been disadvantaged previously by having to travel long distances for customer walk-in facilities or experienced longer waiting periods for in-home service due to their geographical location. This increased geographical coverage through these service centres now allows for a better customer experience and service.
Addressing customer needs in meaningful ways
The business model of electronic repairs has changed over the years. Customers want quick service turnaround, a high quality service offering and professional client-interactions, at a price they can afford. Samsung South Africa is uniquely positioned to support small enterprises by establishing and growing Accredited Service Centres (ASC) in such communities. They can now repair and service consumer electronics such as TVs, monitors, refrigerators, washing machines and air conditioners across all brands, as well as Samsung hand-held devices such as smartphones, computers and tablets. Samsung provides the selected entrepreneurs with grant funding to support their operations, including specialist business development support and access to Samsung’s service repair network.
Zaheera Abrahams, an astute finance professional and Aslam Peerbacus, well-known for his leadership skills, are focussing on the untouched SME market to deploy their solutions, while targeting blue chip clientele in parallel, to further their growth trajectory. They currently service the B2B and B2C sector within the Gauteng region, while post-sales services in KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape and Eastern Cape are routed through third-party logistics. They offer clients from the B2B and B2C sector the following services:
•Samsung warranty and non-warranty repairs on mobile phones, tablets, watches audio/visual, PC monitor and major appliances (B2B and B2C);
•Samsung warranty and non-warranty in-home repair service (B2C);
•Warranty and non-warranty repairs on barcode scanners, mobile computers and barcode printers (B2B).
Tshilivhali Tshivhase, a technician by trade and Munashe Ngwenyama, a seasoned business professional, established SUS Repairs in 2016. The business is a small black-owned and managed company that specialises in the repair and maintenance of mobile telecom devices, particularly mobile phones and tablets. Tshilivhali said: “The partnership with Samsung resulted in a newly built repair centre and tools of trade that will contribute to business growth.” The latter will bring them closer to the dream of building a training centre where young people can be trained as technicians.
“We believe that through training, we can positively impact the lives of the youth and impact job creation meaningfully,” added Tshilivhali.
“Entrepreneurship is a key enabler of economic activity and provides opportunities for job creation. This is why it’s rewarding to see how this programme has brought diversification of revenue streams for Umklomelo Electronics and IT Solutions, ultimately leading to business growth and creating employment opportunities for both the youth and the unemployed of South Africa, “said Hlubi Shivanda. Director: Business Innovation Group & Corporate Affairs, Samsung South Africa
Locations throughout South Africa where black women and black male entrepreneurs from the community can be developed and appointed as ASC owners have been identified. Samsung, in partnership with the DTIC has plans in place to create four more ASC businesses to grow its SME development programme even further.