The latest unemployment statistics released by Stats SA paint an ominous and gloomy picture for millions of female headed households who are facing the depressing prospects of impoverishment due to loss of income.
In addition to being already disadvantaged in the labour market, women accounted for a disproportionate share of job losses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and made up 2 of the three million people who lost their jobs at the beginning of the year.
Global beauty and personal care company Avon has stepped in to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 job losses by offering prospective Sales Representatives who wish to supplement their income an opportunity to open their own online stores and participate in the booming e-commerce industry.
To that end, the company has enhanced its digital infrastructure to ensure that new Sales Representatives recruits can leverage the ubiquity of online platforms to enhance their earning opportunity.
To ensure optimal usage of these e-commerce platforms, Avon developed a personalised website for its newly recruited Sales Representatives for marketing and selling Avon products, and is providing them with free online digital marketing training and supplied them with free digital tools with content to promote their business on social media.
In addition, Avon Representatives could open their online store without incurring any capital outlay and personalise it within Avon Justine’s corporate identity guidelines.
These independent micro businesses can download loads of customisable digital tools to personalise their store and reach prospective new leads, or to promote their business directly from their social media platforms. Representatives can earn up to 30% of the value of the products that they sell.
Being a Sales Representative for the brand comes with the opportunity of becoming a full-time beauty entrepreneur as an independent Sales Leader. In this role,
Leaders recruit and train a team of other reps. In 2019, Avon’s global independent Sales Leaders, which make up 4% of the rep base, collectively earned $273.5 million (about R5 billion), demonstrating the earning potential available to women in these roles.
“Being a company for women, Avon is cognisant of the struggle women face as the sole caregivers and the far-reaching impact this pandemic has had on their ability to take care of their families,” says Mafahle Mareletse, Managing Director of Avon Justine Turkey, Middle East & Turkey.
“In line with our brand promise to support HER, Avon will ramp up its recruitment drive to offer women, who are the primary drivers of the cosmetics and personal care industry, the opportunity to reap the benefits of the growth of this industry which has largely bucked the trend and continues to show steady growth.
“By empowering women with this earnings opportunity, we are also making a meaningful contribution to giving women financial independence which in turn will free them from the clutches of their abusers.”
According to the latest unemployment figures released by Stats SA, the official unemployment rate increased to 30.1% in the first quarter of 2020 compared to the fourth quarter of 2019, taking the number of unemployed persons to 7,1 million.
However, the latest unemployment figures that have been released by Stats SA do not factor in jobs that were lost during the hard lockdown in the second quarter of 2020. Treasury’s worse-case scenario projects a 16.1% contraction, and seven million job losses.
“These are not just numbers, but they represent people who have now been deprived of an income. They represent deferred dreams and aspirations that will not be fulfilled. As the recession tightens its grasp on communities in the wake of COVID-19, people are looking for new ways to earn an income to support their families,” says Mareletse.
“We are ready for a tidal wave of new sign ups and hope our representative recruitment drive will help female entrepreneurs break through these difficult times. The direct selling industry offers women a compelling opportunity to earn an income due to the low barriers of entry and the minimum capital outlay required.”
He adds that the increasing penetration of the internet, coupled with rising smartphone adoption and falling data prices will bode well for the growth of an e-commerce driven direct selling industry in South Africa.
“What makes Avon compelling is that it improves the earning opportunity of its Representatives by enabling them to offer their customers with a rich and attractive bouquet of world-class, yet affordable products across the broad spectrum of cosmetics, fashion and personal care products. It has something for everyone,” says Mareletse.
Are you experiencing money challenges this lockdown?
Don’t despair.
You can now earn money or supplement your income by signing up to become an Avon Representative.
What is great is that you can now sell Avon and Justine products and earn extra income selling online, from the safety and comfort of your home. To register to become an Avon and/or Justine Representative, please visit www.avon.co.za and www.justine.co.za
Customers have the option to purchase online on https://my.avon.co.za/ and/or https://my.justine.co.za/ and have their orders delivered safely delivered to their doorstep at quick turnaround times.
