South African-founded platform Spaza Eats has officially morphed into Spaza Market, rebranding from a food delivery service into a comprehensive marketplace. This move is designed specifically to provide township-based small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with vital new digital revenue streams.
A key question follows this transformation: how will the new Spaza Market app experience feel for everyday users?
Entrepreneur Talifhani Banks, founder of the original Spaza Eats and parent company AnalyticsX, describes the Spaza Market app as a super-app built for emerging markets.
“As a user imagine ordering kota and groceries in the morning, booking a haircut at your local salon in the afternoon, and paying your electricity bill or sending money to a friend in the evening — all within one platform,” explains Banks.
“For an SME, it means accessing supply chains, payments, and financing tools on the same platform.
“For a township resident, it means bringing daily life online with greater convenience and reliability. One app, endless possibilities.”
Expanding Beyond the Plate
So, what new categories of services will users be able to access, and why was this expansion so important?
Banks said proudly that Spaza Market goes far beyond food.
“Users will now be able to book a salon appointment, schedule a car wash, order medicine and book a consultation with a doctor,” he said.
“For SMEs in emerging markets, it means digitalising services like logistics, retail, and professional support.
“For township users, it makes everyday services accessible with a tap.
“This expansion is important because it transforms the way people live and work, while giving businesses new digital revenue streams.”
Founded in June 2023, Spaza Market is the vessel for Banks’ long-term goal to digitise the township economy within the SADC region.
But what does a fully digitised economy look like for its founder?
“A fully digitised economy is one where medium enterprises, emerging market businesses, and township traders are seamlessly connected by technology,” he explained.
“It’s where every transaction — from an SME sourcing stock, to a family paying school fees, to a trader replenishing their shelves — happens on digital rails.
“Spaza Market is laying the foundation for this by merging commerce with fintech, so that growth, capital, and opportunity flow across borders in SADC and beyond.”
Banks, who was born in Limpopo’s small town of Makhado, is banking on Spaza Market being strategically positioned to cater to communities often overlooked by larger tech companies, finally bringing the digital economy home.
