ShoveBike Electric Bikes Power Township-Owned Supply Chain Pilot
A new partnership puts township manufacturing on local spaza shop shelves. Electric cargo bikes are the zero-emission link keeping value in the community.
A first-of-its-kind partnership is launching to build a complete, township-owned supply chain. SPAZA Supply+, an initiative by KasiKonnect, has teamed up with Soweto-based green logistics startup ShoveBike for a pioneering pilot programme.
“Local product distribution and logistics is the critical link for a wholly owned kasi supply chain,” says Janice Scheckter, CEO of KasiKonnect.
“We have partnered with ShoveBike because, alongside their efficient green logistics, they bring deep local knowledge and established relationships with Soweto-based supermarkets and traders. They understand the terrain, the retailers, and the community in a way that outside logistics providers simply cannot. This partnership keeps value local — from the factory floor to the store shelf.”
The initiative directly tackles the major challenge of last-mile distribution. By merging SPAZA Supply+’s network of professionalised manufacturers with ShoveBike’s fleet of electric cargo bikes, it creates a seamless, low-carbon connection between local production and retail spaza shops.
For ShoveBike, this represents a strategic expansion.
“The SPAZA Supply+ partnership represents a strategic evolution for ShoveBike,” says Founder and CEO Zakhele Mhlanga.
“We are moving beyond delivery into active market facilitation for township manufacturers.
“We are no longer just transporting goods — we are enabling product placement, visibility, and market access.
“By acting as the bridge between local producers and spaza shops, we’re helping build a self-sustaining township ecosystem where local products are stocked, sold, and celebrated.”
shovebike
The SPAZA Supply+ and ShoveBike pilot programme will see ShoveBike’s electric fleet collecting goods from participating township manufacturers and delivering them directly to a growing network of spaza shops.
The model ensures reliable stock replenishment, lower logistics costs for producers, zero-emission deliveries, and job creation for local youth.
Together, the partnership sets a new benchmark for building self-reliant, sustainable township economies from within.
Urban mobility start-up is expanding after rolling out the e-cargo bike and trailer combo in Soweto
A Shovebike electric delivery bike. Picture: INSTAGRAM/@shovebike
Soweto-based and wired for the digital age, Shovebike is redefining last-mile delivery through sustainable mobility, blockchain-powered incentives and grassroots empowerment. At the helm of this innovative company is Zakhele Mhlanga, a modern-day visionary, whose name means “build it yourself” in Zulu.
Mhlanga’s inspiration to build Shovebike came in 2015. At the time, Johannesburg’s then-mayor, Parks Tau, was championing a multimillion-rand project to build bicycle lanes in the city. “Something clicked,” said Mhlanga. “I saw a gap, a real opportunity to disrupt how transport worked in our communities and to make cycling a viable, dignified form of transport, not just leisure.”
The same year the EcoMobility World Festival was held in Sandton. Mhlanga attended as a hopeful entrepreneur with an ambitious idea: Shovebike. Fast forward to 2023 and the company rolled out its first e-cargo bike and trailer combo in Soweto, marking a turning point in its journey. This breakthrough was made possible through a strategic partnership with Stroom e-Cargo Bikes, a Stellenbosch-based firm specialising in electric cargo bicycles. “Stroom e-Cargo Bikes was foundational to our journey,” Mhlanga admits. “They were the first to believe in Shovebike, well before we had anything to show.”
