With a contagious smile and look so friendly it will pierce through the greyest concrete, Jeff greets me: Hola, hola, welcome to my township! Even though the environment is so different from anything you would see in Sweden, I immediately feel comfortable and it isn’t hard to embrace the familiar atmosphere of the township when you are in the hands of this young entrepreneur.
Jeff (right) and one of the tours guides at Alexandra Bicycle Tours, Spusisu
Alexandra, where Jeff was born and raised was founded in 1912 and is by some called Mother of all Townships since it was proclaimed a township even before the South African Land Act 1913. Alex, just north of the city of Johannesburg is the home of several hundred thousands of people and is one of the poorest areas of South Africa, situated a mere 15 minutes from, the suburb of Sandton, one of the most wealthy areas in Africa.
In 2010, the World Cup year, was Jeff training to become selected for the national team in Grass Hockey for athletes under 21. He unfortunately didn’t make it but the experience still had a crucial impact on his life. The coach of the team, a french expat in Johannesburg, came to pick Jeff up and drop him off in Alexandra before and after every practice. One day he asked Jeff if he could possibly take him and some friends on a tour through Alex. Said and done, Jeff arranged for a taxi bus and the coach showed up with 15 people! 500 rand to the taxi driver and Jeff made a profit of 2000 on this, his first tour of Alex. Jeff was hooked on the idea to show the world his friendly township and with some help from the coach on business fundamentals, Alexandra Bicycle Tours was born.
13th Street of Alexandra, the home of Alexandra Bicycle Tours
Jeff bought the first two bikes, which are still part of the fleet of now 40 bikes, and together with his friend and first employee Emmanuel, he went around to the hotels in Sandton to advertise the business with flyers. “We wore black pants, white shirts and shiny shoes. Always polished shoes!” says Jeff with a nod from the more quiet Emmanuel who is still an employee. “We soon found out that the concierges at the hotels just threw the flyers away. But one day, a person saw this and picked it up and said she wanted to go on a tour. This lady was an employee of KLM, a company that is to date on of our biggest customers”.
Jeff, a humble yet energetic 22-year old, is very eager to grow his employees who are all older than himself. Today, the crew has expanded to four people, Mbali, 23, Emmanuel, 25, Thokozani, 25 and Spusiso, 25. “I have something to learn from all of them and I want Alexandra Bicycle Tours to become a sustainable business, with or without me. Says Jeff. I want to introduce bicycles to South Africa and to introduce people from all over the world to our friendly township. The vision of most entrepreneurs in South Africa isn’t to become the next Richard Branson but to be able to support your family and bring food to the table. This business is also about giving back to the township, not only in money but in self-esteem”.
Emmanuel, Mbali, Thokozani, Spusisu and Jeff at the Office of Alexandra Bicycle Tours
Mbali and Thokozani
Jeff has certainly been able to do this. In June 2013, Cajsa came on a tour, and has since mentored Jeff. This has encouraged him to grow and structure his business which has enabled him to build a new house for his mom and little sister as well as one for his older mentally diseased brother. Jeff himself can now stay in the house where all of them stayed together before. “Like many fathers in South Africa, says Jeff, my father ran away when I was 7”.
Jeff outside his home with some neighboring kids
The house that Jeff build for his mom and sister late 2013
Jeff inside his mom’s and sister’s new house
Speaking of Richard Branson, in 2012, Jeff was, after a rigorous process of business pitches, selected as one of 15 people from South Africa to go on MEDO´s trade visit to the UK. While there, Jeff participated in a conference, “I was sitting in the front row like I always do because I want to see and hear everything. Right next to me sat a man with a hard cover book, I noticed this since everyone else were holding ipads and smart phones. People started looking at me so I went to the bathroom thinking I had stains on my face or on my clothes. Somebody followed me to the bathroom and asked if I knew who I was sitting next to? It was Richard Branson!”
The trip was actually focused on the information and communication technology sector, and through mounting cameras on the bikes, Jeff incorporated IT i his business as well. In London, Jeff also met the friendly Boris Johnson, then mayor of London, who has given the name to what is known as “Boris Bikes” or Barclays Cycle Hire. This gave Jeff the idea for an expansion of his business, a cycle hire in Sandton. “I have many big ideas, says Jeff, and this is something I really want to realize. But, the most immediate goal is to have tours in Alexandra five days a week”
I can certainly reassert that it is worth doing a tour with Alexandra Bicycle Tours any day of the week and I have already returned with visitors to Johannesburg three times and have a fourth tour booked. Each tour and acquaintance with Jeff and his township, is a gratifying wake up call and a life lesson in entrepreneurship and humanity.
The kids of Alex who never get tired of posing!
Another entrepreneur to be?
Country Roads 