Jessica Boonstra

Jessica originally hails from Holland.
She came to South Africa for its good weather but stayed because of its people.
She's particularly inspired by how South Africans navigate their challenging circumstances.

Jessica saw a gap in the market after noticing that the majority of our population live off a meagre salary.
As such, they purchase primarily staple goods and they have to travel far to purchase them.
Having prior retail experience, Jessica naturally sought a solution in that sector and Yebo Fresh was born.

While they are an e-commerce platform, the Yebo Fresh business model is not exactly cut and dry.
Operating in townships with spatial and other issues, there's a lot to take into consideration.
The business model is fundamentally traditional but operationally more suited to Yebo Fresh's unique market.

Where there are problems, there are opportunities to create a business that solves them.
This is true of the low-income market - there are many problems just waiting for a solution.
Jessica believes it's important to create solutions that impact our communities positively.

Building a business around food is challenging because it is perishable.
Yebo Fresh had to be smart about how they operate - it would be an expensive business to run otherwise.
An interesting observation: low-income consumers have higher standards about the quality of their purchases.

Contrary to popular belief, most townships are not informal settlements.
Rather, they are culture-rich communities with entrepreneurs that add value to the spaces around them.
Taking a blanket approach to the township market is a recipe for failure.

Yebo Fresh works with NGOs to deliver staples to communities they work with.
Yebo Fresh has a natural synergy with NGOs because they both have a positive impact in mind.
Still, it was important for Jessica to retain the business status of her brand in order to grow sustainably.

Yebo Fresh has reached a place where they know their customers really well.
Since the relationship goes beyond the bottom line, they are able to assist their customers on other matters.
Exploring these relationships and the various markets have enabled Yebo Fresh to expand its offering.

Yebo Fresh has managed to scale so rapidly by having a thorough understanding of their market.
While growth has at times been shaky, it's been upward.
Working with partners has helped Yebo Fresh tap into markets they wouldn't have access to otherwise.

Do your research and understand precisely what you're undertaking before you start.
Seek investors that are the right fit for the type of business you are building.
Partnerships are incredibly beneficial - for your business and the eco-system around it.

Jessica Boonstra shares her secret ingreident.