BrownSense Magazine

ISSUE 01 • JANUARY 2018 • WWW.BROWNSENSEONLINE.CO.ZA

BROWNSENSE MAGAZINE CELEBRATE

FLY JANUARY

TAKE THE BULL

Black Excellence

Glow Up

By The Horns

BROWNSENSE MAG.

Contents Why We Do What We Do

2017 was an eventful year at BrownSense. We secured a new, bigger location for the BrownSense Market, formed fruitful partnerships and most importantly, we saw the BrownSense family grow in leaps and bounds! The Facebook group reached the 100k membership milestone, we formed a partnership with Paybook and The Hook Up Dinner (THUD) to form The People's Fund, an SMME asset crowd funding platform through which we have raised over R800k in just over 7 months! The BrownSense Stokvel was established to involve the rest of the BrownSense community in the crowd funding effort, and Brownies have risen to the occasion, raising just over 100k in just 2 months. This is the power of community, and shows just a fraction of what we are capable of when we come together with one goal. If there is one resolution you stick to in 2018, let it be to #buyblack and #circulatetherand - we are the ones we have been waiting for!

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Next Level: Customer Satisfaction Mzuzukile Soni

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Self Care: BrownSense Verified Suppliers To Start 2018 Off Right

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BrownSense Series: Giving Brownie Business An Opportunity To Thrive

Keitumetse - BrownSense Head of Marketing

IMAGE COURTESY WASHESHA

IMAGE COURTESY APPLE FLOORS

IMAGE COURTESY WALK FRESH

IMAGE COURTESY DR K DENTAL

BROWNSENSE MAG.

Next Level: Customer Satisfaction BYÂ MZUZUKILE SONI

When I started BrownSense on January 13 2016, I never thought it would grow to become what it is today. The moment that saw me executing on an idea I had been sitting on for almost a year by then, was characterised by the anger that was triggered by #pennysparrow.

Here we are 2 years later, with all that we have achieved, all driven by a sheer desire to see our generation doing better. Our story of growth is tied to Brownies: BrownSense Market JHB and Cape Town have grown immensely, and so have the many vendors that have been trading at the market. It has been inspiring to witness so many of your companies grow from a simple post, and to be part of the ecosystem that has helped so many of you work together to #circulatetherand. It is through sheer grit that we have reached this stage. We have done what we can, with what we have.

It gives me great pleasure that as we hit 2, we launch the BrownSense Magazine. It gives me even greater pleasure that this year (13 days in) we have launched BrownSense Verified - a seal for BrownSense vetted and approved businesses. Be on the look out for Brownie-owned businesses with the BrownSense Verified sticker on their premises – it shows that they are committed to BrownSense principles of excellence, accountability and integrity.

This year will definitely see us achieving many great things.

We are the ones we have been waiting for!

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Self Care

BECAUSE YOU CAN'T POUR FROM AN EMPTY CUP

N A T U R A L

H A I R

S A L O N

P R E T O R I A D R E A D L O C K S N A T U R A L

D E T A N G L I N G

H A I R

N A T U R A L P R O D U C T

T R E A T M E N T

H A I R

S T Y L I N G

M A N U F A C T U R E

LOVE UR LOCKS

BLACK AFRICAN ORGANICS S H E A

B U T T E R

B L A C K J A M A I C A N S K I N H A I R

S O A P

C A S T O R

O I L

C A R E

A C C E S S O R I E S

W W W . B L A C K A F R I C A N . C O . Z A

M I D R A N D , S P A

S P A S K I N

P O L O K W A N E

T R E A T M E N T S

C A R E

P A R T Y P R O D U C T S

0 1 5 2 9 6 4 0 1 8 0 6 4 9 2 0 7 6 2 0

RECONNECT DAY SPA

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Healthy living is about mental and physical health being in balance with one another. If a healthy lifestyle is what you are after, the best way start is by making small habitual changes every day like drinking more water or taking the stairs instead of lifts. Going for regular check-ups is an important part of healthy living, checking that your cholesterol, blood glucose and body mass index (BMI) are all up to scratch can help you shape an eating plan that improves your health.

Discover some excellent Brownie health service providers for your journey of self-care.

G P P H Y S I O D I E T I C I A N P H A R M A C Y O C C U P A T I O N A L 2 4 / 7

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M O B I L E

D P A C S . C O . Z A

T H E R A P I S T H O S P I T A L

0 7 3 6 9 3 4 8 0 8

DPACS

SNA WELLNESS F A M I L Y M I N O R

S U R G I C A L

H E A L T H P R O C E D U R E

H Y D R A T I O N W E I G H T

R O O T

C O S M E T I C M I N O R

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R A N D B U R G

S N A W E L L N E S S . C O . Z A

C A N A L

P A E D I A T R I C

D E N T I S T R Y D E N T I S T R Y

O R A L

0 1 0 5 9 7 1 9 5 0

8 0 7

M A N A G E M E N T

S A N D T O N 0 1 1

T H E R A P Y

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S U R G E R Y 0 8 1 8 8 4 5 0 9 5

F A C E B O O K . C O M / D R K T I P S /

DR K. DENTAL

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BROWNSENSE SERIES: GIVING BROWNIE OWNED BUSINESS AN OPPORTUNITY TO THRIVE

BY MANDISA MKHWANAZI

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THROUGH VARIOUS PARTNERSHIPS, THE BROWNSENSE GROUP IS NOT ONLY TALKING ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF BUYING BLACK, BUT IS ACTIVELY SUPPORTING ENTREPRENEURS AND START-UPS IN GROWING THEIR BUSINESSES. confidence from customers, and a reluctance to trust and support black owned business, therefore perpetuating the notion that black business are not to be trusted or offer a lower standard of service and product in comparison to white owned enterprises.

We need to understand that some business are savvier and have high business acumen, whilst others are driving their business purely based on talent and passion for their craft, and have had no formal training. As we work to change the negative characteristics (wrongly) associated with Black business, we will assist entrepreneurs to not only hone their craft, and to grow their businesses.

How is The Series different from any other entrepreneur program?

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BrownSense Series was borne out of the need to further assist the development of Black Entrepreneurs. What started as an online has from an “peer-to-peer business support group has evolved into a movement that is actively addressing the challenges faced by black entrepreneurs. Through various partnerships, The BrownSense Group is not only talking about the importance of buying black, but is actively supporting entrepreneurs and start-ups in growing their businesses.

Through the successes that have come out of the BrownSense Facebook platform, there has also been evidence of key gap areas that need to be addressed to remove the varying negative traits often associated with black businesses. The Facebook platform has given a voice to businesses that vary in size, skills and experience.

The BrownSense Series was conceptualised after an assessment of the gaps and challenges that arose on the Facebook platform. It is a space that will see entrepreneurs derive more value from being members of the movement.

The key insight* that came from the Facebook platform, was the disparity in the skills and abilities that some entrepreneurs have in comparison to their peers in the same industry.

These disparities often cause the loss of

BrownSense Series, launching in the first quarter of 2018 aims to give entrepreneurs the space to learn, share and grow their skills to not only compete with Brownies in their field, but to have a competitive edge over any other competitor.

Our aim is not to be another program created to tick the right boxes, but one that is for Brownies,

by Brownies, and addresses real issues and finds real solutions to challenges faced by Brownie entrepreneurs.

There are many organisations, that give funding and support to SMME’s but there is also a high level of apprehension when some struggling talented black business owners needs access to finance, support advice etc.

Entrepreneurship is a difficult journey for most, and even more so without the right advise, support and inspiring words from those who have walked the path before you. We will be engaging with Brownies that have made mistakes, lost money, had doors shut in their faces but still had the fire inside to keep going.

The bi-monthly BrownSense Series sessions will ignite the fire within all of us, with the aim of assisting Black-owned start-ups to gain skills that will allow them to compete in local and global industries.

The sessions will also engage broader Public and Private Sector influencers in order to help drive meaningful change and advancement in the entrepreneurial space for black people and foster networking opportunities for black entrepreneurs who are currently active on the BrownSense platform. Most importantly, we want to engage Brownies who are in the services industries to actively partake as they will help provide the much needed financial, marketing, sales, strategy and a list of the countless skills required by Brownies to grow and compete.

We have the power, intellect and drive to shake industry, and create a South Africa and Africa we deserve.

BrownSense Series.

Ignite. Enlighten. Incubate #WeAreTheOneWeHaveBeenWaitingFor. Image: Pink Lemonade | BrownSense

*BrownSense Insights Business Survey 2017

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I am more than a number in the ticker of your economy. My freedom is non-negotiable. My freedom is tied to these valleys. My freedom will be the bedrock on which my People’s prosperity is attained. I will unshackle myself from these bonds of poverty you have found fitting for my people.

I am one in a million. Only 250 T-shirts available www.brownsenseonline.co.za