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TECHNOLOGY
www.spotongmag.co.za
WEBSITE BUILDER WORKSHOPS
THAT EMPOWER Upskill yourself and your small business with GoDaddy
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oDaddy’s vision is to radically shift the global economy towards small, independent ventures. To bring this vision to life, they host weekly website workshops called “Empower by GoDaddy” – a social impact program where they partner with diverse organisations such as About Infinity Learning and YEEP Africa, who share their commitment to equipping entrepreneurs in lowincome communities with training, tools and peer networks to accelerate their journeys. Attendees learn the value of building their brand and discover how creating websites can help grow their digital presence. The Website Builder Workshops are created for entrepreneurs, small business owners, marketing professionals, small practice owners, designers, contractors, artists, musicians, authors, students and other self-starters. Students are taught how to build and launch a website from scratch with zero coding skills required. At the end of the workshop, students walk out with the professional website they’ve always wanted as well as mastering the skills to manage the new site on their own.
Food trailer entrepreneurs create affordable dishes for the braai nation Food trucks and trailers have a history that goes back to the “chuckwagons” of the old American West. They came back into fashion in a big way after the global recession of 2008, with restaurants looking for ways to cut back their costs and with consumers looking for cool street food to eat on the run. Soon, they started to infiltrate South African cities, especially at big sports games and events like music concerts. Braai Point founding members Litha Mzozoyana and Sijadu Mzozoyana loved the concept of food trucks, and thought they could add a South African spin to the concept. Most food trucks and trailers sell burgers and pizzas – as tasty as those foods may be, there is nothing particularly South African about them, says Mzozoyana. Mzozoyana attended the launch of GoDaddy in Johannesburg. He was part of a customer panel in which he shared the story behind Braai Point and his recent milestone, the creation of the Braai Point website.
Braai Point
He and his partner decided to create a fleet of food trailers selling hearty South African fare, including traditional braai meats and local dishes derived from Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, Tswana and many other local cultures. From boerie rolls and dombolo and chuck to traditional pap and chakalaka, Braai Point offers an entirely “local is lekker” eating experience. “As our first step, we wanted to open a store, but we found that rental was prohibitively expensive,” says Mzozoyana. “We then looked at the big food trucks and realised they would also be too expensive. So we decided to buy our first food trailer, with the goal of making our food affordable for people and giving them something that is really tailored to the tastes of our market.” Braai Point trailers are open for lunch at regular locations across Johannesburg, serving up tasty meals to busy office workers and students looking for a delicious, no-nonsense meal while on the move. A key part of the business is providing food at large events such as parties, sports matches, and music concerts and festivals. “We have learned some expensive lessons since we bought our first trailer, but the business is
growing well now. One of the most valuable lessons was to ensure we have done our due diligence. Most importantly, however, was having the courage to start the business,” Mzozoyana says.
Getting a buzz from being your own boss “I really enjoy the independence of running my own business. You only answer to yourself and the people you work with – it gives you a great deal of freedom,” he adds. The Braai Point website at braaipoint.com is one of the company’s most important marketing assets. Mzozoyana says he wanted to create a central digital destination where people could come to learn about the business and book a food trailer. Building a website with GoDaddy was easy and now Braai Point has an attractive online home where people can explore its menu, learn more about the company, and send a query to book one of its food trailers, Mzozoyana says. The Braai Point website is a place where the company can tell the world its story and use visuals to get people interested in the cuisine it sells. It’s
