Tackling poverty and inequality through technology

By Dumisani Hlatswayo

When Tony Lobese saw a need for economic support within his community, he formed EESUp – an innovative organisation aiming to tackle poverty and inequality in South Africa.

He aims to generate income and promote wealth by partnering with grocery stores. His mission is empowering those around him by providing them access to resources they may not have had before.

Lobese grew up in an entrepreneurial environment in Winterveldt, Tshwane, where he gained invaluable experience from his parents’ businesses - a general dealer and coal merchant.

“After school, I would always help my mother at the shop; on weekends, I would help in the coal business. I assumed management responsibilities when I was about 13 years,” he told The Olifants News.

The early experiences shaped Lobese into the business leader he is today. While in high school, he studied commercial subjects and later pursued an Internal Auditing course at TNG (now TUT).

“In 2009, I started several ventures under the banner of Sugarhill Corporation (Pty) Ltd, which included operating a pub, manufacturing cosmetics products, providing accounting services, and working with a start-up rescuing failing petrol service stations.

From 2012 I worked as a business coach, working with start-ups and medium companies, including contracting for Awethu Project and Siyakha Implementation Partners in 2018,” he recalled.

Fast forward to 2020, Lobese and Phillip Brits developed an instant connection that blossomed into a familial bond. The two like-minded visionaries developed the concept for EESUp - a revolutionary project that will empower communities.

“I had been mulling over the idea of harnessing the collective purchasing power of the township populations since 2001.

Phillip’s inspiration stemmed from a visit to Alexandra township in 2012, wherein he experienced the daily difficulties experienced by the biggest portion of the SA population. So collectively, we have been bugged by the issue of inequality in SA for over 30 years,” he said, Lobese is thrilled to announce the imminent launch of EESUp on the 28th of February, 2023.

His innovative app is set to tackle inequality in ways that have never been done before. “We envision a South Africa where the lives of the bottom 50% of the population have improved immensely, we’re going to bed hungry is a distant memory, and where the marginalised own income-producing assets in their neighbourhoods thus reducing the amounts of profits that are currently being exported out of townships,” he concluded.