Innovative empowerment

At first glance, the opening of a small carwash business might not appear to warrant much attention. But when Albert Martins, a formerly unemployed Cape Town husband and father, launches his new initiative under the guidance of Fusion Outsourcing Services, he'll begin an exciting new chapter in his life - and pilot a project that has the potential to inspire similar endeavours across South Africa.

“We wanted to do something that would make a fundamental difference to someone's life, and empower him or her to make a meaningful contribution to South Africa,” explains Fusion Outsourcing Managing Director Johann Kunz, of the initiative in question, which has seen R70 000 invested in the infrastructure and support required to kick-start the carwash project.

“We don't do any business with government, and we are a wholly owned UK company, so we were under no obligation to meet BBBEE criteria,” Kunz elaborates. “But we felt that from a group corporate citizenship perspective, we needed to make the effort. One of the pillars of the new empowerment codes is the support and creation of business opportunities, and this is what we've done.”

Fusion Outsourcing, which handles contact centre operations for the UK-based BGL Group, set up the fully kitted carwash on the premises of its Century City offices in Cape Town, and then began the process of searching for the right candidate to win the opportunity on offer: the right to own and manage a carwash business with complete support from Fusion Outsourcing.

“The facilities are free, there is no rent, and we will supply branding, marketing, infrastructure support for items like telecoms and invoicing, as well as offering mentoring and management training through our senior staff,” says Kunz. “The only return is 10% of profit from the operation, which won't come to us, but which will instead be reinvested into a second project of a similar nature.”

The opportunity was open to members of the extended Fusion community who were unemployed, but in possession of matric, a driver's license, and a clean criminal record; after what Kunz concedes was “a tough selection process, with a lot of deserving candidates”, it was Martin who claimed what will be a life-changing opportunity.

“After my retrenchment from my former job last year, I was looking for an opportunity to start my own business,” explains 53-year-old Martin. “I heard about the car wash that Fusion Outsourcing was launching, so I picked up the form, and filled out an application. I was confident that this was something I could do successfully, and now I have the chance to make it work. I thank Fusion Outsourcing for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime.”

And in Kunz's opinion, that opportunity could be the first of many. “I believe in Albert, and I'm confident he'll make a success of the carwash,” Fusion Outsourcing's Managing Director concludes. “But I also believe that this sort of initiative can be replicated across South Africa in other buildings, and with other companies. That for us would be an even greater success.”