Taxi owners already reaping rewards from Shayela programme
Being a good business person as a taxi operator actually earns you money from SA Taxi.
Launched in June this year, the Shayela Rewards Programme from SA Taxi, the specialist financial services provider to the taxi industry, is already paying back 10% per month on credit instalments on vehicles that customers have financed through SA Taxi. All Shayela members have to do is continuously manage their businesses well.
Mrs Jeanette Madlala, who has been an SA Taxi client for three years, signed up for Shayela because it offered significant free benefits. These included a safety kit for her taxi, 5% cash back on her purchases at Autozone, and the ability to earn up to R1 900 on adverts placed inside her taxi. On registration with Shayela, she also qualified for a free business skills training course and a free professional driving training course for her driver.
She soon discovered, though, that improving her own abilities as an entrepreneur brought her the biggest reward. By undertaking a few simple activities every month, she could earn money back on the monthly credit instalment she was paying for her taxi.
“One of the most important things SA Taxi does is invest in taxi owners and operators as business people,” Jeanette says. “The cash back is wonderful, of course, because it helps me with cash flow. More than that, though, being recognised and supported as an entrepreneur keeps me motivated to build the business.”
“Because taxi operations are often very small or micro businesses, many conventional financial services institutions see them as high risk, in terms of providing financial support,” says SA Taxi Customer Experience Executive, Megan Harrison. “We take a different view. Rather than assessing individuals, we focus on the ability of the taxi operator to generate from his or her route the amount needed to repay their loan from us.
“In addition, we see each taxi operator as one of those rare people prepared to venture into business on his or her own and be a creator of jobs. So, we find ways to support them so as to increase their likelihood of success.”
Some 5% of SA Taxi’s existing clients have already signed up for Shayela and those attending the Shayela Partnership business course report that they have been enabled to improve their management of money. Drivers on the professional driving course say they have refreshed their ability to keep passengers safe.
To earn cash back on monthly credit instalments, Shayela members need to ensure that their instalments are up to date, they have taxi insurance, their drivers have attended the Go-Shayela training course (or they have a budget for their business), they have a working CarTrack Fleet unit, and, that they are keeping their Shayela promises, as displayed in their taxis.
The Shayela promise:
- We promise to take you to your destination safely
- We promise to drive with courtesy
- We promise to keep our taxi clean and well serviced
- We will not drive when tired
- We will not use cell phones when driving
- We promise to make our roads safer
- We promise to treat you like a VIP