KasiBusket puts the spaza shop inside the technology idea

A student team's proposed shopping platform starts with businesses already serving the neighbourhood: spaza shops.

KasiBusket won the R100,000 People's Choice Award at Huawei Code4Mzansi, according to Tshwane University of Technology's June report. The team comprises Tshegofatso Morena, Kgodiso Lebese and Tebogo Seopa, with TUT and Wits represented in their studies.

The concept links customers, shops and delivery riders, with tools for orders and stock. The university's account described development and a pilot as the next steps. Readers should therefore understand it as a project being built, rather than assume a fully operating nationwide service is available.

The interesting choice is to work with the corner shop's existing role. A customer may already know where to buy, while a digital service could help with ordering or delivery. For the shopkeeper, a useful tool would need to fit the actual working day and the way stock moves.

A pilot has several practical questions to answer. Can an order reflect what is really on the shelf? What happens if an item is unavailable? Does the rider receive enough for the trip, and does the shop retain enough from the sale? Can a customer get help when something goes wrong?

The award gives the team resources and attention for that next stage. The most informative update will come from the first shops and customers using the system repeatedly.

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