Samson Aina was unemployed but became a delivery driver to make ends meet, the job helped him build a business with his talented wife; today, they employ four people.
Eastern Cape, South Africa (27 January 2022) – Samson Aina was unemployed and looking for a way to support his family of four. He became a delivery man but that was just the beginning, he soon launched his own business and today, employs four people.
Samson, who lives in Gqeberha with his wife and two kids, a boy (3) and a girl (5), struggled to make ends meet when his former business collapsed three years ago. He was left shattered, without any income and uncertain of what the future held for him and his family.
The pandemic pushed people to become creative in how they supported their families. Samson signed up to become an Uber Eats delivery driver. This was a way for him to earn an income and put food on the table.
“It was hard for me to see my children not having some of the basic essentials that all children deserve and that’s when I decided to take my power back and find new ways to survive.”
Joining the Uber app as an independent delivery person has not only empowered Samson and enabled him to provide for his family of four, but it has also helped him save money to start another business with his wife. Samson’s wife knows a lot about hairdressing, and they decided to open a hair salon that she runs.
The couple launched the salon but the pandemic hit and they were left with no way of providing the services.
He was determined to do more and had noticed that there were businesses on the app that provided more than just takeaway food. He started thinking of ways to do more on the app; his wife’s skills inspired his next step.
“As I got home that night, I spoke to my wife about getting our business registered as merchants on the Uber Eats app. She was keen and it has been an absolute win for our business.”
Samson gathered all the necessary information on how to be a merchant on the app and registered the African Best Beauty Salon. Once the restrictions eased, the couple saw a massive rise in their business, with triple the amount of income within the first month.
The success of the salon has meant that Samson and his wife now employ four people. They hope to expand the service throughout the Eastern Cape, growing not only the business, but offering more employment opportunities for women in the area.
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