“You’re a Real Businessman”: Man Shares Things to Master When Running a Spaza Shop, SA Reacts

• A Somali entrepreneur opened up about the daily challenges and unique strategies required to keep a spaza shop thriving in the community
• The businessman highlighted that surviving the industry on TikTok requires more than just selling goods; it demands patience and deep community trust
• Social media users were impressed by his insights, with many praising his dedication to helping local parents and offering flexible payment options

A dedicated businessman has outlined three unconventional rules that every spaza shop owner must master to ensure customer loyalty and business growth.

The video shared on TikTok by user @itsmyfriend1 resonated with hundreds of viewers who applauded his realistic approach, noting that his advice reflects the true grit and empathy needed to run a business on the ground.

The clip opens with the entrepreneur explaining that the first essential skill is mastering extreme patience, as owners often have to endure being disrespected or called names by customers. According to the businessman, many foreign workers even learn how to swear before they learn the local language, just to cope with the environment. Secondly, TikTok user @itsmyfriend1 urged owners to build reliability by allowing customers to swipe for amounts as low as R5, helping locals buy essentials like bread when they are short on physical cash.

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Building trust through community service

The shop owner’s third tip focused on offering additional community services, such as safely keeping house keys for parents. He shared a personal story of a mother who leaves her keys and money for bread at his shop daily, ensuring her children are fed and can enter their home safely after school. This practice has built a loyal, long-term bond that extends beyond a simple transaction. He emphasised that these small acts of service are what make a business tight with the neighbourhood it serves.

SA applauds the spaza shop owner

The video garnered massive views from the online community, which shared over 200 comments, mostly praising his business acumen. Many viewers loved his reasoning and called him a real businessman who understands his clientele. Some share that the name-calling is often just a local way of showing familiarity and shouldn't be taken to heart. Others pointed out that in other provinces, Somali shop owners are highly respected and not teased at all.

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User @Craft addict commented:

"South African small businesses, let's take some lessons in serving customers."

User @Extraterrestrial added:

"Good customer service, well done, my friend."

User @max-fashion shared:

"Well said! Respect and money never go alone together."

User @Dj Melo-Dee said:

"I see that as tough love, even here in Cape Town, we love teasing you guys and laughing about it."

User @The Explorator explained:

"This is not all over South Africa. It only happens in particular provinces where you will rarely see people discriminating against you. Provinces such as North West, Mpumalanga, and Limpopo are exceptional and excellent 👌, with genuine people. They will call you 'abuti' (brother) instead of any annoying or discriminatory terms."

User @sizwekhoza20 commented:

"I like your mindset. You are a real businessman."

Watch the TikTok video below:

3 Briefly News articles about spaza shops

• A local man shared a government initiative that offers major support for aspiring spaza shop owners, leaving the internet buzzing with excitement.
• A local dad shared a video showing off a Louis Vuitton diaper he bought from a Somali-owned shop, leaving social media users in stitches.
• A Somalian shop owner named Khaya shared a video of an Xhosa mom complaining about a tomato she sent her child to buy, saying it looked pink and not red.

Source: Briefly News