Small businesses, and no doubt some larger ones are battling to keep their doors open as the economy stutters and service delivery stalls.
The Northcliff Melville Times spoke to several business owners to better understand their struggles and frustrations.
Stuart Lowe, a resident said, “I know of businesses that have closed because of load-shedding and lack of service delivery. The emotional strain that these business owners face when in their very mature years now who need to look for a job. They find it difficult because they are either too old, too experienced, overqualified, and so on. The mental and emotional anguish about laying off employees knowing it will affect their families is emotionally difficult too. Everyone is so stressed in this city and most of us have not done anything wrong to deserve it.”
Dimitri Syriopoulos (62) from Montgomery Park owns a vending machine business, the kind that dispenses coffee, cooldrinks, sweets, and other items.
“It feels like every time the power goes off, something breaks. Insurance does not always cover costs to get my machines up and running again because my claims are so frequent. It is an absolute nightmare and I feel like City Power is not doing anything to help us. It is very stressful, and I am a person that normally handles stress very well, but it is tough to maintain now.”
He says most vending machines are robust but the constant on and off confuses the software, with coffee machines especially. “The small computer chips cost about €60 [R1 218], but after you have paid for postage, import duties, and VAT it is closer to €300 [R6 093].”
Buying surge protectors and other safeguards costs in the region of R2 000, an amount he is unable to pay for all his machines. “I instal this when I can, but it is a game of cat and mouse trying to decide which machines need it the most before the next fault hits one.”
“I am more and more into overdraft than profit these days. The restaurants that use my machines are likewise also feeling the pinch as customers have less money to spend in restaurants. They themselves are having to compensate for long periods of time without power, it’s a nightmare, an absolute nightmare.”
He describes feeling a sense of pressure to ensure his customers are looked after but says he does not feel that same sense of urgency from the city. “I and others recently assisted City Power technicians with lights and a generator when they were fixing a fault to help get power restored at 01:00. Without which I am not sure how long the long outage would have lasted. It is crazy that we also must help in this manner on top of trying to keep our own heads above water to survive.”
Irshad Sheik (34) and his wife Dr Aqeela Chohan (33) own a medical practice in Albertskroon which they opened in December.
Sheik said, “Apart from wanting to own our own business, private doctors providing affordable healthcare support to communities is vital because it is not easily available from the state and citizens need to pick up the slack. But to do so effectively means heavy financial investment, a move we and others find unpalatable in a city that is crumbling.”
After years in the public healthcare system, Chohan wanted to provide patients with a better service that she could offer in government facilities that included longer consultation times and better access to treatment. “We want to treat the whole person, not just the symptoms.
“We decided to open a small practice in Albertskroon because we identified a gap in healthcare there. There are a lot of options along Beyers Naudé and in upmarket suburbs but not here.”
He says they will only be able to tell if their gamble will pay off after a couple of years but is feeling anxious because of the toll poor service delivery and an ailing economy is having on their business.
“When we first moved here, aside from load-shedding, our electricity pole in the street kept tripping. This went on for ages which was a contributing factor that pushed a neighbour into a mental health crisis. That is resolved, but the stress of being without power, especially the long stretches, is detrimental to the economy and people’s mental health.”
The specific location the pair chose was with future success in mind. “We chose this property because we hoped, and still cling to that hope, that we could expand our offering to include other medical services like a dentist perhaps, maybe a physiotherapist or whatever. I am not sure we will be able to do that now as the outlay to ensure our partners are buffeted against electricity cuts is an outlay that is just not financially feasible for us now.”
The outlay they have already had to invest in alternative power solutions – it has been heavy with inverters and other aids to keep medicines cool, equipment running, and other needs necessary to keep operating.
He also attributes this to the fact that ‘Our patients themselves are struggling and are thinking twice before going to the doctor whereas in times past this would not have been a decision needed to be made, but the economy is biting everyone’.
“We are deeply invested in this community and will do everything we can to become a small successful practice that offers excellent care, but load-shedding, in particular, is causing incredible strain and anguish.”
Sadiyah Dadabhay is a personal trainer at a large gym in Victory Park.
“My fitness business began from my home during the Covid-19 lockdown which progressed to her offering private classes at the gym.
“When the water or electricity goes off, I really struggle with appointments. I must either postpone or cancel sessions altogether or cut them short. Time is literally money for me, and if I can’t work, I don’t get paid.”
She says in her industry there is no ‘paid leave or overtime’ or other benefits so when clients cancel, or she must cancel because she is unable to provide the services, they pay for it leaving her in financial difficulty through no fault of her clients, or herself. “I try to assist my household as best I can, but it is difficult at the moment.”
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