MediLogistics and Medipost Holdings
Media release
From drivers to business owners
Innovative project boosts small business and medicine deliveries
Thursday, 8 December 2022, Making the leap from being a driver to becoming a self-employed business owner is enabling the first 18 MediLogistics owner drivers to double their income and own their own vehicles. Through an innovative supplier development programme, opportunity is knocking at the door to match a growing demand for reliable and safe delivery of health-related and niche products.
“For me, this has been a once in a lifetime opportunity,” says Heiwang Moseki, one of MediLogistics’ very first fully-fledged owner-drivers who has been with MediLogistics since 2012.“When I heard about this prospect, I realised that this is a way to go up in life. I talked to my wife and with her blessing we decided to take this exciting journey.”
Full backing for new business
Through the initiative, drivers can become owner-driver consultants who distribute and deliver parcels as a third-party courier service for MediLogistics. The company provides full backing and support to the drivers giving them access to the courier database, allocated routes and delivery records to grow and expand their skills to become self-reliant business owners.
According to Werner Busch, national operations manager for MediLogistics, the initiative enables qualifying drivers to become owner-drivers with the backing of a team that assists with all the finer details of owning a business, such as tax and provisional tax registration, business advice and training opportunities.
“When a driver starts as a third-party supplier, the company assists with paying fuel upfront and other interventions to ensure that the owner-drivers are fully equipped to ensure success in their new ventures. This is especially important in new business incubation, as starting out as a small business owner is a steep learning curve and this support helps the new businesses to reach stability,” Busch says.
More income, more opportunities
“The top performers have more than doubled their salaries since making the transition to being self-employed. It has been mutually beneficial, as the company has seen a 25% increase in productivity since the implementation of this supplier development initiative. Through empowering employees to become microenterprises, we hope to stimulate entrepreneurship andcultivate small business ownership.”
So far MediLogistics drivers have enrolled to become owner-drivers at branches in Gezina, Pretoria; Cape Town; eThekwini and Pietermaritzburg.Drivers are armed with knowledge, assisted with financing their vehicles, and helped with practical skills to become successful small businesses. Since the start of the project in April, 17 drivers have already become third-party suppliers to MediLogistics.
Working from the MediLogistics Gezina branch, Moseki was recently able to finance a brand new vehicle and says that he can choose to increase his salary by working extra time and delivering many more parcels than ever before.
“Having been with MediLogistics for so long, I know the business inside out. Being a full-time business owner and securing my own income while having the full backing of MediLogistics support has so far only been a wonderful experience,” Moseki says.
“Drivers on the owner-driver project can rent a vehicle from MediLogistics until they get finance for their cars. Once the driver has been assisted with vehicle financing, the driver’s choice of vehicle is vetted to ensure that it meets the requirements and regulations as needed to ensure optimal pharmaceutical standards,” Busch adds.
Each owner-driver’s car is also fitted with cooling units, as required to uphold MediLogistics’ commitment to the principles of Good Pharmacy Practice.
Lebogang Mohale, who has been with MediLogistics Gezina for almost seven years, decided to grab the opportunity with both hands.
“I have only recently started with the owner-driver initiative and look forward to being my own boss as a business owner. It is still early days, and I am using a company vehicle while waiting to finance my own. For now, I am learning and very much looking forward to what the future holds.”
Noel Guliwe, Group chief executive officer of Medipost Holdings, wished the owner-drivers well in establishing their own businesses in this growing niche market. “We are proud to support these enterprising individuals as part of our supply chain development strategy, increasing household income and creating opportunities for a more prosperous future.
“We congratulate each one of the owner-drivers and look forward to a fulfilling partnership that will continue to deliver excellence and reliability for the clients, healthcare providers and patients we serve,” he concluded.
Ends
For more information please visit https://medilogistics.co.za/
Issued by: Martina Nicholson Associates (MNA) on behalf ofMediLogistics and Medipost Holdings
Contact: Martina Nicholson, Meggan Saville orEstene Lotriet-Vorster
Telephone: (011) 469 3016
Email: martina@mnapr.co.za, meggan@mnapr.co.zaor estene@mnapr.co.za