Spaza Eats Or ‘Township Amazon’ Is Expanding Nationally

Business innovator Talifhani Banks, who shot to fame when he launched Spaza Eats in July 2023 through his company AnalyticsX, is still holding his own. With a background in statistics and econometrics and years of experience in retail, Banks identified a critical gap in the market: the underserved township and rural economies.

Despite fierce competition from established players like Checkers Sixty60 and Pick n Pay’s Asap, Spaza Eats has attracted more than 60,000 customers and 4,500 merchants in its first 14 months, a remarkable feat given the challenges of operating in these areas.

But Banks isn’t stopping there.

He envisions Spaza Eats evolving into something far greater: a “Township Amazon” that integrates point-of-sale (POS) machines, wallet-as-a-service, and loans for merchants and riders directly into the Spaza Eats app. His goal for AnalyticsX is not just to own a delivery service but to create a community marketplace and, eventually, a merchant bank.

Last year, AnalyticsX received a Third-Party Payment Provider (TPPP) licence, a significant milestone that allows it to process payments and enable customers to save their bank cards on the app. “We were approved midyear … and it was exciting to get the news,” Banks recalled.

His team is currently integrating this solution into the Spaza Eats app, laying the groundwork for Spaza Pay, a potential merchant bank tailored for township and rural economies.