Locations
Digital Innovation for Modernising the Independent Economy (DIME)
Transforming township spaza shops. Empowering communities. Building safer economies.
Background
In 2024, South Africa was shaken by a series of tragic foodborne illness outbreaks that claimed the lives of young children in township communities. The incidents exposed deep gaps in food safety oversight, informal retail regulation, and local economic systems.
In response, UNDP South Africa launched the Digital Innovation for Modernising the Independent Economy (DIME) initiative to ensure that no child’s life is ever put at risk by unsafe food sold in their local spaza shop.
The project’s four core pillars are:
Digital Transformation
Registering 20,000 spaza shops with digital IDs and compliance dashboards.
Deploying IoT-based food safety tools for hygiene and stock checks.
Providing real-time data to shop owners and municipal inspectors for improved accountability.
Capacity Building & Youth Empowerment
Training 30,000 township residents in digital literacy, food safety, and business management.
Establishing a network of 40 youth digital ambassadors — 60% of whom are young women — to mentor shop owners and drive digital adoption at the community level.
Financial Inclusion
Onboarding shops onto mobile money platforms and e-commerce supply chains.
Linking compliant businesses to wholesale and credit facilities.
Hosting financial literacy clinics to improve access to finance for informal entrepreneurs.
Governance, Advocacy & Sustainability
Strengthening municipal oversight through data-driven monitoring systems.
Convening public-private dialogues to align policy and investment priorities.
Establishing a tripartite MoU between UNDP, the City of Johannesburg, and Wakanda NPC to sustain local ownership.
Why It Matters
Township spaza shops are the heartbeat of local economies — providing daily essentials, employment, and community cohesion. Yet many operate outside formal systems, lacking access to digital tools, financial services, and safety regulation support.
DIME is changing that by bridging the gap between innovation and inclusion — ensuring that township entrepreneurs are not left behind in South Africa’s digital transition. By modernising these businesses, the initiative strengthens local economies, reduces health risks, and restores public trust in informal retail.
DIME reimagines township economies as safe, digital, and inclusive centres of growth. The initiative combines technology, training, and policy innovation to transform 20,000 spaza shops across 15 Gauteng townships into digitally connected, compliant, and community-trusted businesses.
Impact
