About Us
Yebo Fresh is inspired by the need for transformation in the world of township shopping, as well as for making quality, fresh food and household goods accessible to all.
When lockdown first hit on 28 March 2020, we had been operating for little over a year as a young startup. The team consisted of six people back then and we were not prepared for the growth that hit us. However, we found ourselves in the ideal position to partner with a wide range of NGOs and Community Action Networks, to get food parcels out to those most in need.
At the same time, generous sponsors identified Yebo Fresh as a simple and safe way to send orders to their staff, township families and the communities that they cared about. All of this meant that we saw our volumes grow by thirty times almost overnight. Through the height of lockdown, together with our partners we managed to deliver over 85 000 food parcels all over the greater Cape Town area.
Impact-driven growth
This growth both enabled and necessitated a move into our new 1,200 sqm warehouse. We now employ over 38 full-time employees, recruited from the communities that we serve. We built a strong business foundation in terms of systems, processes and work culture. We have a loyal customer base and have made valuable partnerships.
This increase in our scale and capacity brought new business opportunities; in the past few months we have ventured into serving local spazas, street vendors, township fast food restaurants, schools, ECDs, soup kitchens and other organisations. Each new segment comes with new challenges, many learnings, plenty of mistakes and some serious headaches. It is an incredibly rewarding and humbling journey.
Tech-centric logistics
Yebo Fresh is a tech startup that would not exist or be viable without mobile technology, smart backend systems, extensive data analysis and a constant drive to optimise our performance. Our orders are processed digitally and we use a combination of off-the shelf tools and customised technology for our production management, forecasting, delivery planning, price management and other core processes. Because we have to keep our prices and thus our margins low, being super smart and efficient in our operations is essential. For efficiency, planning and safety reasons we apply end-to-end tracking and tracing of our orders and drivers.
Nationwide expansion Our team at the Johannesburg warehouse
Meet the Team
Cape Town Head Office
Jessica Boonstra
Jessica founded Yebo Fresh in 2018 with a vision to supply township communities with affordable on-demand business and home grocery deliveries.
She spearheads the continuous growth of the brand which now delivers groceries to almost every major township in the Western Cape & Gauteng province.
Catherine Waldemar Brown
Head Of Procurement & Buying
Catherine has been with Yebo Fresh since inception and oversees procurement while building lasting relationships with farmers and food suppliers across the country.
She specialises in understanding local consumer demand for different brands and is famous for negotiating the best prices for Yebo Fresh’s customers.
Yusra Ryklief
People Operations
Responsible for Yebo Fresh’s nationwide People Operations department including the on-boarding and recruitment for Cape Town & Johannesburg. She is an experienced H.R professional, and who carries a Bachelor’s Degree, majoring in Human resource Management & Industrial Relations.
Faith Depa
Customer Experience Manager
Faith oversees all Yebo Fresh’s customer relationships and is often seen wearing a microphone headset, ready and waiting to direct incoming customer calls and messages.
From ordering to payment, packing and delivery Faith and her team ensures the entire process is perfectly run resulting in many happy customers.
Yoliswa Henama
Financial Accountant
Uvina Mokonyane
Nombasa Silingile
B2C Production Manager
Manages our Business to Customer division and is responsible for the planning, coordination and control of production process, makes sure that goods and services are produced efficiently, at the correct amount and at the right cost and level of quality for our B2C projects.
Kat Moloi
Ruth Chunga
Uvina Mokonyane
Uvina Mokonyane
Uvina Mokonyane
Dean Taylor
Chief Financial Officer
Byron Rode
Byron is a problem solver and not afraid to get his hands dirty. He joined the team, bringing close to 2 decades of know-how and experience in engineering, e-commerce, fulfilment and the payments space to bring in and grow the next phases of our tech platforms, warehouse automation, and hardware/software integrations and handles all things tech and engineering at Yebo Fresh.
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Mike Jones
Head Of Operations
Techie and Chief Operating Officer Mike Jones joined the team with a background in coding and business development.
Around the office he is known for his extraordinary sense of humour (even on Mondays). He’s passionate about the concept of scaling in tech start-ups, particularly companies with an interest in providing business solutions to areas affecting marginalised or low-income communities.
Warren Wentzel
Head of Production
Oversees Yebo Fresh’s Production activities in Cape Town and Johannesburg. Warren is responsible for the planning, coordination and control of production processes and makes sure that goods and services are produced efficiently, at the correct amount and at the right cost and level of quality.
Simon Peters
Head Of Special Projects
Simon oversees an array of projects related to NGO’s and small businesses.
As Head of Special Projects at Yebo Fresh he works closely with operational teams to ensure that the scope of the project fits the budget and that members involved complete each phase of the project within the scheduled timeline.
Experienced in planning, negotiating and sales, Simon organises, leads, and helps execute company projects which may fall outside the scope of regular duties.
Nolan Fabrik
Operations Manager
Leads Yebo Fresh’s Operation activities in the warehouse for Cape Town and is responsible for the planning, coordination and control of business operations processes and making sure that goods and services are produced efficiently and at the correct amount, at the right cost and level of quality.
Warren Wentzel
Head of Engineering
Oversees Yebo Fresh’s Production activities in Cape Town and Johannesburg. Warren is responsible for the planning, coordination and control of production processes and makes sure that goods and services are produced efficiently, at the correct amount and at the right cost and level of quality.
Warren Wentzel
Head of Production
Oversees Yebo Fresh’s Production activities in Cape Town and Johannesburg. Warren is responsible for the planning, coordination and control of production processes and makes sure that goods and services are produced efficiently, at the correct amount and at the right cost and level of quality.
Aqeem Jones
Aqeem joined the team with a background in coding, multimedia, WordPress development and digital marketing specifically paid media. He oversees the websites frontend and product master data for all Yebo Fresh’s online product offerings while working closely with departments in the business to achieve accurate catalogue information for online shopping and marketing.
Aqeem holds a Diploma in BCOM Marketing management and certificates in internet technology.
Egan Vorster
FMCG Project Manager
Marvin Stober
Logistics Manager
Tarique Samodien
Warehouse Manager
Siphesihle Blayi
B2B Production Manager
Ticha Nerwande
Sales Manager
Tichafara grew into the Sales Manager role less than a year after joining the Yebo Fresh team as a junior staffer.
His analytical mind and insight into consumer buying and decision making patterns are what he is most widely known for.
Originally from Zimbabwe, Ticha has a background in NPO fundraising and social-good projects.
Moeneer Hattas
Sales Manager
Munier has years of experience in sales and negotiating. He successfully leads the sale of Yebo Fresh’s product offerings by Spaza’s and SMME’s; by identifying opportunities, educating prospects on products through calls, trainings, and presentations, while providing existing customers with exceptional support and product offering.
Mbuso Sibanda
Johannesburg Warehouse
Lebo Tshabalala
Operations Manager
Leads Yebo Fresh’s Operation activities in the warehouse for Johannesburg and is responsible for the planning, coordination and control of business operations processes and making sure that goods and services are produced efficiently and at the correct amount, at the right cost and level of quality.
Thandeka Khumalo
Annaliza Mockena
Marketing & Brand Specialist
Thabiso Dubazana
Regional Sales Manager
Thabiso drives the daily and long-term regional sale operations of the business for Johannesburg. And as Regional Sales Manager he is responsible for setting and adjusting sales goals based on deep knowledge of individual store selling patterns to Spaza’s, B2B’s and B2C customers.
Sipho Nonjola
Operations Assistant
Sipho works with management and teams to ensure that operational administrative duties are completed and that the warehouse in Johannesburg functions efficiently.
David Maboe
Sales Representative
David leads the sale of Yebo Fresh’s product offerings to Spaza’s and SMME’s by identifying leads, educating prospects on products through calls, trainings, and presentations, while providing existing customers with exceptional support.
Simon Skafu
Sales Representative
Simon leads the sale of Yebo Fresh’s product offerings to Spaza’s and SMME’s by identifying leads, educating prospects on products through calls, trainings, and presentations, while providing existing customers with exceptional support.
Siviwe Mngqibisa
Folklift Driver
Onwards and upwards.
Our Series A investment was completed in August 2020 and we have started to apply this funding to increase both our local footprint, (we now deliver all over greater Cape Town) as well as the products we offer. At the same time we have been able to expand the expertise of our team and further strengthen our fulfillment capability.
We are excited that on the 3rd of December, Yebo Fresh was selected as one of the top 5-winners of HeavyChef’s ‘South Africa’s most exciting startups 2020’ list.
We are currently preparing for National Expansion and a next growth fundraise in the first half of 2021.
“While a lot of tech businesses in South Africa seem to exist despite the crippling poverty and inequality in the country, Yebo Fresh is a tech startup that exists in response to and in support of those for whom delivery is not a luxury but a lifesaver.
Cheryl Kahla – Writer at TheSouthAfrican.com
