In the famous Vilakazi Street in Soweto, home to two Nobel Peace Prize winners, Sakhumzi Restaurant has become more than just a dining destination. Since 2001, founder Sakhumzi Maqubela has built a business empire spanning restaurants, Safana Panelbeaters, Ubumbano Towing, Astron Energy on Pela, and the Sakhumzi Training Academy.
We started with 4 employees and we now employee over 250 people, with more than 1000 jobs created along Vilikazi Street as other businesses followed Sakhumzi's lead. But scaling this vision required more than passion—it required technology that could handle complex payroll, financial inclusion for unbanked workers, digitised stockvel management, and efficient stock control across multiple businesses.
Technology enabling ubuntu: When better systems create better communities
The partnership demonstrates how locally-understood financial technology doesn't just process transactions—it enables the ubuntu philosophy of "when I rise, we all rise."
For workers: Previously excluded employees now have digital payment access, building financial identities and accessing the formal economy for the first time. Panel beaters who couldn't get bank accounts now receive wages with dignity through NewCard technology.
For the business: From 4 employees in 2001 to 250+ today, with streamlined payroll, efficient stockvel management, and integrated operations across restaurants, automotive services, fuel retail, and training—all managed through Altron FinTech's connected systems.
For the community: More than 1 000 jobs created along Vilakazi Street as Sakhumzi's success inspired 10+ restaurants and numerous craft businesses to open, transforming the area into a thriving tourist and cultural destination.
For financial inclusion: The Sakhumzi Training Academy now equips unemployed youth with skills and work opportunities, with many trainees receiving their first formal wages through Altron FinTech's systems.