Johannesburg - Due to the increased security risk on our roads, vehicle tracking and fleet management have become an indispensable part of day-to-day activities on South African roads, not just in South Africa but throughout Africa as a whole.
There is a high probability that your vehicles will be affected by crime at some point during the life of your fleet in South Africa. One of the people that has addressed these challenges is Thobeka Ntshangase (31) sole director of Malonjeni Logistics – a logistics company that hauls dry bulk products using tipper trucks.
It is through the challenges that she experienced in the transportation and logistics industry that Ntshangase, who is passionate about education and entrepreneurship established MyFleet Track in April 2021. MyFleet Track is a company that offers personal and business-vehicle tracking and fleet management solutions.
What is of significant importance is that MyFleet Track is 100% black woman-owned. “We don’t get much support and are often not trusted and outright undermined in workplaces. The logistics industry was a turning point for me. When I applied for funding at Small Enterprise Finance Agency (SEFA) for the transportation business to expand, the provincial manager who was supposed to assist me told me to my face that I was wasting my time and that black people fail and commit fraud towards the department.
“I was left shocked and almost gave up, he told me they would rather fund big established businesses,” she said. From that day she was driven to make the business work. “The sad reality for me is that black women are often operating in male-dominated industries and we shy away.”
Ntshangase firmly believes that it is women who can create opportunities for themselves and open up spaces for one another.
Without funding from SEFA, the company got private loans from friends, family and Malonjeni Logistics to start operating. A bulk of the loans that were used to start the business were recorded as loans and they are paying them back monthly. The business is focused on building a client database and growing the brand to attract at least 5 000 new clients within the next 12 months.
“We still finance our hardware installation and salary costs an option for new clients to pay an initial fee (covers immediate costs),” Ntshangase said. “We also faced a lot of financing issues, especially from the government and banks. The biggest cost of our business is the upfront costs associated with getting a client, installation, and keeping the client happy. Our hardware is paid for upfront and is shipped into the country, without hardware financing we often must cover the cost for all contract clients ourselves.”
They also had challenges with their brand image and how they could be identified from the rest. She further said: “With a small company you spend more on brand awareness and promoting the brand. Growth sales are the engine of any business, so with slow growth comes financial difficulties. We still face this issue and would likely start getting better once we have 5 000 to 7 000 vehicles on our system.”
MyFleet Track’s primary business is fleet management which involves developing solutions for companies that run one or more vehicles. “Most of the company’s expenses come from vehicle-related expenses and often, this aspect of the business is left unchecked.
“In the trucking industry for example truck drivers steal diesel and misbehave on the roads. Owners buy a truck unit for as much as R2.5 million yet do not invest in measures to safeguard the asset,” Ntshangase said.
MyFleet Track offers clients access to, vehicle visibility, stolen, and loss recovery (private network, theft alert, jamming detection, crash detection, panic button, vehicle immobiliser, auto/manual geofencing, driver, video telematics solutions, paid time off (PTO) management and temperature monitoring.
Their target market is broad and includes both personnel and businesses who want safety and to save money.
Ntshangase said the company offered telematics, which is the use of highly effective technology to secure one’s assets. The vehicle can be a small car that is used for deliveries daily or a truck. The use of telematics devices can alert you to the fact that your driver is driving poorly, wasting petrol or diesel by accelerating harshly, and when they have been involved in an accident.
She further said: “MyFleet Track helps have a bird's-eye view of your asset, from inside to outside, with the use of video telematics. Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) prevent accidents from afar to ensure your yellow plant is not used without your permission. With today’s telematics technology you still have control of your vehicles and assets even in your absences.”
They noticed a gap in this industry when they saw that most small to medium size logistics companies had difficulty getting real-time tracking and fleet management company which could offer them one platform to resolve their vehicle visibility concerns, and also give them total control of fuel data, tire pressure and control their trucks to prevent load theft.
“Most business owners also wanted an active system which would inform them when drivers misbehave on the roads, used harsh braking, sharp turning and used vehicles without authorisation. Most Business owners found it difficult to switch between two to three systems to get all this data and wanted a system to monitor all this information,” Ntshangase said.
The business has three parts which are hardware, software and customer service. The company uses the most advanced hardware with great technology capabilities to track and monitor assets. They offer glitch-free software to ensure 24/7 visibility of assets. The client can receive crucial data and perimeters to make informed decisions when it comes to their assets. Effective customer experience, making sure client assets are always secured with a professional team behind it all.
MyFleet Track has employeed 19 full-time employees and has advertised an addition of 10 sales executives and 40 sales representatives’ posts across South Africa. They also have a placement process of 10 new customer service consultants who will be added to more positions in 2023. Aside from the people they have hired, they have independent business owners who do installations and other work that MyFleet Track cannot afford to do internally.
Ntshangase said what set the company apart from the competition was that they had a solution called the MyFleet Double secure, which is an exclusive solution that no company offers locally which is the use of multiple tracking units, all running from different power sources and using technology to communicate.
The solution increases recovery chances to about 95% and has done very well for those in the vehicle rental space. The solution gives criminals many unforeseen challenges including setting alarms, locking doors and cutting relays of crucial components forcing the vehicle to be inoperative.
“The solution is offered on a more tailor-made base were depending on the number of vehicles we offer great pricing. With the increase in crime in South Africa, many companies are opting for camera solutions because they get to see everything happening inside the cabin and outside,” she said.
According to Ntshangase, another component that set them apart was their seamless application process. Clients do not have to sign many documents, the applications are done online. They also have flexible conditions for cash clients like easy cancellation and clients owning the hardware for life.