Everywhere you turn in South Africa today, you’ll hear the same story—from the hairdresser down the street, the guy who fixes your gate, to the woman running a small online bakery: “Things are tough.”
Running a small business has never been easy, but in today’s climate, it’s become a high-wire act with no safety net. Between escalating fuel prices, increased food and utility bills, load shedding, and the rising cost of simply existing, small businesses like mine are being squeezed from all sides.
I’m the founder of Jou Nutsman Pty Ltd, a local handyman business offering home maintenance, security installations, small IT setups, and more. We serve communities, homes, and small companies across our region with pride and integrity. But behind the scenes, we face a hard truth: the costs of keeping the lights on and the wheels turning are rising faster than most of us can keep up.
Marketing is often painted as the key to business success. “Just get your name out there,” they say. But the reality is that marketing costs money—money many small companies don’t have after rent, fuel, wages, tools, transport, and debt repayments. Without exposure, we don’t get more clients. Without clients, we can’t grow. It’s a cycle that’s slowly suffocating many of us.
That’s why I’ve turned to BackaBuddy—not as a last resort, but as a lifeline. I’m asking you, not just to donate to Jou Nutsman, but to support the principle of local business. Your contribution doesn’t just help us afford marketing or upgrade our tools; it helps us reach new customers, employ more people, and provide dependable services at fair prices to the communities we care about.
Your support, even in the smallest form, echoes far. It means more jobs. More repaired homes. More safe families. And most importantly, it means one less honest business has to shut its doors.
In a time when big chains dominate and overseas corporations pull money out of the country, backing small is how we fight back.
Please consider donating or sharing our campaign.
🔗 https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/help-jou-nutsman-get-a-bakkie-build-a-dream
Let’s rewrite the South African business story—one small business at a time.
Thank you for believing in local. Thank you for backing Jou Nutsman.
