ZOK Cellular, an initiative that aims to connect people and empower entrepreneurs to build sustainable businesses, is relying on Itec to install and support multifunction products (MFPs) at its 'containers' (retail stores set up in shipping containers) across South Africa.
The company, a partnership between Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs and the Zion Christian Church (ZCC), helps budding entrepreneurs from disadvantaged communities to set up stores that provide technology and retail services.
These stores are each outfitted with an ATM machine, an MFP, fax machine, telephones and Internet-connected computers. The owners of the stores provide services such as Internet access, telephony, printing and copying to members of their communities.
To date, ZOK has rolled out 69 containers that it owns itself, and a further 23 that are owned by franchisees. Most of these containers feature the Itec MFP as the printing and copying solution of choice.
Says Nonhlanhla Matshazi, CEO of ZOK Cellular: “We are in business to help emerging entrepreneurs build up their skills and to create sustainable businesses of their own, while also providing retail, public telephones, banking, Internet and fax facilities to their communities. Printing and copying are among the core services that each of our entrepreneurs offers.”
These containers needed printing and copying solutions that offer good quality, coupled with affordability, ease of use and convenience. Reliability is a critical factor since many of the containers are found in relatively remote parts of the country, including rural areas. The Itec MFP meets all these criteria, says Matshazi.
Itec's countrywide service network and its ability to provide support, maintenance and training nearly anywhere in South Africa are also important to ZOK Cellular. Itec has proven to be a reliable service provider that completes new installations on time, Matshazi adds.
Says Andre Venter, Director at Itec Free State: “We are proud to partner with a dynamic business such as ZOK Cellular, which is connecting people in disadvantaged parts of the country and connecting their lives, in turn helping communities to develop.
“Itec is working closely with ZOK as a strategic partner with the aim of helping the company and its licensees to offer quality printing and copying solutions to customers at an affordable cost. Our aim is to ensure that each container can provide a reliable and cost-effective service to its customers.”
Additional information:
For further information about Itec, please visit http://www.itecgroup.co.za.
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