It has become commonplace to see ads online of people saying they are runners. A runner is someone who offers cross-border errand services. This is a trade that has been in practice for so many years. It is just that lately, it has become such a busy domain. The pandemic significantly led to that due to widespread limited movement. So with that background, let’s discuss how to become a South Africa-Zimbabwe runner. Why South Africa in particular? This stems from the fact that most of the stuff used in Zimbabwe people sources from South Africa.
What Being A Runner Entails
Zimbabweans usually source their stuff from South Africa. I am talking about the whole spectrum of stuff people use. Core examples are groceries, clothing, appliances, accessories, furniture, building materials, stationery, and countless more. People source stuff either for home use or for commercial purposes. You will find that most retail businesses or hustles in Zimbabwe involve stocks sourced from South Africa. However, there is a hurdle most people struggle with. Not everyone has the liberty to travel to South Africa any time they feel like it. This stems from a wide array of reasons some of which are costs, passport issues, and innumerable possible circ*mstances. That is where the runner comes in. They come in to bridge that gap between products needed from South Africa and those needing them here.
Approaches
The specific rollout approaches of being a runner are infinite – you just have to be creative. Regardless I would say broadly, there are 3 major approaches to becoming a runner. Here they are:
Zimbabwean-Based
You can be full-time in Zimbabwe but be a runner for stuff sourced in South Africa. Variations to this can involve you periodically travelling to South Africa to get orders. Alternatively, you can leverage on contacts you have in South Africa. The bottom line is that you must have an operational framework that gets things done. If you can go in person to get people’s orders that can be the best approach. This is because you will have first-hand oversight and control of the whole procurement, transportation, and delivery process.
South-African Based
This is like a flip version of the previous approach. You can frequent travelling to Zimbabwe delivering orders. If you have reliable contacts in Zimbabwe you can use them. A South African-based runner might be more convenient in that they are familiar with the territory. Plus their being there gives them ample time to move around and consider options. Unlike a visiting Zimbabwean who will be having limited time because they are not based there. However, this is not cast in stone and it is always best to weigh the merits of each scenario in isolation.
Cross Border Transporters
Then we have cross border transport operators. These already have the advantage of having the transportation mechanism for the goods. There being a runner comes as a bonus because that is not their core business. They are in the business of ferrying people or goods across the border. That is why they can leverage on that to be a runner since they are always in and out of South Africa. This means the actual transport operator company can offer a runner service. The staff i.e. conductors, drivers, and the like can be runners as well. The key to point out here is that the two previous approaches can partner with this third approach.
Important Things To Consider
Transparency And Honesty
There are many people with bad experiences with runners. They have been victims to runners vanishing with the money. They have been victims of runners delivering substandard or damaged goods. They have been victims to runners creating fake stories to dupe them. They have been victims of unreasonable fees and at times being asked to top up. The accounts are many but the bottom line is that most runners are fraudulent.
So if you decide to become a runner you must uphold transparency and honesty. You would not want to have people bitter about you or even get jailed because of fraud and dishonesty. Bite only what you can sufficiently chew. I have usually noticed that wanting to make a quick buck leads runners to dupe people. Focus on starting small and steadily building your enterprise honestly. The great thing about being a runner is that it is scalable and can be pivoted easily.
Niching Can Be Wise
If you can you can be a universal runner who can source anything for clients. However, I do not recommend that approach; in fact, it is a recipe for disaster. Success in business or entrepreneurship is tied to effective niching. You must have a target market so that you maximize your efforts on that. A jack of all trades is seldom a master of none. Niching helps you develop lasting working relationships with suppliers. This ends up translating to several benefits such as discounts, relaxation of payment terms, and early knowledge of specials, amongst other things. Hoping from here to there across the whole range might not be practical and beneficial in the long run. If you are into cosmetics, major in that, if you are into furniture, major in that, and so on.
Create A Brand
Create a brand for runner services; do not just be known as a mere runner. Have a brand name, a logo, have a structure, have a vision, mission; have core values. Even go as far as registering your services as a legal entity. Open social media accounts, WhatsApp groups, and have a WhatsApp Business account. You can even get a simple website set up. Nothing can stop you from even having physical offices. Do not limit yourself, think big! All this will contribute towards you being taken seriously.
Being a runner should not just be something that seems mere and ordinary. It can grow into a big brand and you could be the game-changer. Offer great service; build an online presence and a build community around your brand. The possibilities are endless!
