“Bra Todd Supermarket

Founded in 1985 by the Dibate family, Bra Todd Supermarket is a family-owned grocery store in Boipatong Township, Vaal. The store is the brainchild of first-generation entrepreneurs, Bra Todd and Evodia Dibate. It has become a popular destination for township residents to purchase groceries and other goods.

The store has given many young locals the opportunity of first-time employment and currently employs 30 people who are mostly women.

“Most of our employees had this as their first formal employment, earning no less than the legislated national minimum wage with UIF & COIDA benefits, ” said Sammy Dibate.

He pointed out that Black-owned businesses in the townships face investor reluctance and lack of infrastructure, making it difficult to compete.

With the help of GEP, the business was able to acquire new equipment and expand. This growth allowed them to settle their debts by 2022, leaving the business and its assets without any debt or obligations, ready to move on to the next stage.

“We have allowed the business to grow organically as it matured. We hope to impact   more lives in communities as we scale up our business in the near future.”

In search of meaningful financial and business support to expand their business, Bra Todd Market approached many organizations and GEP was one of the institutions that provided assistance.

“We wanted a funding partner that would understand our vision, believe in our capabilities and be part of the journey as we grow to pursue both social and financial returns. GEP was instrumental in assisting our business to meet our equity contribution and fulfil the principal loan conditions.”