Why R9 Maize Meal in Diepsloot Is a Lesson in Spotting a Real Problem

At SKUBU in Diepsloot, a kilogram of maize meal costs R9. Elsewhere, the same kilogram costs about R20. That gap exists because of something called the poverty tax, and SKUBU is a business built to close it.

What the poverty tax is

Small packs cost more per kilogram than big ones. A 1kg bag of maize meal sells for R20 to R22, while a 10kg bag costs about R90 to R100. That makes the small bag roughly twice the price per kilogram.

The households that buy small packs are usually the ones that cannot afford bulk. Many township residents shop daily rather than monthly, because their income is not steady. So the people with the least money pay the most for the same food.

The pressure is real. In January 2026, the Household Affordability Index put the average monthly food basket for a family of four at R3,720.25.

How SKUBU solves it

SKUBU is a refill store. Shoppers bring their own containers and fill them with staples such as maize meal, cooking oil, sugar and cleaning products. The price per kilogram or litre stays the same whether you buy a little or a lot. With no packaging to pay for, the saving goes to the customer.

• Founder: Ebenezer de Jongh, previously a logistics manager at a large consumer goods company. He sold his house to raise the starting capital.
• Where: Two stores in Diepsloot, at the Chuma and Bambanani malls.
• Support: The CSIR found the model can cut single-use plastic packaging by up to 100% and save shoppers up to 50%.
• Plans: More than 30 stores across Southern Africa within two years.

SKUBU is not alone. Gcwalisa, in Alexandra, runs a similar weigh-and-pay model from containers, selling as little as R2 of sugar.

Why this is a lesson for founders

SKUBU did not start with an idea it liked. It started with a problem people already had: paying too much for food because of how it is packaged. The best businesses usually begin this way.

1. Observe a real problem. Notice where people pay too much, wait too long or go without.
2. Check who feels it most. SKUBU’s customers feel the poverty tax every day, so they need no convincing.
3. Change the model, not just the product. The maize meal is the same. What changed is how it is sold.
4. Make the saving obvious. R9 against R20 explains itself.

Before you build, ask yourself what problem you have actually seen, who pays for it today, and how your business makes their life measurably better.