This document discusses BEN Namibia's e-Box program, which establishes community bicycle shops ("e-Boxes") across Namibia. The e-Boxes sell bicycles and spare parts to generate income for local development projects, employment, and resupplying the shops. Since 2005, BEN Namibia has grown the e-Box network from 1 shop to 26 shops. On average, e-Boxes sell over 10 bicycles per month and collectively earned a $164,000 profit in 2010. The e-Boxes have employed over 90 people and significantly increased the incomes of employees. The program demonstrates how bicycles can boost mobility, employment and prosperity in rural Namibian communities when supported by a sustainable business

1. Prosperity and Mobility in Namibia
Michael Linke-Bicycling Empowerment Network Namibia (BEN Namibia)

3. Namibian development challenges
• HIV/AIDS (17.8% of reproductive-age pop.)
• Unemployment (51%) and income disparity
• 60% of Namibians no access to motorised
transport
• 20% of population more than an hour from
any health facility
• Education system failing to produce skilled
workforce

4. Namibian development successes
• World-class community-based tourism
• Extensive and affordable cell phone coverage
• Good access to potable water
• Good HIV anti-retro-viral medication rollout
• Excellent roads (for cars, anyway)
• Some positive German colonial
legacies

5. BEN Namibia: Background
• Namibian registered non-profit
• Commenced May 2005
• Established to support to HIV/AIDs volunteers
• Funded by multi/bi-lateral agencies, local
business, individuals, charities
• Undertaken various bicycle-related projects
• 68 local partners
• Total 18,722 bicycles imported

8. Where’s the fish?
• Early bicycle donations well received but
community assessments showed much
broader demand than for just bikes
• Eg money, jobs, food (canned fish)
• Provided tools and training but no resources
to buy spares, and often nowhere to buy
within several hundred kms=bikes break down
• Clearly giving away bikes alone unsustainable

9. Distribution (in)efficiency
• Early bicycle distribution highly centralised
• High delivery expense
• Poor access to
maintenance
• Inefficient

10. Developing a business model
• Entrepreneurship & Apartheid hangover: only
one successful Namibian informal bike shop
• BEN Namibia-minimal resources, no regional
offices, no field staff, no Toyota Landcruisers
• Demand for quality, affordable bikes, existing
supply of new bikes poor quality, high price
• Looked to our partners to implement
partnership bicycle shops

11. Enterprise Box (e-Box)
• Overseas partners collect and ship bikes.
• Container delivered with 350+ bicycles to
grassroots organisations.
• Established as community bike shop.
• Training in bike mechanics and management.
• Stocked with spare parts and tools.
• Generates income for community projects.
• Some bikes still given to volunteers.

12. Enterprise Box (e-Box)

13. Enterprise Box (e-Box)

14. Implementation of an e-Box
• Partner organisation selects participants
• Container delivered to partner community
• Train up to 5 people in bicycle mechanics and
business skills
• During final week of training, e-Box opens for
business, sells bikes, spares and services
• Ongoing monitoring, evaluation and support

15. How income is used
• e-Box income funds local community
development work
• Employs up to five people full time
• Pays for resupply of bicycles
• Buys new spare parts
• Funds business expansion

16. Where do the bikes come from?
• Bicycles for Humanity (open-source bicycle
collection/fundraising model, main supplier)
• Bicycle charities, e.g. Re-Cycle (UK), Bikes for
the World, Working Bikes (US)
• Other partners, e.g. Mike’s Bikes (bike shop)

17. e-Box network development
2005
BEN Namibia
operations begin in
May.
e-Box concept not yet
developed.
BEN Namibia shop

18. e-Box network development
2006
1 e-Box

19. e-Box network development
2007
5 e-Boxes

20. e-Box network development
2008
9 e-Boxes

21. e-Box network development
2009
21 e-Boxes

22. e-Box network development
2010
26 e-Boxes

23. Quantitative results
• E-Boxes send monthly reports to BEN Namibia
• Tailored database for data capture
• Data collated, analysed and reported back
• Useful for checking project health
• Useful for projects to chart performance
• Provides feedback to donors on value of
investment

24. -
5
10
15
20
2008 2009 2010
Average monthly bicycle sales
(units) for all established e-Boxes

25. -
500,000
1,000,000
1,500,000
2,000,000
e-Boxes combined
performance 2010 in US$
Profit/Loss Income Expenses
US$
260,000
US$
93,000
US$
164,000

26. 77%
7%
11%
4% 1%
Bicycles
sales
Other
sources
Parts
sales
Services
Rental of
bicycles
e-Box income sources in 2010

27. e-Box expenditure 2010
16%
15%
35%
6%
28%
Salaries
Stock of
parts
Stock of
bicycles
Donation to
CBO
Admin

28. Some FAQs
• Q What does it cost to get a bike to a
Namibian village? A About US$30
• Q How much will it sell for? A US$40-US$90
• Q How much is a new basic poor-quality
mountain bike? A US$110-US$150
• Q What is the average income in Namibia?
A Security guard (low income earner)
US$60-80 per month

29. Impact on people involved
• 91 people directly employed through projects
• 45 men and 46 women
• Av 8.39 people in each person’s household
• 43.5% head of their household
• 62% never previously employed
• Av 710% increase in income after joining e-Box
• 80%- e-Box changed the way people see them
• Salary US$43-US$143

30. Success stories
• Rauna Shikongo, Opuwo

31. Success stories
• Hilya Ekandjo, Okathitu

32. Success stories
• Ester Ndendju, Walvis Bay

33. Success stories
• Isabella Thipungu, Divundu

34. Success stories
• Haingura, Nyangana

35. Success stories
• Bertha Namene, Okatana

36. Challenges
• Matching supply to demand
• Working with people with minimal education
and formal work experience
• Distances and resources
• Selecting the right partner organisation
• Second hand bikes—quality and consistency

37. Key strengths
• Enormous demand for product
• Network—more robust than single project
• Organic—didn’t start with fixed plan, built
through demand from the ground
• Responsive and flexible—small, locally based
team with multiple donors/income streams

38. The future
• Share methodology with other implementers,
e.g. Zambikes, Africycle (Malawi)
• Huge potential for replication/adaptation
• Adding new bicycles to product mix
• Beyond bikes—using e-Box as entry points for
other socially beneficial goods and services
• Leave e-Boxes as self-supporting network

39. Lessons learned
• Work with existing partners with expertise,
experience and local knowledge
• Foster networks and partnerships for mutual
cooperation and learning

40. Good people can do great
things if given an opportunity

41. Michael Linke
michael@bennamibia.org
www.bennamibia.org