'Getting into your neighbour’s business' — A community network

A Kirstenhof resident, Marc Bovim, has launched a local business network and directory to give small businesses a boost and help residents find anything they need -  from a butcher or a baker to a candlestick maker.

The Kirstenhof Community Business Network (KCBN) was started in July 2023 and grew out of a business breakfast Mr Bovim had arranged selfishly to find clients of his own, but it turned into a great connector for small business entrepreneurs, he said. 

“Right off the bat, it was clear there was this need for a local directory, a place where residents could find the services they needed and support local business.

"While WhatsApp and Facebook groups are constantly bombarded with the same referral questions for the names of plumbers, house sitters and dog walkers, without a directory, you’d never know if you had a locksmith living next door."

This insight inspired the tagline for KCBN: ‘Get into your neighbour’s business.’

More than 20 people attended that first business breakfast, held at the CHS Life Centre in Kirstenhof and over the past two years, the network and directory of local businesses have grown to include over 80 members.

The network held its first monthly market — featuring over 50 vendors — on Saturday, May 31, and plans to run a market on the last Saturday of every month, along with a business expo at the CHS Life Center. In October, the network also launched a “big black donation box” to create a central drop-off point for charitable donations in Kirstenhof. Charities are invited “to take over” the boxes on an ad-hoc basis.

For Mr Bovim, the network has become more than just business - it’s about uplifting the community.

“If you want to uplift a community, you need to uplift the people. And if you want to uplift the people, you need to give them a space and a platform for them to raise awareness of what they are offering whether it's a service or a product, or just something of value to the area.

“And that's kind of my only rule with the business network, is that you're welcome at the table if you add value to the community or to somebody in the community,” said Mr Bovim

Ward councillor Carolynne Franklin, who cut the ribbon for the opening of the market, said the inaugural Kirstenhof Community Market was a true reflection of what can happen when good people come together with purpose and energy. “Under Marc Bovim's guidance, makers, traders, vendors, and residents connected in our engaged and supportive suburb, enjoying a day of conversation, purchases, and shared enjoyment. My greatest wish is to see this monthly market flourish, becoming a well-loved and respected hub for sharing, spending, and collaboration.”

For more information about the Kirstenhof Community Business Network, visit its directory website at https://kcbn.co.za/directory/