Affordable Tech Solutions: Cape Town Woman Supports Her Community Through Phone Repairs
Nosiviwe Mdingi discovered cheap replacement parts on Temu, allowing her to launch a phone repair business from home
If something’s wrong with your phone, neighbours know to try Nosiviwe Mdingi first. The 40-year-old electrician in Blackheath estimates she’s repaired over 100 devices for neighbours in the past year or so in the South African Western Cape province.
It all started when she enrolled in a phone repair course in 2023, after noticing strong demand in the community for convenient repairs. Most repair shops are in Cape Town’s city centre, about an hour away from Blackheath, making it an inconvenient, if not costly, trip for most of the community’s older residents.
Mdingi said she saw elderly neighbours clinging to broken or outdated phones they couldn’t afford to replace, and even younger people abandoning damaged devices.
She started offering basic repairs from home, but replacement parts were expensive. She was struggling to find a way to launch the service affordably until she found Temu.
By sourcing screens, batteries, charging ports, and tools through the global e-commerce platform, she could finally bring costs down enough for neighbours to afford. A replacement screen typically costs her around 200 rand (about $11). She charges 50 to 100 rand for labour, meaning a full repair runs about 300 rand—a fraction of what residents would pay in the city, and far less than a new phone.
“Everything I use comes from Temu,” she says. “It keeps my prices low and my business going. The best part is that you can find everything in one place—sometimes a phone needs more than one component.”
A recent News24 survey found that 46% of South African shoppers save more than half of their budget by using Temu, with nearly 40% shopping on the platform at least once a month. Mdingi sees that value in her own work every day.
Recently, an elderly man brought her a Samsung phone with a shattered screen. She ordered a replacement from Temu and fixed it. He was relieved to see his grandson’s face on the screen again.
Most of her customers are elderly residents from the surrounding community. Word spread, and neighbours began asking for more than hardware fixes, coming in for software updates and app installations. Many are fearful of online scams, so Mdingi walks them through setting up mobile banking step-by-step.
With more and more residents coming to her, she hopes to take her business to the next level by getting a separate space away from family members. She’s eyeing a small prefabricated unit on Temu that she can use to create a dedicated space next door.
Looking ahead, she wants to approach local colleges about teaching phone repair to give students a chance to build their own livelihoods.
“Phones are essential to everyday life. Fixing a phone isn’t just about hardware—it’s about restoring part of someone’s life.”
Featured Image: Square Repair