A Gauteng Bolt driver has launched Lupa Township Delivery, a zero-emission bicycle delivery service designed to improve access to food and essentials in underserved township communities. The award-winning initiative creates income opportunities for local residents while reducing transport emissions.
Image: Supplied
Kamogelo Lucas Modise’s journey from Bolt driver to award-winning entrepreneur is proving that some of South Africa’s most transformative ideas can emerge from within the communities they are designed to serve.
Modise, a driver from Gauteng, has built Lupa Township Delivery, a zero-emission bicycle delivery service created specifically for township communities. The initiative uses bicycles already owned by local residents to deliver food and essentials in areas often underserved by formal platforms, while creating income opportunities and reducing transport emissions.
His concept was developed through the Bolt Accelerator Program South Africa, where Modise placed in the top three and received the Most Innovative Idea Award. The project has since gone on to win Overall First Prize at the Gauteng Bambelela Business Awards, selected from 291 SMMEs across the province.
The model is both simple and impactful: local residents can register with Lucas Modise Enterprises (Pty) Ltd and use their own bicycles to deliver food in areas where many food businesses are hesitant or unable to operate.
Currently, four bicycles are actively operating within the township, and the company’s website is expected to launch soon, allowing more people to sign up and take part.
Beyond improving access to delivery services, the initiative also provides meaningful support to vulnerable community members.
“For elderly people, especially those living alone while children are at school, the service can be a lifeline, making everyday errands safer, faster, and more accessible,” the press release noted.
Modise credits much of his progress to the mentorship, training and resources offered through the Bolt Accelerator Program, which helped him refine and scale his idea into a viable business model with the potential to address mobility and logistics challenges across Gauteng and beyond.
“We are incredibly excited to see how the Bolt Accelerator Program has supported Kamogelo on his journey,” says Fikile Nzuza-Chunga, Senior Public Policy Manager for Bolt South Africa. “We are proud of how far he has come and everything that he has achieved. Kamogelo’s success shows what’s possible when we invest in the people within our driver ecosystem and give innovative ideas the space to grow.”
His success was reaffirmed on a provincial stage when Lucas Modise Enterprises (Pty) Ltd won Overall First Prize at the Hollywood Foundation’s 3rd Annual Gauteng Bambelela Business Awards, earning a R130 000 prize.
Hosted in collaboration with the Gauteng Department of Economic Development (GDED), the Hollywood Foundation, and MTN, the awards celebrated more than R11.7 million invested in empowering small businesses across South Africa.
Looking ahead, Modise plans to expand from Soshanguve into other townships across Gauteng, with the long-term goal of rolling out the model nationwide.