Life would be hell without outsourcing. Modern society only works because we get to specialise on stuff we like while some other people handle what we cannot bear to do.
I know that if I had to farm my own food, I would have died of starvation ages ago. So, I deal with the eye strain from sitting in front of a computer screen every day without much fuss.
I’m just as thankful for builders, some policemen, doctors and everyone else who does for me what I could not do for myself.
That’s all good but somehow it’s not quite enough. I still have to deal with household chores. The absolute worst is laundry and I think we can all agree that this is the worst.
No wonder in Shona slang, if you say ‘ndawachiswa’ which translates to ‘they made me do the laundry’, it means they did me dirty/ they conned me.
What if someone did that for me too? Well, Softlife says ‘we’ll do that for you. Are you too cheap/broke to spring for a washing machine or too lazy to fiddle with one like me? Softlife is here to assist.
Softlife
Softlife exists to make your life easier. They want to take laundry, home cleaning and meal preparation off your plate (pun intended). Right now only laundry services are available, the other two should be coming late this year or early next year.
So, if you too would rather not spend your Saturday afternoon measuring out washing powder, here’s how Softlife could come through.
You simply visit their website/web app: softlife.co.zw, choose a laundry plan and they will come collect your dirty laundry and clean it for you. Alternatively, you can reach out via WhatsApp (0773442101).
You choose the number of times you want the service, either weekly, fortnightly or monthly. You then pick the day you want them to collect the laundry and that will be that.
To start, they will only be doing collections on Saturdays between 8:00am and 11:00am in Harare. And they will deliver the clean laundry within 24 hours. You can even have the laundry ironed if you want.
A single laundry bag has 20 items and Softlife will charge you $10 to clean that. Do note that one bed sheet counts as 4 items and a blanket/curtain counts as 10 items. But don’t try to sneak your underwear in there, they don’t do undergarments except for socks.
If you add a fiver they will iron those 20 items for you. Collection and delivery are free.
For now, the only payment option available is cash on delivery. Do note that their plans are monthly plans. So if you choose the weekly plan for example, you pay for the full month and they will come to collect the laundry every week until the month lapses, at which time you will have to renew if you still want the service.
Don’t fret though, you are not tied to a plan beyond one month. If you want a once-off service you just pick the once-a-month plan and you won’t be forced to renew.
Will this all work?
I don’t doubt that there are customers for the service that Softlife is providing. In fact, there are many laundry service providers already that have been in business for years.
Where Softlife can have the edge is in their offer to collect from anywhere in Harare at no extra cost. You will find the competition offering free collection and delivery only in neighbourhoods close to their premises.
The question then becomes, how much will this transport cost eat into Softlife’s margins?
The Softlife website is a nice touch but with most people living within WhatsApp and Facebook’s gardens it won’t be that much of a big deal. Softlife allows for WhatsApp comms and so should be good there.
Being a new startup Softlife will have to be creative on how they convince people to use the service. It is a bit of an ask to expect someone to part with their money and clothes to a startup they have never worked with before.
However, like it is for every other startup, each successfully completed job increases the chances of going mainstream. Word of mouth is the name of the game. In due time even the most untrusting individuals will be using Softlife or its competitors.
Softlife wants to provide an accredited insurance service of some kind to ease the worries of would-be customers. However, there is no date for when that will happen.
What of mixups and missing clothes?
Softlife takes pictures of the clothes as they are packed to be carted off and an album is created in the name of the customer. Those pictures will be used to confirm that everything that was collected was delivered back.
Softlife has professional laundry taggers on the way. Those should help with keeping track of the laundry.
What do you think about Softlife? Are you as likely to use the service as I am? If not, what would need to be changed for you to use this service or any similar one? Do let us know in the comments section below.
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15 comments
Weird
Hembe 20 kuwacha $10 kudhura uku kwete zvekutamba. usually my laundry is done by ana tinowacha vanofamba munastreets waye. $10 iyoyo wanotosota basket rese boe zvirismart futi.
Vamwe vemumastreets vanoenda ne-clobber rako rese, rakatota kudaro, wotozoona kuti ndiwe wawachiswa. 😂
Usazungaira iwe haungotore chero munhu paMbare kaa unobvunzawo mai dzemusika kuti ndoda munhu anowacha 2 minutes vanokuratidza vagara vachiwachira vamwe.
Ana tinowacha vanofamba mumastreets vatoriboe pane izvi $10 inorowa laundry basket yese nema sheets futi
Masocks wanozvifambisa sei pakuwerenga ma items 🥺
I must say, it’s a rather interesting concept.
Interesting, they should include something called “duty” in high density suburbs – cleaning the house, and the yard, delivering water and emptying bins
Great idea …….(My two cents on this matter)they should have a platform that allows those who are willing to do laundry 🧺 for others (agents)Vana tinowacha vemu street … where they can charge them a certain fee for using their platform for example like what Uber is doing and customers will be able to rate agents according to performance ..l think this will push their brand name and serve a wide range of customers…for example an agent in Budiriro can serve those who are closer to their geographical area……. ..but first thing first they should verify if the agent have the ideal place and apparatus which they prefare to be used, maybe a washing machine an electric iron etc ………But kana Vana maitiro avanoita laundry pa chi extraterrestrial idea yavo bhoo futi yakadaro
This is actually great, I think their target market are mainly those financially comfortable bachelor’s who are too busy or just lazy to do their own laundry like me, lol… Many of the uptown people have maids, but sebhachura bho zvekut!
Hahaha
Startups in zimbabwe need to be Socio-centric to the Zimbabwean culture
My friend owns a Dishwasher and a Washing Machine ,but he never uses it,Dry Clean is another unZim thing too
Dry cleaning was a very normal activity. Most white collar employees would get their suits and slacks dry cleaned, even school blazers were dry cleaned. The bad economy has made people start “dry cleaning” at home.
There are also plenty with washing machines, but dish washers, not so many. Perhaps your friend doesn’t know how to use the device 🙈 you never know. A wrong setting can make your wash cycle incredibly and inconveniently long or too brief. You also need reliable Zesa and good water pressure. May he just bought it to seem fancy, but he is an exception.
great initiative! especially with use of technology as well
Idea good but service a bit on the high end.
Pa Lula apo you’re not wrong. I was pleasantly suprised it was easier than a hooker. There’s a lil bit of ethos left afterwork 😆
Good idea