Buy pizza & more now at discount and eat it after the coronavirus lockdown

In a bid to ensure their businesses survive the lockdown crunch, owners are exploring different ways to keep afloat and their employees paid.

One of these companies is Roman's Pizza.

The company has started selling vouchers for pizzas, offering customers discounts once the lockdown is lifted.

The pizza producer was offering a 25% discount for every R100 voucher.

The vouchers can even be purchased as gift cards.

On Facebook, the promotion was seemingly well received, with many of the pizza outlet's patrons pledging to buy vouchers for themselves and their loved ones.

E-commerce is also assisting companies to stay afloat.

Petri Redelinghuys, founder of Say Siyabonga, a digital platform for business to showcase their products or services and sell vouchers, said he wants to see small businesses thrive.

Once the regulations are relaxed and lockdown is over, people who have bought the discounted vouchers on the platform can go out and enjoy using them.

“The idea is that a small business can list a voucher that allows them to earn money now and can use after lockdown if it’s a success. This will allow businesses to pay salaries during these tough times.

“The customers can come to redeem their voucher after lockdown. It can be a hair and beauty, restaurant, game drive experience, lifestyle services, alcohol, or anything really,” Redelinghuys said.

The voucher is valid for three years.

“Some people buy custom-made furniture, others get business registration services, it’s a variety of things. There’s also a booze store that’s doing well.”

Some businesses are independently finding creative ways to keep customers spending during lockdown.

Nederburg Winery and Four Cousins now offers a service where customers can order wine directly from them with special price offers — to be delivered post-lockdown.

A Cape Town-based cake shop, Knead Bakery & Café, is running a donation initiative for bread, bought from its online store. “So far, our customers have donated over 1,300 loaves of bread to those most affected by Covid-19! Can we hit 10 000 loaves?” the bakery posted on its website.