Down to Earth, a plant-based and plastic-free food delivery service in Stellenbosch and Somerset West, has seen substantial growth in customers following the commencement of the national lockdown on 26 March.
The story of Down to Earth
Founded in 2016 by Axl Maas and Annette Venter, Down to Earth started out as a plant-based food delivery service. “We had recently gone plant-based, and certain food items were not readily available for us,” said Annette Venter, co-founded of Down to Earth. As a result, Venter and Maas began making their own vegan food and started selling them at a stall at the Vegan Goods Market, a monthly market in Cape Town focused on ethical and plant-based food.
The founders eventually realised that there was a demand for affordable vegan food and in 2018, they decided to expand their business to accompany vegetable boxes and plastic-free groceries. “In the largest scale, Down to Earth is a platform that seeks to connect local producers with local consumers,” said Axl Maas, co-founder of Down to Earth.
Down to Earth is also informed by the value systems of the founders, said Maas. “We made a business that is green, that always uses biodegradable packaging and all-natural ingredients,” said Maas.
The food delivery business, Down to Earth expanded to accompany vegetable boxes and plastic-free groceries in 2018. Photo: Facebook/Down to Earth.
National lockdown
Prior to the outbreak of the pandemic, business was relatively good for Down to Earth.
“Before the outbreak, we had a steady stream of clients every week,” said Maas. When news initially broke of the first confirmed coronavirus case in South Africa, Down to Earth saw a slightly larger increase in orders.
“After the coronavirus became a talking point, we did suddenly start receiving a few extra messages asking us [if] we will be continuing operations,” said Maas. Following the announcement of the national lockdown by President Cyril Ramaphosa on 23 March, Down to Earth saw an influx of new customers.
Down to Earth gained certification to operate during the lockdown period by the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) on 27 March.
“Business during the lockdown has grown exponentially fast,” said Venter. A positive of the mass of new clients has been job creation. “We see a massive influx of new clients every day and have had to hire more hands and delivery vehicles,” said Venter. “We are really trying our best to accommodate everyone and not just out of profit-seeking motives, but also because we realise that it is a crisis at this moment,” said Maas.
Enter Down to Earth was certified to operate during the lockdown period. Photo: Instagram/Down to Earth.
Preventive measures during lockdown
As Down to Earth is still operating during lockdown, they have had to implement measures to prevent the spread of the virus. “We briefed our employees on taking extra hygiene measures,” said Venter. Each employee is required to sanitise the workspace and wash their hands before handling every new product, said Venter. “Before we handle the produce, we spray our hands and any surfaces,” said Michael Smith, Down to Earth employee.
Furthermore, some customers have preferred for their deliveries to be left on their doorstep to prevent contact, said Venter.
In terms of preventive measures, Down to Earth generally operates in open spaces, where there is little contact between people and the products. “I think the structure of our business naturally lends itself to be a bit more resistant to the spread of the virus, that’s not to say it is completely,” said Maas. The business is still at risk of the spreading of the virus, like any other meeting point, said Maas. “The structure of our business itself is set up in such a way that the products are touched by far fewer hands by the time they reach the clients,” said Maas.
Down to Earth continues to bring fresh produce and locally-sourced goods to a mass of clients in the Stellenbosch and Somerset West Area.
“I think rather have one person deliver than a few go out to the store,” said Smith.