Customer Experience Lessons from South African Informal Townships [Infographic]

This is the second in a three-part series on customer experience lessons I learned from a recent South African trip. Last week, I shared insights gained from the African bush and this installment will feature the truths that emerged from time spent at an informal settlement.

While doing a public event in Johannesburg, I met a couple (Melody and Graham Mclean owners of SUPERMAC Hygiene). During a dinner conversation, Melody and I began talking about the informal settlements and she told me how a church outreach project led the couple to create a trust to support education at one of the townships.

Melody and Graham offered to host a visit to that township, which I eagerly accepted. The pictures that follow reflect life in a township – absent electricity and running water. They capture an environment where child-led households are not uncommon (for example, a 14-year old boy might be raising his younger siblings after the death of his parents to AIDs). The pictures also show the power of a small group of people who have volunteered to create a community center with a powerful mission to help alleviate suffering and create educational, social, and vocational opportunities.

If you’d like to explore opportunities for your company to drive greater success by practicing gratitude, humility, optimism, and otherness, simply reach out.