Ngonyaka odlule uNgqongqoshe wezeziMali ugqugquzele abantu ukuthi babheke ukuthi ngeke yini abasiza amabhizinisi aziwa ngenetwork marketing njengoba isimo somnotho sintengantenga emhlabeni jikelele. Ngabe leli bhizinisi abanye abalididanisa namabhanoyi liyasiza ngempela? USLINDILE KHANYILE uyabika

“UMA uthola ithuba lenetwork marketing oliqonda kahle, ngicela ulisebenzise mfowethu noma dadewethu. Kuzothatha iminyaka engaphezu kwemibili ukuthi noma yimuphi umnotho uvuseleleke. Inqwaba yemizi nezimoto kuzodliwa kanti iyodwa kuphela indlela esizophuma ngayo – yinetwork marketing.”

Washo kanje omunye umbhalo kaNgqongqoshe wezeziMali ezweni uMnu uTito Mboweni kuTwitter ngonyaka odlule. Abanye bahleka usulu njengenhlalayenza uma kukhulunywa ngalolu hlobo lwamabhizinisi olubuye lwaziwe ngokuthi yimulti-level marketing.

Kodwa abanye bancoma ngoba befakaza ngokuthi ngempela amabhizinisi enetwork marketing ayishintshile impilo yabo. 

Izinhlobo zamabhizinisi enetwork marketing ziningi futhi zindala emhlabeni jikelele; naseNingizimu Afrika. Bambalwa abakhule bengamazi umuntu odayisa izitsha zeTupperware, ezisekhona namanje. Yiso leso nangamabhodwe odumo e-AMC, asayigugu namanje kwabanye, yize emiswe kabi yilawa adlisayo manje eLe Creuset.

Ziningi nezinye izinhlobo njengoba kukhona nalezo ezidayisa imikhiqizo yezempilo nesiza ukunciphisa isisindo sozimba njengeyeForever Living, iHerbalife njalonjalo. Kanti kukhona nalezo zemishwalense njenge-IFA nezinye izinhlobo eziningi njengezimonyo ze-Avon; zonke ziyizinhlobo zebhizinisi inetwork marketing.

Abashadikazi uMnu uPhilani noNkk uZimbili Mazibuko, abayizintatheli futhi ezisasebenza, baneminyaka ewu-12 bangena ebhizinisini i-IFA, umnikazi walo okuwuClientele Life.

UMazibuko nguye owangena kuqala ngaphambi kwezinyanga ezimbalwa ikuthi aganwe ngoba ebona ukuthi imali ayiholayo ayimeneli; njengoba ayesephila nangokuboleka imali kunina.

Wangena ethi nje uma engathola okungenani uR4 000 noma uR5 000 ngaphezu komholo wakhe wasemsebenzini kuzokwenza umehluko omkhulu kodwa wathola okuphindaphindiwe kunalokho njengoba kwaphela unyaka wokuqala esehola uR31 000.

“Uma uqala ibhizinisi lenetwork marketing uqala ngabantu obaziyo, ubameme ukuthi bazojoyina ibhizinisi bese nabo bameme ababaziyo. Kwathi sengihola ngaphezu kukaR10 000, sashintsha ukwenza ngoba sibona ukuthi yibhizinisi ngempela leli futhi lidinga ukuthi liphathiswe okwebhizinisi ukuze likhule, kumele sizimisele. Saqala saba nezinsuku zokulenza njengokuthi senze ama-braai, simeme abantu sizobachazela,” kukhumbula uMazibuko.

“Njengawo wonke amabhizinisi, uma likhula kuba nezinkinga zakhona futhi bayaphela abantu obaziyo nokudinga (ukuthi) uqhamuke nezinye izindlela zokuthola abanye abantu abazojoyina ngoba ibhizinisi lenetwork marketing lisebenza kanjalo, abantu bayangena futhi bayaphuma kulona,” kusho yena.

Umuntu wokuqala uMazibuko amumema, wajoyina wumkakhe kanti namhlanje unabantu abangu-6 250 abangaphansi kwakhe, abangu-1 000 kubona abafakwe wuNkk uMazibuko.

Banenqwaba yemizi, izingane zabo zifunda ezikoleni zomntakabani kanti abasakwazi nokuwabala amazwe aphesheya asebewahambele ngenxa ye-IFA. Sebekwaze nokwakha amanye amabhizinisi; njengeshisanyama iBlekes eseChesterville.

UNksz uZama Hlengwa, oneminyaka eyisikhombisa edayisa imikhiqizo yeForever Living, uthi naye ungene kuleli bhizinisi ngoba wayefuna indlela yokwengeza emholweni owawungeneli ngesikhathi esebenza ophikweni lokukhangisa kwenye yamanyuvesi.

Waqala ngo-2014 esasebenza kodwa kuthe ngo-2017 esebona ukuthi leli bhizinisi selidlula umholo wakhe ngokuphindwe kathathu, waqoma ukuyeka umsebenzi ukuze agxile kulona ngokugcwele.

“Enye into njengoba ngangisebenza ophikweni lwezokukhangisa, sasenza nemicimbi othola ukuthi yayiba sebusuku kanti emini usuke kade usehhovisi usuku lonke kodwa uze ufike ekhaya ebusuku ngabo-10 emva komcimbi kanti ngakusasa ekuseni futhi kumele uphindele ehhovisi. Kwasikhathi somndeni wami ngangingasenaso.

“Manje ngisebenzela ekhaya kanti ngithi ngisebenza ngibe ngikwazi nokwenza ezinye izinto zomndeni. Sonke singena lana sihehwa yimali kodwa kudingeka ukuthi uzikhandle ukuze uyibone imali, kumele ulikhangise ibhizinisi lakho ngoba uma ungakwenzeki loko, wenza lento okuthiwa kufana nokucishela intombazane (iso) ebumnyameni; akekho owaziyo noyibonayo into oyenzayo,” kusho yena.

UNksz uHlengwa uthi impilo yakhe isishintshe kakhulu njengoba ethi akasenazikweletu futhi usakwazi nokwakhela unina umuzi. Bakhule kubo beqashile ngoba unina wayesebenza emajalidini, engenawo amandla okuthenga umuzi kanti kwayena usekwazi ukufundisa izingane zakhe ezikoleni ezisezingeni eliphezulu; athi ngaphandle kwaleli bhizinisi ubengeke abe namandla azo.

UNksz uNokwazi Hlatshwayo, owunjiniyela e-Eskom, uqale ngo-2019 edayisa imikhiqizo yeHerbalife ngoba wayefuna ukwengeza emholweni wakhe ngoR3 000, ukuze ayeke ukuxakeka. 

Uthi yena waqala wayisebenzisa yena uqobo le mikhiqizo, wayibona ukuthi iyamsebenzela futhi uyayithanda kwase kuba lula ukuthi ayidayise ngoba vele uyakholelwa kuyona.

UNksz uHlatshwayo uthi manje wenza imali ephakathi kukaR15 000 noR20 000 ngenyanga, kuye nokuthi ibhizinisi lihambe kanjani kanti usephokophela ukuthi emva kweminyaka embalwa agcine eselisebenza ngokugcwele. 

Uthi yize ayengenele imali kuphela kuleli bhizinisi kodwa usethole okungaphezu kwayo.

“Sengikhulile mina uqobo futhi ngikhulile njengomholi ngoba ugcina usunethimba oliholayo nokungabantu okumele ubasize nabo (ukuthi) bakhule. Leli bhizinisi likwenza uqine ngoba uzama ukudayisa umkhiqizo kodwa uthola ukuthi kuke kwenzeke wonke umuntu avele anqabe ukuthenga, nokudinga (ukuthi) ukwazi ukukwamukela loko futhi ukhumbule ukuthi lo muntu unqaba nje kokunye yingoba engaqondi ngempela ukuthi angasizakala.

“Uyabona mina sekushintshe ngisho uhlobo lwezincwadi engizifundayo. Ngiyakuthanda ukufunda izincwadi kodwa bengithanda ukufunda kakhulu lezi ezibhalwe izindaba ezisuselwe ekhanda kodwa manje sengifunda nezincwadi ezikhuluma ngamabhizinisi nalezi ezikwakhayo wena uqobo njengomuntu. Uyaphoqeleka nje ukuthi uziphucule wena uqobo ngoba yibhizinisi leli olisebenzayo, akusikho ukujoyinisa abantu,” kusho yena.

Ngokusho kwenhlangano elawula le mboni iDirect Selling Association of South Africa kwi-website yayo, lena yimboni engenisa u$193 billion emhlabeni kanti amazwe ayisithupha ahamba phambili emhlabeni yiChina, i-USA, iKorea, iGermany, iJapan neBrazil.

Le nhlangano eyasungulwa ngo-1972 inezinkampani eziwu-26 ezingamalungu ayo kanti ithi bawu-1.2 million abantu abenza leli bhizinisi eNingizimu Afrika. Ithi le mboni ingenise uR13 billion ngo-2018.

Yize kulula ukungena kule mboni futhi kungadingi imali eningi kodwa ukuhlala kuyona nokufinyelela esicongweni okwedlanzana. UNkk Mazibuko uthi inetwork marketing njengawo wonke amanye amabhizinisi ayilona ibhizinisi elilula futhi idinga isineke.   

UNksz uHlengwa uthe okunye okulimaza abenza leli bhizinisi wukugcogcoma emabhizinisini anhlobonhlobo nokufika ebhizinisini umuntu enemqondo wokuthi uyazi ngoba mhlawumbe esuke eyinto enkulu lapho eqashwe khona.

“Uyawadidisa namakhasimende akho uma wenza leli bhizinisi namhlanje, kusasa futhi sebekubona usukwelinye ngoba uvele ubonakale njengomuntu olandela ibhodwe eliconsayo,” kusho yena. Enye inselelo ekhona ngaleli bhizinisi wukuthi abanye bacabanga ukuthi liyinto engekho ngoba belididanisa namabhanoyi. Kodwa uMazibuko uthe lokho kudalwa wukuthi abantu abaziniki isikhathi sokuyiqonda kahle inetwork marketing ukuthi injani.

ONksz uHlengwa noNksz uHlatshwayo bengeze ngokuthi okumqoka wukukwazi ukukhomba imali ukuthi kuthiwa izoqhamuka kuphi ebhizinisini ngoba uma kuyibhanoyi imali akucaci ukuthi ivelaphi.

UMboweni wagqugquzela abantu ukuthi babheke isisombululo kuleli bhizinisi nje yingenxa yokuwa komnotho ngenxa yokuhlasela kweCOVID-19, okuwise ngisho amabhizinisi amadala ngesikhathi amazwe evala imingcele ukuzama ukunqanda ukubhebhetheka kwalesi sifo.

Bonke laba abaxoxe noMbele nge-network marketing bathi bahleka bodwa ngalesi sikhathi izwe livaliwe ngoba amabhizinisi akhule ngamandla ngenxa yokuthi amabhizinisi abo ayenzeka ngobuchwepheshe besimanje, abantu bebenesikhathi sokuzama ezinye izinto besemakhaya futhi abanye bebefuna enye indlela yokungenisa imali ngoba imisebenzi isicikizela.

Lapha eNingizimu Afrika le mboni ilawulwa yiNational Consumer Commission.