Resource
Maps & reviews starter
Find the right local fit before spending your first rand on suppliers or service providers.
This guide supports real briefs across Cape Town, Gauteng, and beyond. For a tailored pack, email magic@bizmagic.co.za.
- Written for South African founder teams
- Pairs with supplier notes
- Link your kit from the kits hub
What’s inside this worksheet
The 'Maps & reviews starter' is a plain working document for scoring suppliers or service providers in your area before you sign contracts or make your first payment. Built for hands-on use around Soweto or Tzaneen, it helps you weigh your options without sitting for hours at a laptop. Whether you’re planning deliveries to Chiawelo, scouting a courier in Tzaneen, or comparing cleaning services after a month-end mad rush, the starter guides you through the basics quickly.
- Supplier or service name
- Contact person
- Phone number
- Physical address
- Product or service offered
- Star rating (1-5)
- Number of reviews
- Main strengths
- Main concerns
- Quoted price or price range
- Earliest delivery date
- General notes
Fields include the supplier’s name, contact person, phone number, physical location, service or product offered, star rating (1 to 5), number of reviews (spoken, written, or online), main strengths, main concerns, quoted price or range, earliest delivery date, and a notes field for anything odd (like load-shedding schedules or upfront payment requests).
How to use it step by step
Use the document on your phone or print it out, making notes as you call, WhatsApp, or visit potential suppliers in the area. Even if you’re building your shortlist between running to the Tzaneen Magistrate's Court or collecting stock in Naledi, you only need a few minutes per entry. It’s best to gather info from three to five options per product or service.
- Print or open the worksheet on your phone.
- For each supplier or service, fill in their name, main contact, and phone number.
- Write the exact location or suburb (e.g. Orlando West, Nkowankowa).
- Describe what they offer (e.g. vinyl signage, skip hire).
- Ask or check reviews from local WhatsApp groups or Google listings. Give a star rating (1-5) and total number of reviews.
- List the main strengths (e.g. delivers before 10am, lowest quote).
- Note any concerns (e.g. requests 80% upfront, only takes cash).
- Record the price or range quoted.
- Add the earliest available delivery or completion date.
- Use notes for anything unusual (e.g. only open on Saturdays, affected by Stage 6 load-shedding).
Once your worksheet is filled in, you’ll see at a glance who’s actually got stock, who’s just promising, and who’s charging a tourist price. For more tools on supplier hunting, check out our other working documents or starter kits for comparing quotes and setting up your supplier records.
How a filled-in row looks
Suppose you’re comparing skip hire in Orlando East, Soweto. A filled-in row could say: Supplier: 'Ndlovu Haulage', Contact: Thabiso, Phone: 072 555 1002, Address: Union Ave, Service: 3m³ skip delivery, Rating: 4 stars, Reviews: 9 (from WhatsApp group and one Google), Strength: delivers within 3 hours, Concern: only accepts cash or immediate EFT, Price: R980 per skip, Delivery: by tomorrow if paid by 4pm, Notes: not available Sundays due to family commitments. This snapshot lets you compare to another supplier, say in Dobsonville, without juggling sticky notes or old text messages.
Common mistakes and when to bring it
A lot of founders forget to check for recent reviews or only get pricing, then you miss out when a Tzaneen supplier quietly hikes its rates after avocado season. Others skip the physical location, so you land up at the wrong taxi rank. Write down the person you spoke to, especially if it’s not the account holder. Don’t just use the top Google result. Always check if their hours fit your delivery runs or if they match your month-end rush (especially the 25th payday scramble).
Bring this worksheet with you when you attend an appointment-only supplier hub session in Sandton, Tzaneen, or Woodstock. If you’re prepping for a specific quote review, pop a note to our support team at magic@bizmagic.co.za and we’ll have the right supplier shortlists ready. For more supplier tips, see supplier notes and supplier lists. For questions on filling out the starter or getting a B-BBEE affidavit ready for a new supplier, our support folk are one quick email away.
