Startup offers tech device rentals at a reduced cost for SA businesses 

With reduced company revenues on account of SA’s extended lockdown, businesses are focusing on saving costs and rethinking the relationship with their equipment. 

Leasing, rather than buying, essential hardware can offer a quick solution for cash-strapped companies and a new startup, YBuy is offering this unique service at a reduced cost.

YBuy

Founded in 2020, YBuy, is a tech startup owned by JSE-listed Blue Label Telecoms Group. The startup provides corporate South Africa with delivered-to-the-door mobile and hardware rentals, such as cell phones, laptops, tablets, and routers.

The startup offers cost savings averaging 25% compared with purchasing for local businesses.

YBuy was started by a team with extensive corporate experience and a deep understanding of what is needed to remove the hassle of necessary IT equipment. YBuy does a full device requirement analysis for each business unit and customises proposals relevant for each customer. This offering is available nationwide for businesses.

Grant Defries, CEO of YBuy explains that their service offering was launched at a pivotal time for businesses due to the impacts of lockdown. 

“We started YBuy just before lockdown, but our service is even more necessary now. The YBuy rental model allows you to manage your business instead of your devices and you get better prices, shorter contracts, insurance, repairs, surplus stock to negate any downtime as well as on-demand upgrades even during the contract,” Defries explains. 

Unique offering and benefits 

In addition to cost savings, YBuy offers the convenience of a one-stop solution for the sourcing, repairs, insurance, and replacement of the hardware and SIMs – a process usually fraught with complexity. 

Through its innovative integrated mobility solutions, YBuy also facilitates the control of employee data usage. 

By stopping data abuse, it solves a serious business challenge. Company-wide or employee-specific limits can be set on data, leading to predictable costs and the ability to track staff productivity.

The risks of theft and breakage are seamlessly handled by YBuy, ensuring that businesses are not inconvenienced. In addition, YBuy offers device immediate device replacement as it has additional swap stock units. 

Defries, comments on YBuy’s service offering of device rentals. 

“Leasing is a very popular model overseas but South Africans have preferred to rather own their tech. There’s no need to own expensive hardware that depreciates the moment you take off the packaging and too many of us have old devices gathering dust in our drawers. That’s tangible value you could be putting into your business.

YBuy buys out existing network contracts for the residual value of the mobile device, in line with the bespoke contract terms, it has with its customers.

Due to YBuy’s relationship with Blue Label Telecoms, customers benefit from discounts on products such as airtime and data bundles. Clients will be able to sell their phones at the end of a contract and receive an upgrade with YBuy’s offering. 

For example within a 12-month contract, the premium decreases by 40% in month 13 with the option of upgrading to a new contract with a new phone, purchasing the device at market value, or exiting the contract at no charge. Alternatively, a 24-month contract comes with a 50% premium reduction in month 25.

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Featured image: Grant Defries, CEO of YBuy