By Juliana Ndolo Mbua
As the number of cars increase in Cameroon, statistics reveal a relative boost in the number of car-washing points in the country. In Buea, the Southwest provincial headquarters of Cameroon, there are ten privately owned car-washing spots, whilst in Limbe, the economic capital of the province, there are over fifteen of such commercial arenas. The craze for young entrepreneurs to open car-washing points is gaining momentum. The attraction is the profit to be made and the certainty with which the revenue flows into the wallets of burgeoning entrepreneurs, who have decided to build their hill of riches washing cars.
Washing a car cost relatively the same across the province. A Nissan Sunny car, for instance, costs 300 FCFA (0.80 cents), while personal cars and buses are cleaned at 500 FCFA (US 1.00). However, washing Travel Agency buses above 18 seat cost at least 1000 FCFA (US$2.00), depending on the size of the Bus. After washing a car, the car-owner is expected to pay some money to a guild supervising the activities of the sector. Depending on the source of water-supply used by the car wash point, proprietors pay 100 FCFA (US 50 cents) per car to the guild, e.g. a Toyota Corolla and 200 FCFA per bus. At the Mile 16 Bolifamba car wash point and the Mile Four-Dibanda which use natural sources of water, proprietors pay 150 FCFA per car, while others such as the mile 17 car wash, Gaston Great Soppo car wash and the Ecotourism car wash in Buea Town which use pipe-borne water sources (SNEC) pay 250 FCFA per saloon car in compensation for water bills.
According to Mr Sam Fomba, Coordinator of the Bolifamba car-wash, and Mr. Notando also called ‘chef de watt’ owner of the Guarantee Park Car-wash, the business commitment is quite challenging and provides employment for all classes of people. It also keeps the youth busy, taking their minds off evil endeavours, teaching them responsibility and offering a minimum daily wage. The car-wash entrepreneurs both have a vision of growing into macro car-servicing shops comprising a garage, car wash and fuel-refilling station
Owning such an establishment may require little capital, yet it entails maximum supervision. As a formal business, the establishment must be registered with the local council authorities and thereafter proprietors pay a monthly minimum fee of 1500 FCFA (US$ 3.00) as council tax.
The owners of car-wash hire the serivices of young men seeking daily living. These youngmen wash cars for an agreed wage per car. The employees are generally informally recruited. Howeverm, working in a car-wash begins from registration as a member of the car-wash point, buying a brush, bucket and towel for a start. Individual car-washers have the obligation to buy powder soap to yield better results. On a regular day, a car-wash point could service between 20 to 50 cars depending on car arrivals.
On average a car wash point recoups revenue ranging from 50.000 FCFA to 70.000 FCFA per day depending on the frequency of customers. In a week this amounts to a minimum of 250.000 FCFA and 1.000.000 FCFA (US$ 2.000) per month. It is also observed that taxi drivers wash their cars more often than private car owners. Taxi drivers on average wash their cars twice daily, while private car-owners wash their cars once in a week. However some employees report that private car-owners pay better, offering tips and incentives for a properly done assignment.
Some car-owners indicate preferences for car washing points, ranging from quick service to security and trust in the quality of service. Some car-owners go as far as specifying individual employees they prefer to wash their cars at the various car wash stations.
Working in a car-wash does not require any formal level of education. The employees range from primary school dropouts to first school leaving certificatge holders. There are also Ordinary and Advance Level Certificate holders. While some do it as part-time job along side subsidiary employment, for others it is their major employment. Employees of the various car-wash are 'task-inclined', implying they are not obliged to go to work every day, because absence at work means no salary for the day.
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And we have not found any generational gap at all. If he wants to go a football game, he goes. If I want to go to a fashion show, I go. We don't have to do everything together. But we like doing most things together.
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