OneTime Shoe Shine Brings A Sparkle To 144 Oxford
As a child, Lucas Baloyi would look down at his school shoes and immediately be bothered if he spotted a speck of dust or dirt on them. Little did he know that this attention to detail would ultimately lead to him becoming one of the best cobblers and shoe shiners in town.
Today Lucas, aged 63, sits in the foyer at 144 Oxford, his shoe shine station tucked neatly in the corner and open to assist not only those needing a shoe shine, but anyone in the building who needs new tips on their heels or to revive an ageing pair of sneakers. Lucas explains that his talents are many when it comes to shoes and that he is very detailed in his work.
‘This is the work I love – but I make sure I do it properly. Every pair of shoes is special to me because they are special to the owner.’
Lucas came to be in 144 Oxford after working down the road at Holiday Inn, where a guest of Anglo American staying at the hotel noticed he wasn’t getting much work, despite his excellent services. The guest approached our Facilities team who after chatting with Lucas and assessing his small business, agreed to give him a space in the foyer. A problem soon emerged though: Lucas was only in a position to accept cash payments, not having a card machine. However, Zimele soon came on board, handing over a YOCO card machine to, Lucas last week immediately equipping him to assist customers only able to pay with cards.
All in all, a series of interventions by different parties have led to a small business getting much more exposure and being better equipped to manage payments quickly and securely. We wish Lucas all the best with this shoe shine business and hope many of our employees at 144 Oxford will make use of his excellent services.
OneTime Shoe Shine can be found in the foyer of 144 Oxford, immediately to your right as you exit the lifts, coming from the parking basement.
