Metapos is a comprehensive point-of-sale (POS) system that I contributed to designing and building. The platform enables business owners to manage inventory, process physical card payments, handle voucher sales, perform barcode scanning, and access a vast database of pre-loaded barcoded products
Small business owners, particularly spaza shop owners in rural areas, face significant challenges in managing
day-to-day operations. Many lack access to reliable digital tools and often operate in low-connectivity environments
In developing Metapos, I applied the Design Thinking process to ensure the solution was human-centered and directly addressed the needs of spaza shop owners. The process began with empathy, where I conducted interviews and field visits to understand the realities of small business owners in rural areas. Many struggled with unreliable internet, making it impossible to accept card payments when offline, while others faced difficulties managing stock and monitoring employees with paper-based methods. Language also emerged as a barrier, as many potential users were not fluent in English and required a system that was intuitive regardless of literacy levels.
From these insights, I moved to the define stage, framing clear problem statements: How might we enable shop owners in low-connectivity areas to accept payments seamlessly? and How might we design a POS that functions reliably on low-cost devices while remaining accessible to non-English speakers?
In the ideation phase, I collaborated with stakeholders to generate practical solutions. These included building an offline-first transaction system with data synchronization when connectivity resumed, optimizing the app to work smoothly on low-memory devices, and designing a simple, icon-based interface that reduced reliance on text.
Next, I built prototypes of both the mobile app and the backend dashboard. For example, I created an early sales flow that simulated both online and offline card transactions on a low-end Android device, and a lightweight dashboard that tracked sales and employee performance. These prototypes were then tested with real shop owners during the testing phase. Feedback showed that offline transactions solved a critical pain point, while the icon-driven design was well-received by non-English speakers. Based on this input, I iterated on the design until the product achieved a balance of performance, simplicity, and functionality.
Through this process, Design Thinking allowed me to co-create Metapos with its users, ensuring the final solution was not only technically sound but also deeply aligned with the everyday needs of spaza shop owners and scalable to larger enterprises.
Limited Customer Base in Early Stages
One of the biggest hurdles was not having enough active customers to generate meaningful revenue through the POS system, especially during the initial rollout.
Lack of Market Data
There was little reliable data about the spaza market — including where these shops were located, their typical size, and the types of products they sold. This made it difficult to tailor solutions and design effective go-to-market strategies.
Language Barriers
Many potential users were non-English speakers, which created challenges in communication, onboarding, and ensuring the product was accessible to shop owners from diverse linguistic backgrounds.
Hardware & Device Limitations
Since the target market often relied on low-cost devices with limited processing power and storage, the POS system needed to be lightweight, optimized, and reliable, without sacrificing key features.
Thabo M. is a 35-year-old owner of a small spaza shop in a rural township. He has a high school education and a low to moderate comfort level with technology, mainly using his smartphone for WhatsApp and calls. Thabo struggles to manage inventory and track sales because he relies on pen-and-paper records, and inconsistent internet connectivity makes it difficult for him to accept card payments. He is motivated to find simple, affordable, and reliable solutions that can help him manage his shop more efficiently. His goals include accepting offline card payments, tracking inventory, monitoring employee performance, and expanding services through voucher and airtime sales. Thabo needs a lightweight, offline-capable POS app with an icon-driven interface to overcome language barriers and low digital literacy.
Anele S. is a 24-year-old cashier working at a busy spaza shop. She is comfortable with smartphones and has basic digital literacy but requires a user-friendly interface to process transactions quickly and accurately. Anele’s main challenges include managing multiple customer payments during peak hours and ensuring accurate sales reporting without errors. She values a POS system that simplifies daily operations, minimizes manual work, and provides clear prompts to guide her through transactions. Her priorities are speed, reliability, and error-free sales processing, as well as the ability to access sales history and vouchers without needing managerial support.
Naledi K. is a 30-year-old Metapos administrator responsible for onboarding shops, monitoring system performance, and providing support to users. She is tech-savvy and proficient in using dashboards and analytical tools. Her challenges include tracking shop adoption, understanding regional market needs, and ensuring that both small and large businesses are able to effectively use the system. Naledi needs access to real-time data on sales, inventory, and user activity to identify trends, generate reports, and offer targeted support. She also focuses on improving user engagement, ensuring the app remains reliable on low-cost devices, and adapting the platform to meet diverse user requirements across regions.
As a Spaza Shop Owner, the POS app grants full access rights to manage all aspects of the system. One key feature is User Access Management, which allows the owner to add, manage, and monitor employees directly within the app.
To add a new cashier, the owner navigates to the “Users” section and selects “Add User.” They then enter the required details, including the employee’s name, contact information, and assigned role. Once added, the cashier can access the system according to the permissions defined by the shop owner.
The Spaza Owner can also view performance metrics for each user, enabling them to monitor sales, track productivity, and make informed management decisions. This flow ensures that the shop owner retains full control over operations while empowering employees to perform their roles efficiently.
2. Cashier Features: Sales Process
When a cashier logs into the Metapos app on a POS device, they are greeted by a home screen displaying all pre-loaded products. To process a sale, the cashier selects the products the customer wants to purchase and adds them to the cart. Within the cart, the cashier can adjust quantities, remove items, or add a customer to the order.
After finalizing the cart, the cashier proceeds by clicking “Next” to select the payment method. The app supports multiple options: cash, physical card payments on POS devices, and tap-on-phone card payments for mobile app users. The system also supports split payments across multiple cards, calculates change automatically for cash transactions, and includes a tip feature if applicable.
This workflow ensures that cashiers can complete transactions quickly, accurately, and seamlessly, even in environments with low connectivity, while providing flexibility for different payment methods.
3. Dashboard Functionalities: Spaza Owner
The Metapos dashboard serves as the central management hub for spaza shop owners, providing a comprehensive overview of their business operations. From the dashboard, owners can track sales in real-time, monitor daily, weekly, or monthly performance, and identify top-selling products. The system allows them to view and manage inventory, ensuring they can easily monitor stock levels, prevent stockouts, and plan restocking efficiently.
Owners can also monitor employee performance, reviewing metrics such as sales per cashier and individual productivity. This feature helps identify training needs or reward high-performing staff. The dashboard provides insights into voucher sales, promotions, and other revenue streams, enabling shop owners to make informed decisions and optimize profitability.
Additionally, the dashboard is designed to be user-friendly and intuitive, with visual charts, graphs, and easy navigation, making it accessible even for users with limited technical experience. It ensures that spaza shop owners have complete visibility and control over their business, all in one centralized platform.
