Blended walk-in ticket

Total walk-in revenue divided by walk-in washes. R151.00 at maturity, weighted across basic washes, full washes, valets, polish and detailing. Not a price anyone actually pays.

Deferred subscriptions

Subscription income billed monthly in advance for washes not yet delivered. It sits in payables, grows with the business and is interest-free.

Detailing bay

A bay dedicated to valet, polish and detailing work rather than washing. Two per site; the highest contribution per bay-hour in the building.

Group overhead

Owner and management, administration, marketing, technology, compliance and insurance. Carried above site level and the reason Years 1 and 2 lose money at group level while both were profitable at site level.

Landlord installation allowance

A stated rand contribution from the landlord toward the cost of fitting out the site, negotiated into the lease. R180 000 per site, presented once as a reduction in cost.

Litres per car

Municipal water drawn divided by cars washed. 59 in Year 1 falling to 40 by Year 5, against a 155-litre baseline without recycling.

Oil and silt separator

Drainage equipment preventing pollutants entering the stormwater system, required by the Department of Water and Sanitation. R165 000 per site.

Recycling rate

The share of water used that is captured, treated and reused. Cape Town’s water by-law requires at least 50 per cent for commercial car washes using municipal drinking water.

Section 20 limitation

The South African tax rule capping the set-off of assessed losses at the higher of R1 million or 80 per cent of taxable income.

Site-level EBITDA

Site revenue less site operating costs, before any group overhead. 30.4 per cent at a mature site; positive from Year 1.

Subscriber cap

The maximum number of members a site can carry before subscription washes begin displacing full-price walk-ins at peak. Roughly 380 at four bays.

Water use licence

An authorisation that may be required under national water legislation depending on the source and volume of water used. Established with the municipality before a site is committed to.

Zoning consent

Municipal confirmation that the property permits a commercial car wash. A binary constraint; many residential areas do not permit one at all.