By Nosihle Zulu
The owner of Mawasha Chemicals in Modjadjiskloof, Limpopo, hopes to benefit from the government’s black industrialists programme that she believes will further empower her chemical manufacturing business.
The company manufactures cleaning detergents and cosmetics and supplies various industrial chemicals.
“We are a proud South African level 1 B-BBEE rated company with 100% female ownership. The company currently has 10 permanent employees of which 70% are young people,” said Masetena Mawasha.
She was one of the entrepreneurs who attended a recent seminar by the Greater Letaba Municipality. It was aimed at equipping businesspeople with the necessary skills and knowledge to thrive in their trades.
Mawasha said the key lesson from the seminar was that with every investment there must be an economic benefit.
“Whatever investment you put into must yield a return on investment through business activities and in the long term contribute to economic growth,” she said.
“The mayor (Thamaha Mamanyoha) also encouraged us to knock on the right doors and approach government parastatals for financial and non-financial support. Whether it’s compliance or funding for the betterment of our businesses,” she elaborated.
Mawasha further applauded the Department of Trade Industry and Competition’s (DTIC) presentation.
“The presentation from DTIC mentioned a lot about their agencies from which businesses can get support. I took an interest in the black industrialists’ scheme since I am in manufacturing, and of course, the aim is to move from small batch to mass production and the scheme is perfect for that as they focus more on machinery,” she said.
“The most interesting service that was shared was from the Companies Tribunal. It was my first time hearing about them, and I must say as SMMEs, we always face legalities; there is always a hassle be it with compliance or labour disputes. Clauses like confidentiality as well as restriction of trade always take the limelight.
“I believe that their services will add much-needed value to both the employer and the employee. I will explore their services in the near future,” she said.
Another entrepreneur who benefitted from the seminar was Dimakatso Relela, a qualified 40-year-old fashion and jewellery designer, and founder of Dima Relela Production in Tzaneen.
Dima Relela’s mission is to create high-quality artistic ornaments for their target market.
“I learned a lot from all the present institutions, especially from the DTIC presentation. I am now aware that they can assist me in selling my products to any country. In 2018, the department assisted me in exhibiting my product at the USA JCK Las Vegas Exhibition,” said Relela.
“Moving forward, we are committed to making a positive impact on the youth of Limpopo. Specifically, we aim to provide valuable learning opportunities and skills development to young people.
“These learning initiatives will encompass various areas including jewellery designing, SMME development, beadwork training, and fashion construction,” said Relela.
