Monwabisi Mhlophe
In the face of daunting challenges, Kesaleboga Dithage, and Rhulani Hlungwani have emerged as inspiring young female entrepreneurs, defying the odds and forging their paths to success within South Africa's townships. Despite the numerous obstacles they encountered along their entrepreneurial journeys, both Dithage and Hlungwani demonstrated resilience, determination, and unwavering ambition, ultimately building thriving businesses that serve as beacons of inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs everywhere.
Kesaleboga Dithageand Rhulani Hlungwani
With Dithage’s business, Kura Events and Marketing based in Kuruman, Northern Cape and Hlungwani’ BoldPearl, a furniture-making business based in Giyani, Limpopo, they play a vital role in creating much-needed jobs and improving the local economy.
Similar yet distinct
Both Dithage and Hlungwani had early exposure to entrepreneurship because their fathers were business owners. Dithage’s grandfather owned a general dealer which her father later took over; this exposed her to the ins and outs of running a business.
“I always knew that I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I told myself that I’m not going to wake up every morning and work for someone else,” says the 31-year-old Dithage.
Hlungwani, on the other hand had no desire to be an entrepreneur because she blamed the family business for leaving them financially strained. Coincidentally, it was the financial strain that later led Hlungwani to entrepreneurship.
Back to the beginning
Dithage was born in a rural Kuruman village and raised in Mafikeng, where she completed all her schooling. Despite her determination to open her own business, she focused on her studies and graduated from Tshwane University of Technology with a National Diploma in Events Management in 2015.
Studying exposed Dithage to the world of events, and she realised it wasn’t as she initially thought all about weddings and children’s birthday parties. She saw there are business opportunities in corporate events, conferences and festivals.
In 2016, she registered her business, Kura Events and Marketing. “I started by registering on databases, I knocked on doors, I followed leads, and I bought newspapers where tenders were advertised.”
That year, Dithage landed her first client, a small business that she invoiced R 800. A few months later, she completed her second paid gig, this time billing around R80 000.
It's now seven years later, and Dithage describes her business life as colourful and growing from strength to strength.
A booming business
“Covid was a time when my business was supposed to go down because a lot of events companies were negatively affected during that period. Business did go down, but out of the blue, a project came up,” recalls Dithage, who says the opportunity required her to pivot and change her company focus.
Events is still the business' main offering, but they now offer corporate gifting, décor, entertainment, event marketing and so much more. She diversified her service offerings and grabbed new business under the events banner.
Dithage is upskilling herself by studying towards a B-tech in Project Management as she believes this will help in running her business. Over the years, she has built her own office, showroom and storage area. This enables her to service an increasing number of walk-in clients.
Seizing the moment
Grabbing new opportunities and strategic decision-making skills is a huge part of entrepreneurship. Hlungwani, the supply chain management professional from Giyani, started her furniture-making business BoldPearl because she was concerned about the high cost of living.
During one week in 2012, Hlungwani went from stressing about affording increasing fuel prices to securing a R30 000 loan which she used to order 100 tiffany chairs. The chairs were in high demand and were constantly hired out which solved her petrol problems.
Sheused her salary from her full-time corporate job to buy more chairs each month, and her stock increased to roughly 1 000 chairs.
In 2013, a fraudulent booking left her devastated and without any of her prized chairs. But instead of giving up, Hlungwani dug deep and returned to her business with even greater zeal, though it meant starting over. She secured another loan, re-ordered her chairs and was back in business.
In 2016 she resigned from her full-time job to focus on her growing business. She even convinced her former employer to become one of her many corporate clients.
It's all about growth
Covid-19 inspired Hlungwani and her team of nine to transition from furniture hiring to reupholstering; the business even has plans to venture into manufacturing kitchenware.
She also focuses on expanding her client base and recently delivered her first international order to a hotel in Zimbabwe. Her other focus is to be a positive role model to people in her rural community
“The legacy I want to leave is for people in Giyani to know that you can start something in a rural area and take it out anywhere; it’s possible to do more with your life," says Hlungwani.
It's remarkable that these youth, female and township-based businesses have been able to be successful despite a lack of funding, pandemic, loadshedding, crime and many other challenges.