Focus on Small Business in Cato Manor

Economic development is a crucial component in the development of Cato Manor. Without jobs, without work, the people of Cato Manor will not thrive. In the following pages we showcase a number of energetic Cato Manor entrepreneurs who are making things happen for themselves. We salute them, and we encourage others to follow their example. Creating your own job is the best solution to joblessness.

KHAYELIHLE HOME IMPROVEMENTS
Growing from Humble Beginnings

Do you want a retaining wall, a concrete fence or a paved driveway? Well Khayelihle Home Improvements can do it all for you. They can also do tiling inside the house if you want. Khayelihle Home Improvements is a growing business that was established by Siphiwe Mpanza, a former resident of Chesterville.

Siphiwe quit his job at KZN Developments in June last year to set up his own tiling, concrete fencing and paving business. He had learned enough tricks to set out on his own, but had no start-up capital or tools to work with. But the gods of fortune were with him because a client in Umlazi was prepared to give him a job, and was prepared to pay cash up front.
"To survive and to make a credible image I borrowed tools and asked a few friends to help out. I broke my neighbour's wheel barrow which I intend to replace soon." said Siphiwe. From those humble beginnings Khayelihle Home Improvements has moved its operations from his house in KwaMasixhawulane to an office at 607 Lynda House in St Georges Street in Durban. These days he doesn't do the hard labour himself - he employs staff to work on the contracts that he gets from new home owners in and around Durban.
A big contract that challenged him was a R24 000 job that required access to two houses which were built on a very steep slope.
To get in touch with Siphiwe call 083 439 1604.

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ZAMOKUHLEÕS WELDING WORKS
Self-employed manufacturer makes it work

Zamokuhle Mthalane hates to be called a backyard businessman. He prefers to be called a self-employed welder. Though he does his welding from his backyard in Gardens Drive in KwaMasixhawulane, he maintains that "self-employed" has a ring of respectability about it.

"People associate backyard businesses with failure. For a man who has done welding jobs at Pavilion Shopping Centre and makes people's houses secure and beautiful, I deserve respect. Everyone needs someone like me," laughs Zamokuhle.
Zamokuhle manufactures burglar guards, room dividers and sometimes does the odd arc welding on vehicles that need to be welded together. His business was established in 1994 after he saved enough money to buy a welding machine, a pipe bender, a bench, a grinder and a drilling machine.
Though a lot of his work is making and installing burglar guards for private homes, Zamokuhle does get big jobs now and then. One he is especially proud of was manufacturing clothing racks for a large department store in the Pavilion Shopping Centre.

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FROM RAGS TO RICHES
Ntando's Story

The Cato Manor Small Business Fair theme has a ring of truth for Ntando Ngcobo who knows what starting small is all about. Who could imagine that selling fruit from the front of his house could bear so much fruit in such a short period?

Ntando began his business by buying fruit from the market in small quantities and selling on to his neighbours. His profit margin was as little as 50c.With that he bought a case of cool drinks and a case of beers. From those humble beginnings Democracy Tuckshop was born.
"Before the tuckshop was established I sold sweets and chips to kids. Most of my profit was generated by selling those products. Then my neighbours started asking for things like bread, rice and mealie meal," said Ntando.
Today he runs two fruit and vegetables stands , one in New Dunbar and the other at the Wiggins Fast Track East, plus a spaza shop at Ntuzuma Township. He employs six people, and has a fleet of two vans and two cars.

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FOR THE LOVE OF KIDS

"The love of kids and not profit should be a key motivating factor forpeople who wish to run successful pre-schools and creches," says Rose Mchunu, sole proprietor of Buhlebuyeza Educare Centre in KwaMasixhawulane.
According to Rose, the establishment of Buhlebuyeza was more incidental than planned.

"Back at Inanda where I came from, kids would flock to my house and we would sing and dance and tell fairy tales all day long. Some parents then approached me to look after the kids while they went job hunting or doing shopping. Then word was spread around that I offered this kind of help. Eventually I charged R10 a child per month," she said.
Eventually Rose took up courses to advance her knowledge in child minding at the Early Learning Center in Chatsworth and at Tree. Nowadays Rose attends CMDA sponsored basic management skills training courses to make her business viable.
"When the Fast Track Housing Project was established I opened a pre-school. Circumstances forced me to operate from my house in KwaMasixhawulane," said Rose.
Ubuhlebuyeza is a member of the Masibumbane Cato Manor Creche and Pre School Association and is waiting for an imminent move to bigger premises at the Fast Track.

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