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Like Mother, Like Daughter


Nathi Mdutyana (32) grew up in a home where the family matriarch was a small business-owner who sold everything from food at local schools to clothes, blankets and other merchandise. So it was only natural that Mdutyana would follow in her footsteps. Her motivation, however, was never to establish a sustainable business; she was simply trying to supplement her pocket money.


Mdutyana quit her job two years ago to go back to school. However, she miscalculated the level of hardship that results from not having a steady income, so she started selling bags, shoes, purses and other accessories. She uses her Facebook page and WhatsApp to advertise her wares. Clients send their requests via these social network platforms and she delivers around the East London area.


“I prefer not having a shop at the moment because rent is expensive. Besides, making deliveries to my clients adds a personal touch and endears me to them,” she says. Mdutyana’s use of social media platforms to move merchandise shows innovation and thinking outside the box. It is a practice that De Villiers says will hold entrepreneurs of the future in good stead.


The business consultant also believes informal businesses will help South Africa out of its unemployment rut. The challenge for many new entrepreneurs, however, is know-how. Incubation programmes such as the Awethu Project – an SMME investment company – and others have been the panacea for many start-ups. They offer coaching in basic business training and development. It was through them that Mdutyana was able to learn basic business management skills.


Tapping Into the Rural Market


Nonkgqubela Nondabula epitomises the values De Villiers enumerates. The highly driven and ambitious 24-year-old sells maize, corn kernels and animal feed to households in Matatiele, a small town nestled below the Drakensberg in the Eastern Cape. She learnt the ropes from her late grandmother, who was a small-scale farmer. Nondabula sources her product from local farmers, divides it into smaller quantities and sells it within the community.


Traditional migration patterns often result in people moving to the big cities in search of greener pastures. The general perception is that business opportunities are few and far between


Nathi Mdutyana


in rural communities – unless you understand the local culture and way of life, says Nondabula.


“Village people have livestock that has to be fed, so there’ll always be a demand for the service I’m providing,” she explains. “I just need to work towards expanding my reach and become the go- to person for maize, mealies and animal feed.”


These items are staples in many households, so


Nondabula’s business saves people having to travel far to buy them.


The majority of her clients are elderly people who are loyal customers. She recently started putting up posters and attending community meetings and imbizos to expand her reach into other small towns in the area. Her short-term goal is to buy a van so that she can minimise her transport costs and grow the business.


68 An Absa Investment publication


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