Spotlight on Mandeni entrepeneur

DUDUZILE Ncanana’s entrepreneurial spirit took an exciting twist when she and members of her co-operative were given the green light for an application to fund a butchery business.

The 54-year-old of Mandeni, has entrepreneurial blood running through her veins.

She was crowned the first runner-up in the 2016 Imbokodo Iyazenzela Women in SMME Awards hosted by Ithala, which recognises ordinary women on a public platform for their outstanding contribution to the economy and local communities.

Her father, Vusumuzi Meyiwa, who she cited as her role model, is a businessman who owns a company which specialises in residential construction, renovations and maintenance.

Funding application
Duduzile originally heard about a government programme to develop co-operatives, which led her to apply for funding, not knowing that Ithala would one day fulfil her business dreams.

Nine years later, Just Meats Butchery in Mandeni is a thriving business with a growing customer base.

‘After high school, I started selling odds and ends from my home as a way of making money.

‘After getting married I got a job at SA Clothing in Mandeni and worked there for 14 years.

‘I resigned when the company relocated to Lesotho,’ said Duduzile.

‘I then bought a sewing machine and started sewing curtains and linen. Soon I had a solid customer base.

‘I bought more machines and hired more ladies to assist me.

‘We initially worked from home but as we grew, we needed more space so we started working from our church.’

The sewing business ended when she started the butchery because both were very demanding and she had to choose between the two.

Change of career
She started exploring the ‘shisanyama’ and butchery business after noticing the potential in her area and that of neighbouring townships.

‘We bought a run-down butchery and refurbished it.

‘We worked hard, the business grew and we hired more people.’

Instrumental to the growth and success of her business is her brother-in-law, Solomon Nkosi, who owns a similar business in Johannesburg and from who she drew valuable knowledge.

Thrust into the responsibility of motherhood at an early age, Duduzile defied the odds and stood strong, determined to follow in her father’s footsteps of making her business dreams a reality.

A busy day
After preparing her grandkids for school at 6am, she makes her way to work for a day of stock-taking, operations, supplier liaison and administration before getting her hands on deck at the butchery.

She is testament that there is no substitute for hard work with her working day typically starting at 7.30am and ending at 7.30pm.

Despite a somewhat challenging routine, she prides herself in being her own boss and being responsible for her own decisions and business success.

One of the challenges she encountered was locating suitable premises from which to operate.

She and her team are currently on a drive to purchase their own property and are working towards being recognised in the same league as other leading meat franchises.

‘We would like to own mobile butcheries or shisanyamas and an abattoir,’ she said.

She believes team work is imperative to the success of a business and her journey as an entrepreneur taught her valuable life lessons such as how to manage a business and not treat it like a personal kitty.

Happy customers are her ultimate reward for her hard work.

Loving what you do, perseverance and treating customers with care culminate into her recipe for success.

Her message of support for young and aspiring entrepreneurs wanting to make a success of their lives is to ‘do what you love and persevere through the challenges’.

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