Economic Opportunities for Women in the Pacific - Case - IFC

‘Ofa Tu’ikolovatu and her business Gio
Recycling are a celebrated part of Tonga’s
business landscape. In July 2008, as part of
the annual festival celebrating the country’s
cultures and traditions, known as the Heilala
Festival, Gio Recycling entered a float. The
float featured a rotating crown for Tonga’s King
made from scrap metal and a rotary motor,
and a roasting pig – both of which proved
very popular with festival goers. Gio Recycling
gained 1st prize for the best float. In 2007,
‘Ofa also won Tonga’s Westpac Business
Woman of the Year Award.
‘Ofa Tu’ikolovatu, Managing Director of waste management
company Gio Recycling, is well known and respected in
business and in the community for her efforts to reduce
waste in Tonga. She describes herself as a scrap broker –
she buys scrap locally and sells it overseas.
‘Ofa has needed to be creative in her approach to trading
across borders. Replication of tasks is costly for her business
and leads to goods being tied up. Although she only has
a small business, she now employs a dedicated customs
broker to deal with these obstacles, as well as to ensure she
complies with recent changes to regulations.
Tonga shares the challenge of most small island states:
the dependence on other nations’ goods and services.
The reliance on shipping and transport networks for
exporting and importing is an everyday challenge, with
most businesses in Tonga continuing to find the process
of clearing customs costly and time-consuming. A maledominated
culture on the wharves makes the challenges
even greater for women in business.
Starting Out ‘Ofa began Gio Recycling in 2003 as a
sideline to an automotive shop started by her father and
carried on by her husband for some 20 years. Continued
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Keeping Tonga Clean
‘Ofa Tu’ikolovatu
Business Name: Gio Recycling
Country: Tonga
demand has meant the recycling business has now become
the primary focus of Gio.
The company’s work entails collecting and packing
scrap, often metals that they then ship and sell. Copper,
aluminium, stainless steel, and even abandoned motor
vehicles can be recycled. The business exports metal to a
scrap recycler in New Zealand, and paper and plastics to a
firm in Brisbane, Australia.
‘Ofa’s business focuses on ways to reduce the overall
volume of waste and rubbish in Tonga in a hygienic and
cost efficient manner. The recycling and waste management
industry is a significant contributor to beautifying Tonga
and improving healthier living standards for both residents
and visitors to the Kingdom. ‘Ofa’s dedication to exploring
and implementing safer work methods for her staff and
more efficient methods of recycling are key strategies in her
business approach.
Ofa’s innovation and dedication to a beautiful Tonga was
recognized in 2007 when ‘Ofa won Tonga’s Westpac
Business Woman of the Year Award. The awards promote
the important role Tongan women play in families,
communities, public enterprise, and business. Through
networking and travel opportunities afforded through
the award, she learned more about waste management,
including how to treat waste and how dangerous it can be
if burnt. “I learned not just for me but for all of Tonga,” she
says.