Limpopo Business 2019-20 edition

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FOCUS Ikefree Projects looks to take its mission to a higher level Patience Nqaba wants to grow the company and create jobs. Ikefree Projects is a maintenance and services company that operates in the Musina area and is growing through its exposure to the De Beers Zimele programme and opportunities on offer through the Venetia Mine. Patience Nqaba, the co-owner of the business, says that when Ikefree Projects was established about five years ago, it was with a desire to not only promote innovation in Musina, but to inspire confidence in the hearts of unemployed young people. And when she agreed to kickstart the business, she admitted the plan was to keep going despite having encountered difficulties, as she could clearly see how valuable the business would be to the community of Musina. But rather than just keep going, Nqaba has committed to taking the business to a much higher level. And with the help of her life partner and co-owner, Ikemeleng Mokoena, she is driving Ikefree Projects in doing just that. “We realised there was a gap and asked ourselves how we could effectively penetrate the market. It was not easy but when we came across the opportunity at Venetia Mine, things started LIMPOPO BUSINESS 2019/20 84
FOCUS picking up. We applied for a tender, and have never looked back since,” she says. The business offers a full spectrum of civil maintenance services to residential and commercial properties, including building, painting, plumbing, carpentry and tiling. Nqaba says that Ikefree Projects currently employs 29 skilled and driven young people to help the company grow, and to allow them to improve their craft. “A lot of young people from our community who are willing to do this kind of work do not have the necessary tertiary education but because they have the skills, we take them on. Right now, we have added four other young people to join us for a three-month basis, and even though it is just a short period, I think they will leave this place more skilled than before,” she said. Together, Nqaba and Mokoena are working to make the business an important part of the ecosystem in Musina as they have also recently started a food delivery service in partnership with Nando’s. “We recently signed a contract with Nando’s to deliver orders to their customers and are in the process of approaching other fast food franchises in and around Musina. This has been one of our greatest achievements as we continue to receive positive feedback from them,” she said. In addition to this, Ikefree Projects signed a contract with Top 40 JSE company, Tiger Brands, to provide maintenance services to their property. “It was purely by chance that we landed the contract. We conducted some research and realised they had no maintenance company. Thereafter, we pitched and presented our proposal, and they were highly impressed with our profile as we had listed Venetia Mine as one of our clients. They then gave us a contract to renovate an office. As the saying goes, the rest is history,” says Nqaba. With the help of the De Beers Zimele programme, the owners of Ikefree Projects are now equipped to run the business more efficiently than before. “We are continuously trained in interpreting financial statements and budgeting, and we are shown how to create provision for unexpected expenses. We are also guided on how to apply for tenders and how to market the business better while complying with the mandatory regulations,” she says. Like any business, Ikefree Projects has the broad goal to be a trusted and sustainable company in Musina. The business owners are actively laying a solid foundation that will enable it to do just that. “The goal is to continue doing what we are doing but at an even larger scale. Yes, there will be challenges and equally, there will be opportunities. And thanks to the exposure Venetia Mine has given us, we – the small business that secured a contract with Tiger Brands – shall continue to move steadily forward,” she laughs. 85 LIMPOPO BUSINESS 2019/20
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LIMPOPO BUSINESS 2019/20 EDITION TH
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Introduction CONTENTS CONTENTS Limp
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Terms and Conditions apply. Handles
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I’M AN ENTREPRENEUR. AN INNOVATOR
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MESSAGE Several new mining projects
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MESSAGE strategy for emerging and e
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New mining projects, investments in
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SPECIAL FEATURE Polokwane The centr
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SPECIAL FEATURE is to contribute to
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INTERVIEW due to rapidly increasing
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PROFILE STRATEGIES TO MITIGATE RISK
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FOCUS Presidency over the next five
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MADE FROM AFRICA DRINK RESPONSIBLY.
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SPECIAL FEATURE Tour guiding can bo
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Limpopo will soothe your soul MESSA
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INTERVIEW Culture and Heritage, Fam
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FOCUS on providing big entities or
Page 36 and 37: ADVERTORIAL Making it easier to do
Page 38 and 39: SIGN UP FREE TAKE SMALL STEPS. GET
Page 41 and 42: KEY SECTORS Overviews of the main e
Page 43 and 44: OVERVIEW National government’s In
Page 45 and 46: Making farming a success story FOCU
Page 47 and 48: OVERVIEW expansion projet at its Zo
Page 49 and 50: OVERVIEW Impala Platinum is a major
Page 51 and 52: PROFILE Looking into the future Pal
Page 53 and 54: FOCUS As a result of adherence to t
Page 55 and 56: FOCUS Manyabela Mailula: Manager fo
Page 57 and 58: ENRICHING LIVES in many ways Implat
Page 59 and 60: INTERVIEW Moving more Giants Projec
Page 61 and 62: OVERVIEW Energy Large energy users
Page 63 and 64: OVERVIEW kilometres every year on 2
Page 65 and 66: Leading the growth of the aviation
Page 67 and 68: Celebrating Nelson Mandela 100: Cre
Page 69 and 70: FOCUS by making an individual and c
Page 71 and 72: FOCUS • Signing of MOA with Great
Page 73 and 74: SEE MONEY DIFFERENTLY WITH WHOLE-VI
Page 75 and 76: SMME Development Programme Limpopo
Page 77 and 78: OVERVIEW Productivity South Africa.
Page 79 and 80: INTERVIEW region to region, but Sed
Page 81 and 82: Seda offices Seda contacts Provinci
Page 83 and 84: FOCUS Renovation of schools Palabor
Page 85: New crèche brings joy Madimbo comm
Page 89 and 90: SALGA Limpopo PROFILE A pilot proje
Page 91 and 92: Get straight to business Travel eff
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