Page 17 - KZN Business Sense 3.6

KZN

KwaZulu-Natal
Business Chambers Council
MAKE IT BETTER!

S andile Bekwa’s vision and have included: Bekwa believes that he has well
• SA Home Loans
life motto is to ‘Make it
beneted from these business
Better’, which resulted in
application of the training has
the acronym for his business • Making a Difference Office training programmes. e
Supplies (MAD Office)
name, MIB Transport. • DRG Outsourcing resulted in him putting a range of
• Supreme Nomadiks structures in place so that his
Bekwa was born in • Pick n Pay Family stores business is compliant with all
Pietermaritzburg, where he • DesignFX legislation that enable the
completed his schooling and • SA Home Loans provision of an excellent,
tertiary education. With an professional service. In addition,
academic background in e company is currently he has grown in self-condence
agricultural research, Sandile then undertaking loose cargo loads and developed leadership skills,
worked for the South African (LCLs) for two depots that utilise which have aided his personal
Sugarcane Research Institute as subcontractors as and when there growth as an entrepreneur.
well as the Dube TradePort — are shipments requiring
Agrizone. He has also consulted to transportation. In the future, Bekwa has his
the Edamame Development sights set on expanding his
Programme; facilitating capacity MIB Transport takes prides in business by providing niche
building, job creation and the its professional delivery service services. He has identied
commercialisation of small scale for clients needing a clean, micro-distribution into rural and
growers. reliable transport company that township spazas as having much
understands that deadlines matter, potential for growth. Reverse
ese experiences prompted and has an appreciation of the logistics, which entails retail
Bekwa’s desire to develop his own safety and value of the goods in returns and sorting, is seeing a
career in the business sector. In transit. greater demand in the business
2015, aer being promised an environment and he believes that
opportunity to provide a transport However, growing a business by growing a network of transport
service, he formed MIB Transport has not been without its
and nanced his own vehicle. challenges. Lack of follow through providers, he will be able to
service this market.
on the provision of contracts, slow
Bekwa was determined to oer payment, as well as no payment
an outstanding service, so being a have hampered the growth of the In addition, deliveries for small
researcher, his rst task was to company. A hijacking also resulted businesses is an ongoing need;
study the industry to add value to in the loss of a vehicle, which MIB Transport can oer client
his clients. Consequently, MIB limited MIB Transport’s service centred solutions including
Transport’s vehicles are well oering. express delivery options to its
maintained and drivers are fully client base.
licenced with professional driving Notwithstanding these setbacks,
permits. e drivers’ assistants are Bekwa’s entrepreneurial drive Recently, N & L Wire Products
trained to handle cargo with ensured that he was determined to sponsored a MIB Transport
respect. e company has a continue to grow his company and marketing brochure enabling
exible goods in transit insurance oer solutions that are not limited Bekwa to promote his company’s
policy, and has transported by the company’s capacity. In services further.
designer furniture, high end 2016, he participated in the Sekela
sound equipment, oce Development Programme, Bekwa’s passion to succeed is
stationery, laptops and store sponsored by SA Home Loans and well evident and he prides himself
equipment. facilitated by BusinessFit. During on building ongoing business
2017, he has attended an advanced relationships with his clients and
MIB Transport’s clients are business course, facilitated by delivering a service that results in
currently located in the upper Innate Training and sponsored by repeat business.
highway and Durban area, and SA Home Loans. T: 083 500 0506
mibtrans.za@gmail.com Sandile Bekwa

HOW BUSINESSES CAN IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY BY UP TO 35%

the business to proactively guide African credit consumer are, to 50% of their spouse’s Pension is means that the South
its employees out of their personal the majority, largely unknown. Fund. African businesses must prepare
debt. is will be achieved by the for more challenges and must
business facilitating or Here are some of the • According to data from the proactively that could jeopardise
encouraging its employees to astonishing and disturbing truths: World Bank, South Africa was productivity.
consult with a competent debt the world’s number one country
counsellor, should the employee • More than half of credit for people needing loans. Facilitating and promoting debt
be in nancial diculty. consumers spend 75% or more counselling for their nancially
of their monthly income to Businesses are likely to have troubled employees is not just an
It was reported by Alexander creditors, leaving little or no two-thirds of its employees inexpensive exercise but also an
Forbes that “South African money for basic living expenses. suering to get by, as they are extremely eective means to
employers are wasting a staggering overwhelmed in debt. promote optimal productivity.
35% of their payroll bill due to • Approximately 23% of South
sta productivity”. Africans don’t have any money Company executives are now e iconic Richard Branson,
le at the end of the month. beginning to see the value of said it best when he noted: “If you
Theasen Pillay, Litigation Attorney and Momentum is reported to have Most (76.58%) are simply ‘flat helping their employees to manage look aer your sta, they will look
Debt Counsellor – TPA Debt Management estimated that “the cost of lost broke’. their nances. Businesses are thus aer your customers. It is that
I n what is undoubtedly one productivity as a result of • More than 11 million are persuaded to take a greater simple.”
of the more economically
interest in their sta's personal
absenteeism in South Africa to be
challenging periods in South
C: 072 2828 132
Africa, during which businesses R70-billion, or 2% of GDP. It also described as over-indebted. nances, as doing so is likely to T: 031- 5666 743
Conservative estimations
have signicant impact on their
estimates that the cost of lost
www.tpadm.co.za
are investing extensively to ensure productivity as a result of indicate that two out of every bottom line.
maximum productivity, there "presenteeism — the hours when three credit consumers are
may be a simple, yet uncharted you are present at work but not over-indebted. With the rating of the Rand
solution that could immediately focused on your job as a result of being downgraded, by S & P
increase productivity by a nancial or other stress — to be • People who have either Global Ratings, to ‘Junk’, the
phenomenal 30% or more. four times as much.” exhausted or have no further Sunday Times recently reported
access to loans, are out of that the “Rand expected to be
e ‘magical answer’ is to e serious realities relating to desperation, applying for hammered as investors pull out”.
merely establish a practice within the true status of the South divorce — as a means to access

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