Page 3 - KZN Business Sense 8.4

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Nkosithandile Portio Dlamini

kosithandile Portio speaking about their future an environment where I was an sure that we are ISO 9001 certified development and skills
Dlamini, managing and their potential especially employee and more technical. meaning that we have quality and development. Anything and
Ndirector of Emakheni since they are in a marginalised When you are starting out safety systems in place.” everything that would elevate
Cleaning & Industrial Solutions, industry and most of them are you need to understand every their lives from one level to
was born at Stoffelton, Impendle, also marginalised because of the department of your organisation In addition, Emakheni’s the next.” Portio’s success in
which is a village located a 100km nature of their job and being low- – marketing, financial, HR etc.” cleaners are well trained and empowering others has resulted
highly empowered. “We motivate
from Pietermaritzburg. She was income earners.” “The second challenge was that I them and make sure that they in her being recently appointed
raised by a single mother of three as a board member of USE-IT.
and spent most of her childhood “I used to make them understand had a lot of fears – stepping out of understand our clients and are
Portio explains that she
in the farm with her grandparents that, they all have something to my comfort zone to go into such able to deliver on a daily basis achieves work life balance by
according to the plans of the
a risky venture including leaving
contribute to their communities
while her mother was studying more than just cleaning, which a secure job was one of them but client and the systems that are in planning. “It’s not an easy thing
and teaching. After completing
her primary school, she went is the steppingstone towards I was now choosing to step into place,” says Portio. to do especially for us as women
to the nearest boarding school, something better, including something bigger than myself.” Journey of entrepreneurship because we play a number of roles
a career or entrepreneurial
in our families and communities.
Pholela High School in Bulwer, opportunities,” Portio explains. Focus of the company I make sure that I plan my day
where she completed her matric. Portio reflected that her journey
Portio studied chemical process Personal challenges Emakheni Cleaning & of entrepreneurship was inspired and my week and that everything
engineering at Mangosuthu and Industrial Solutions is a Level through the support of a number is done accordingly. I have also
learnt to train my staff and to
Durban University of Technology In addition, Portio experienced 1, 100 % female owned business of people who have helped delegate so that I am able to get
respectively and obtained a BTech a lot of personal challenges as that has now been trading for both herself and Emakheni to
in Chemical Engineering. She a female in a male dominated nine years. The focus of the grow from strength to strength. time to myself, to do the things
then worked for a few companies, field. During her early career she company is on the industrial “Without that support I would that I love and to spend time with
the people that motivate and
for approximately 10 years struggled with issues such as low and commercial sectors not have made it in business empower me.”
including Sappi and Sasol and self-esteem and limiting beliefs. providing contract cleaning, because it has been a very intense
later moved to Unilever to work Portio reached a point when she hygiene solutions and garden and tough journey.” In conclusion Portio said,
as a chemical process engineer felt that the career that she had maintenance. The company also She has also participated in “My advice to other women is
and a production unit manager. chosen was wrong for her and undertakes specialised cleaning a number of entrepreneurship to discover who you are as a
she felt inadequate. At that time - high pressure and high-level development programmes person. Discover your passions,
Empowering Others Portio drew on the assistance of cleaning - for factories. “As a including Raizcorp, Sekela ESD, your abilities and your strengths
mentors and started overcoming business, we basically take care
During her career, she felt Business Accelerator programme, and start working on your own
unfulfilled with the work that she these issues one by one. of the non-core activities of our Cataler SA and SLG programme. growth or your own career based
was doing. “I felt that I should Consequently, said Portio, “I clients so that they can focus on Her desire is to grow on that.”
their core business.”
be in an environment where decided that instead of going up Emakheni to a provincial
I was empowering or making the corporate ladder, I would Portio’s background in chemical W: www.emakheni.co.za
a difference in people’s lives, rather start a business that process engineering ensures and national level and to also
rather than working mainly would not only be profitable that she understands what is penetrate the manufacturing
sector with other specialised
with processes and machinery,” and sustainable but a business required from a compliance services such as waste
commented Portio. that will empower cleaners and point of view from the
general workers so that they do manufacturing and commercial management and fuel and
“After being exposed to cleaning not spend the rest of their lives sector which has strengthened chemical transportation. She
contractors and their employees, also wants to solve other
I started to have a desire to have as cleaners.” the business’s position. industrial problems in the
a cleaning and hygiene business Establishing her own business “I understand the challenges manufacturing industry.
that would empower cleaners was not easy and Portio had that are experienced in factories “Personally, I would love to
and general workers beyond the to face a number of challenges when it comes to poor safety get involved in empowerment SCAN
cleaning industry so that they do as well as fears. She said, compliance and service delivery programmes where I am in
not spend the rest of their lives “One of the major challenges from contractors. So, we have made touch with initiatives that QR CODE
as cleaners. While I was working that I faced was the lack of sure that we are aligned in terms are empowering marginalised TO SEE
as a unit manager, I began to understanding and skills in how of systems and that we are aligned communities in terms of VIDEO
start empowering them through to run a business. I was from with our clients in terms of making financial literacy, personal

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