Page 3 - KZN Business Sense 10.3

FULFILLING HIS LIFE’S

MISSION

pumzi Swana, the chief customers to reduce their energy our company is probably one of
operating officer at bills, which is the core focus of the few companies where they
MSAMAC Engineering our business.” have free rein to actually design
Solutions, was born in the The company’s technology is and build products. This allows
Eastern Cape, where he says his geared towards storing thermal them to fully express themselves
story begins. and develop their skills, which
energy during cheaper times we find is a huge motivator.”
The Swana family moved to of the day, which then can
KZN when he was five years then be used more efficiently Focus is key
old and Mpumzi completed like during peak tariff times
The best advice that Mpumzi
high school at George Campbell or during loadshedding so has received is: Don’t sweat the
School of Technology. He that businesses save money,
commented, “I think that was reduce product spoilage, small things. “Focusing on the
key things that will get you the
quite an interesting space to become more green and more most results is essential. Don’t
be because that’s where my environmentally responsible.
technical skills and acumen “That is why I wake up every be anxious and want to control
everything. That really has come
were built.” morning,” says Mpumzi.
through in the way that we do
Following matric, as creating Mpumzi’s successes have business and engage with our
finished products from raw been recognised on a number customers. We focus on what
materials intrigued him, of occasions. These include their biggest problem is and
Mpumzi studied chemical being one of the top five youth how we can help to solve that
engineering. Much of his innovators in Africa in the problem. People see that you’re
career has been centred on the energy space, and as the most interested in the things that
development of new products. innovative youth business by matter to them.”
SAB Kickstart.
Mpumzi has completed a While KZN is a dynamic
number of post graduate degrees. However, he says that his province, in the last couple Mpumzi Swana, the chief operating officer, SAMAC Engineering
His highest qualification is a proudest moment is seeing the of years it has met with a Solutions.
manufacturing focused MBA change in and the impact on number of challenges. And,
that he obtained from the the young employees who work says Mpumzi, his company and plan to rebuild to be able to core belief that I don’t want to
Gordon Institute of Business at the company. “Some of them has not been immune to some fulfil their obligations. leave without actually fulfilling
Science (GIBS) through the have started straight out of of those challenges. COVID the mission that we’ve been sent
Toyota Wessels Institute for school, and some of them have really impacted on the business “We found that they were very to do and our company won’t die
Manufacturing (TWIMS). only worked one year. To look as some of the work that they supportive and that different without fulfilling the mission
at how they’ve grown in terms were doing was in commercial stakeholders came to the party.
His first job was at Toyota buildings. When everyone In fact, in the past two to three that it’s sent to do.”
Manufacturing, where he worked of their own profession and as was told to work at home, this years our business has grown Mpumzi believes that KZN can
in the paint plant for three years. people and to know that as a requirement caused projects to quite significantly financially be the platform to build a new
company we are contributing to
Of this experience he says, “I the development of people that be terminated or put on hold. and in new markets compared industry, which has been a core
had very good supervisors and to the previous years where we focus for him. He believes that
managers who had quite sharp are going to do great things in During the July riots their office even had investors. From the thermal storage technology has
their own respective lives is a
leadership acumen and I use a huge achievement.” and workshop was looted of all hardships that we came through the ability to transform specific
lot of the learnings that I gained stock and completely destroyed. we are much better off as a industries to make them greener
from them in my leadership at Ensuring motivation within his Mpumzi commented that business and much better off as and more profitable. In addition,
our business.” team is important to Mpumzi. as an entrepreneur there’s no human beings.” the company really wants to
“Our philosophy is that you must going back and as such started create a platform where young
Product Development be able to give someone a vision rebuilding from scratch. A key Be The Best innovators and entrepreneurs
SAMAC is focused on product so that they are able to motivate component of this meant that One of the people that has can develop their own products
development for the HVAC or themselves internally. For the company engaged with their inspired Mpumzi in his life has using their technology.
refrigeration industry. “We have example, when we engage our customers and stakeholders and been his grandfather who never In conclusion, Mpumzi explains
developed technologies that help engineers, we say to them that shared with them their situation left Lusikisiki or the farm where that his life motto has to be seen
the family came from. from an introspective perspective.
“In that space he always “I live by a motto that says that
managed to thrive and to be the ‘I am the one that is needed for
leader at whatever he was doing. whatever it may be’. Whether it’s
He was in education, a principal, growing an industry, building
and one of the drivers for early a business, growing a family,
childhood development. I want being a responsible citizen of the
to build a business that will be province, being a great South
the best at what is does and I Africa or being a great African, I
want to be the best at serving our don’t need to wait for anyone else
customers in that space.” to come and rescue me. Each of us
can really take agency and bring
In addition, says Mpumzi, he
is driven by the belief that each change wherever we may be.” 
generation has an opportunity
to fulfil its own mission. “If W: www.samac.co.za
you know that you are in this
particular time to fulfil a specific
purpose than you won’t sleep at
night until you actually fulfill
SAMAC’s collaboration with the Broll Property Group has led to the rollout of its technology across the buildings that purpose. That for me is a
they manage.

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