Page 43 - State of Biodiversity Report 2022/2023

PROFILE: Simon Maphumulo
Email: Msenge.landscape@vodamail.co.za
SIMON MAPHUMULO was born in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. He completed his primary education at Zakhele Primary School and matriculated from KwaDabeka Secondary School. His passion for the environment blossomed in high school when he became involved in gardening projects at his school. Eager to pursue his higher education, he applied to the then Natal Technikon in Durban, and was accepted into the Engineering faculty, but was forced to drop out after a few months due to a lack of funds. He subsequently worked as a truck driver, transporting bird and grass seeds for cattle. He also contributed to trial testing of the seeds.
Driven by his passion, Simon established his company, Msenge Environmental Landscape, formerly known as Msenge Cleaning Services. Initially, he took up seasonal jobs in schools which included grass cutting and gardening. His interest in landscaping led him to pursue a garden
Tree planting at Mabhila and Asizenzele Primary Schools in February 2023
design course, which allowed him to expand his professional network. He further enrolled in a vegetation management course at Cedara Agricultural College, which delves into the intricacies of invasive alien plants. These career opportunities not only provided work for his company, but they also enabled him to train others in garden maintenance.
While conducting invasive alien plant control for the Kloof Conservancy, he was afforded an opportunity to work with WESSA, which at the time was implementing the Municipality’s Working for Ecosystems programme. Upon concluding the WESSA contract, he went on to become a subcontractor for Working on Fire, which was implementing the Municipality’s Fire and Invasive Species Control programme. His skill set expanded when he gained expertise in controlled burning of grasslands, and allowed him to further expand his business. Today, his company offers a range of services, including landscaping, invasive alien plant control, and controlled burning of grasslands.
Despite his achievements in the business sector, Simon still yearned for more.
His work in suburban areas sensitized him to the urgent need to involve rural communities in environmental conservation. This realization motivated him to establish the KwaXimba Conservancy. The conservancy’s
mission is to cultivate environmental awareness, generate interest, and actively engage the Kwa-Ximba community in safeguarding, rehabilitating, and conserving local fauna and flora within the Kwa-Ximba region of KwaZulu-Natal. One of the projects the conservancy takes pride in is the Greening the Schools Project which aims to develop Green Zones at schools.
Throughout the challenges he encountered in his business and conservancy efforts, Simon has managed to employ over 50 individuals. He has also spearheaded schools projects to foster a love for and protection of the environment among learners. His goal is to foster even greater community participation in these initiatives.
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