Page 29 - NHBRC Flipbook

TIP

‘Not every closed
door is a bad thing,
as you sometimes
move on to other
opportunities that
work out better
index
for you in the
end’

ON THE UP
AND UP Vuvu
Bokwe plans
to list her
company on
the JSE
PHOTO: ELIZABETH
SEJAKE
From software to

hardware

opportunity

Vuvu Bokwe began her career in IT and moved into enterprise

architecture before registering her construction company five years

ago, writes SUE GRANT-MARSHALL

In the beginning
Vuvu Bokwe grew up in King William’s Town and Port EMPOWER YOURSELF
Elizabeth, the daughter of parents who had degrees in Maintenance and DIY tips for your home: hanging pictures
theology. In addition, her mother was a medical doctor
who had her own practice as a GP.
“This gave me the idea early on that it was good to Although the NHBRC is not responsible for important to find out how they are built. detector.Somemodelscanalsodetectelectric
work for yourself,” says Bokwe. maintenance,wesuggestthatyouconsiderthe Ask your home builder or try to find out your- cables and pipe work. These are available at
Her family is musical – her grandmother was a well- following tips: self by tapping a wall to see if it sounds hollow. DIY stores. In timber frame homes, all walls
known South African singer – so it was no surprise If it does and your home is of masonry con- will normally be partitions of plasterboard on
when Bokwe sang in the Eastern Province Children’s Wall fixings struction, the wall is likely to be dry-lined with timber studs.
Choir between 1994 and 1997. Very light items can be fixed on all kinds of plasterboard or masonry. It is possible that Always remember: very heavy pictures and
“Every 18 months, the choir would tour an eastern wall finishes by using appropriate adhesives the walls dividing rooms may be timber- mirrors should not be hung on picture hooks.
European country. We went to the Czech Republic according to the manufacturer’s instructions. framedpartitionswithplasterboardonvertical
and Hungary. And we had students from London and But be careful. The adhesion normally has to timber studs. Making several trial holes
Chicago who sang in school choirs there, coming to sing be the paint or paper that covers the walls, throughtheplasterboardwithabradawl(atool TALK TO US
and to stay with us. So early on in life I was exposed to and the bond can be no stronger than the with a blade similar to that of a straight screw-
other cultures,” says Bokwe, who used to play the piano adhesion of the paper or paint to the wall. driver and a handle made from wood or plastic) Email projects@citypress.co.za, tweet
and flute. Pictures (if not too large) and other small or very small drill bit will reveal the position @City_Press #OppIndex or SMS us on
After completing her matric at Queenstown High items can be hung on all types of walls using of the timber frame, or whether there is a 34263 using the keyword PROJECTS and
School, she obtained her national diploma in IT from steel picture hooks. masonry wall close behind. Otherwise, walls tell us what you are interested in. Please
Cape Technikon (now the Cape Peninsula University of All walls may look solid enough, but before will be of plastered masonry. include your name. SMSes cost R1.50
Technology). attempting to fix heavy items to them, it is If in doubt, use a battery timber-stud each
“I loved IT and software development,” she says.
In 2005, Alexander Forbes offered Bokwe a job as
a junior software developer, which resulted in her buying Hurdles because we have a new machine that has a much faster
her first car. “I was earning a good salary,” she says. Bokwe finds that as young women “we’re often not turnaround time. And we’re also building conventional
She worked at Stats SA, then at Deloitte. She moved up taken seriously in this industry”. RDP houses in Pedi, Eastern Cape.
in terms of her skills into enterprise architecture, She also struggles with cash flow problems when “We have strategic partnerships with quantity
which is the organising logic for business processes government “doesn’t pay on time”. surveyors, health and safety officers, and civil engineers,”
and IT infrastructure, and reflects the integration and she says.
standardisation requirements of a company’s operating Bokwe plans to study quantity surveying next
model. Overcoming obstacles year at Wits. Last year, she did short courses on
“This enabled me to do a two-and-a-half-year project at “I’m assertive, persistent and I stand my ground. I construction project management and structural
Macsteel Service Centre,” she says. never quit,” she says. engineering.
Bokwe’s company has finally broken even financially, “We’re also project managing for two clients in the
but when they need money, it’s the private sector they Vaal and Nigel areas,” she says.
Getting started “get it from”.
It was while she was at Macsteel that Bokwe decided
to register her own company, Qelani Trading, in 2008. Dreams and goals
But she subsequently moved into construction on the Next step “I want to sell Qelani Construction for a fortune in
advice of an uncle. “We’re embarking on a project to build ‘green’ houses about a decade and I want to get it listed on the JSE.”
“My cousin Nono Bongco joined me. So then we with insulated panels. In other words, environmentally
became Qelani Construction and had a great break friendly buildings that are not made with bricks and
when the City of Johannesburg asked us to do repairs mortar. We’re going to build them in the OR Tambo The NHBRC is important because…
and maintenance of all their community development district municipalities in the Eastern Cape.” “The Gibs course that we are doing, thanks to the
divisions. Bokwe believes this will give Qelani Construction good NHBRC, will allow my company to feel the pulse of the
“We worked on swimming pools, sports fields, and exposure to government. regulatory element of the housing sector. It will allow
so on.” “We specialise in the foundations of RDP houses us to influence building legislation,” she says.