Page 33 - NHBRC Flipbook

Many of Africa’s great leaders have graduated from the University of Fort
CITY PRESS, 15 JUNE, 2014
Hare. Yet when she graduated, Thozie Tongo couldn’t land a job. She set out

to learn entrepreneurial skills and began working on construction projects

in the Western Cape. She hasn’t looked back, writes Sue Grant-Marshall

index
ON TRACK TO BUILD A GREAT
future being in my own business

TIP

‘What I have learnt from

for the past nine years is
that nothing comes easy.
You have to sweat.
Accept it.’

In the beginning TALK TO US
It was her dressmaker mother’s intense drive to make and sell aprons and Email A project in partnership with the
dresses in Mdantsane near East London that fuelled the desire of just-matricu- projects@
lated Thozie Tongo to do something with her life. “She wanted to instil a sense citypress. NHBRC
of entrepreneurship in us, even though I didn’t particularly want to go from
door to door in our community selling garments,” says Tongo. co.za, tweet
Her father, who worked in a factory, ran an after-hours spaza shop from @City_Press
their home selling paraffin, soft drinks and bread. #OppIndex or
“I admired them for their hard work; it’s inspired me to be where I am today.” SMS us on
Tongo graduated from the University of Fort Hare in 1999 with a bachelor 34263 using
of administration degree in human resources. “I hoped to be a recruitment the keyword
manager. But things don’t always go as you plan and I couldn’t find a job in ‘PROJECTS’
either Johannesburg or Pretoria; eventually, months later, I went to Cape Town.”
There, Tongo did a yearlong internship in the HR department of the then and tell us
department of environmental affairs. But again she could not find a job. what you are
Finally, in 2003, she registered at the Entrepreneurial Business School in interested in.
Bellville and graduated with a level-4 accreditation from the SA Qualifications Please include
Authority. your name.
SMSes cost
Getting started R1.50 each
She registered Masiqhame Trading 224, which trades as TNT Properties. For-
opportunity
tunately for Tongo, the N2 Gateway Project in Langa, where 150 units were
being built, is where she had chosen to live. A friend, Vuyiswa Mabutyana,
who was doing painting for the project, put Tongo in touch with the right
people. She was given the job of project-managing the plumbing and drainage.
It wasn’t long before Tongo was working on projects given to her by the
Western Cape regional public works department, where she did house mainte-
nance. Then DSVH, a partnership between Drake & Scull and Vulindlela Hold-
ings, which manages all contractual facilities management services for the
department of public works’ prestige portfolio – for Parliament – gave Tongo
projects to handle. They involved painting, carpentry, electricity and plumbing.
She continues to work for DSVH today.
She also does road maintenance projects for the City of Cape Town as well
as for Metrorail stations.

Hurdles
“Finances. When you are given a job, you get no start-up capital,” says Tongo
with a grimace.

Overcoming obstacles
Tongo approached Anglo American’s office in Philippi because she’d heard
it lent money to small businesses. “I got one [a loan]. It made me feel fantastic!”
she says.

Next step
“I am helping create jobs because I hire between 10 to 25 men and women,
depending on the size of a project, and that makes me feel amazing. It means
that people can pay for their children’s schooling and put food on the table.”
Now Tongo wants to build houses from scratch, and is on the database of
the Western Cape department of human settlements as well as on the munici-
pality’s database.

Dreams and goals
“I’m in a programme called Women in Rail and it’s going to provide us with
the opportunity to revamp train stations. It could turn out to be a really major
project, one that could last for many years,” she says happily.

The National Home Builders Registration
Council (NHBRC) is important because…
Tongo is aware that she can’t build a house without being NHBRC compliant.
“I know they offer training and support to small and medium businesses, so SATISFIED Though it took a while for Thozie Tongo to find her niche, she has
I hope to be a part of that,” she says.
never been happier PHOTO: ELIZABETH SEJAKE

Get your paperwork perfect before starting construction

Once you have finalised the . A complete set of plans, along with overall construction programme To avoid misunderstandings or home builder. Most builders price this
documentation and planning, the first the site plan and other engineering and with suppliers and mistakes, discuss a plan with your fee into the purchase price.
question you will want to ask your details, are submitted by the builder or subcontractors. builder on how best to communicate On payment of the fee, your builder
builder is: “When will work start on architect to the municipality for Fifteen days prior to construction, your questions during construction. will receive an enrolment certificate,
my home?” approval. the builder must submit enrolment This allows you to ask questions as which you need to keep.
The start of construction is only partly . When the plans have been application forms to the NHBRC, they arise, keep up with the progress On completion of your house, the
controlled by your builder. Here are approved, the house must be enrolled otherwise you will incur penalties. and pass along ideas, details or certificate entitles you to a three-month
some key steps involving local with the NHBRC. Construction of your home will take concerns. warranty for workmanship-related
authorities and the NHBRC that need . The scheduling of construction has several months and you are an essential The enrolment fee problems, one year for a roof leak and
to be completed first: to be coordinated with your builder’s part of this process. This is paid by you through your five years for major structural defects.