Page 8 - NHBRC

CITY PRESS, 11 SEPTEMBER, 2016 Paying their
lessons forward
A
project The National Home Builders’ Registration Council (NHBRC) is once again investing
in partnership in emerging female entrepreneurs in the construction industry. It is enabling women
with the to attend a business development programme at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (Gibs)
in Johannesburg. City Press will be profiling women who have completed the course, as well
NHBRC as others attending a course. Some of the women who completed the NHBRC’s Women
Empowerment Programme have expanded their construction firms. One has created an app for
opportunity index construction companies to monitor site progress. Others have expanded to different provinces

because of what they learnt, writes Sue Grant-Marshall

Jennifer Shirindza of Shirindza Ntombifuthi Cibane of KwaZulu- Daphney Makhubela of Daph M Ruth Fortune Khoza of Arise Malani Padayachee-Saman, CEO of
Trading and Projects construction Natal-based Nongafa Trading Construction in Joburg and General Construction expanded her MPA Consulting Engineers. “I’ve
company in Joburg is a quantity Enterprise couldn’t read her financial Nelspruit. “The programme changed my business from Hazyview and Nelspruit managed to double my turnover since
surveyor. After the Gibs course, she statements when she went to Gibs. “I life as I was taught how to create a to Pretoria East “because the course the Gibs programme. This is an
shifted her focus to specialising in learnt it there. Sometimes, accountants company that could do without me. It gave me the confidence to believe in achievement. However, it’s not good
mechanical and electrical work in write ‘other’ instead of detailing an meant I could expand to Joburg.” myself”. enough because the effort required to
construction. item. Now I ask, ‘what’s the other?’” go to the next level will incur heavy
Tip: “Get a mentor. I’d be further “I learnt about investigating soil costs. The current economic climate is,
“These set us apart from the rest of Tip: “Treat every job like a along now if I had done so. You need before creating a foundation - there are unfortunately, not an enabling
the competition. I also restrategised newborn baby – carefully.” to study patterns of behaviour from different ways of making cement for it. environment in which to expand and
after the course and scaled down my successful key players in the I also spend a lot of time on site there is certainly not enough financial
target market. I do what I know. industry. Just ask someone to mentor overseeing the building so that I support to promote growth of small to
Concentrate on one thing that you are you. Most people will help, as long as always know what’s going on. medium entities.”
good at. Trying to be a jack of all you ask them in a professional
trades will make you lose focus.” manner.” “I start each day with a positive Tip: “Surround yourself with people
mind-set and with a prayer. I tell who understand the business
Tip: “Don’t work alone. Find others myself that I am a winner. It all helps.” because it takes years of experience
in your industry with experience and to acquire the necessary skills in the
then introduce yourself to them. Tip: “Be prepared, for this is a sector. If the people around you have
When they need someone to do a job, rough industry. We don’t sleep; we them, it places you a step ahead of
no matter how small it is, they will just take naps. Even when I am your competitors.”
remember you.” sleeping, I am dreaming of what I
am going to do next. Identify one
thing you want to be good at and
focus on that.”

THIS IS HOW
IT WORKS

Pretty Buthelezi of CeCe Trading, Moipone Masalesa of Leswikaswika Thozie Tongo of Masiqhame Trading Sethu Pilane of Vuka Business The Women Empowerment
Durban, attributes her Civil Projects has spread her 224 trades as TNT Properties in Consultants, Joburg, provides Programme, funded by the
determination to build the really strong wings from Polokwane, Limpopo to Tyger Valley, Cape Town. “I’ve moved services ranging from construction and National Home Builders’
technical team in her construction Vereeniging and the Vaal area. “I from theory to practice, from doing business training to development. Registration Council (NHBRC),
company to the Gibs programme. “I strongly believe that what I learnt at maintenance only to building houses comprises:
learnt that you need to have an the NHBRC hugely empowered me. from the foundation up. I’ve also “We’ve grown since the Gibs course . Five months of business and
excellent team if you are to finish When I started the course, I was only moved out of my house and into an and now own a scientific app called management training. This is
contracts on time. Now I have a doing civil work and I did just any work office block with two permanent staff. Houselab, which construction condensed into four days a
projects manager, site agent, contracts that came my way. Now I am into companies use to monitor site progress month in the classroom.
manager, quantity surveyor and a general construction, I’m focused and I “After Gibs, I went to a training in real time. . This is followed by five
foreman.” have the right people working with me. centre in Pretoria where NHBRC months of support services -
training inspectors taught us what to “It also aids new tenants with snag including mentorship, coaching,
Tip: “Get together with people in “Six of us on the programme have do in building. It has been invaluable.” lists and second-hand homebuyers to networking events, and
the same business you are in, as it formed a consortium and are working determine the true value of a property facilitating access to finance and
provides an understanding of it. After together. As a result, we are now on Tip: “In this work, figuratively they want to buy. new markets.
the Gibs programme, we formed a Grade 9 level in construction – the speaking, there is a summer and a
WhatsApp group and some of us highest level you can be on.” winter. When times are good and you “We’re in the process of franchising The programme aims to
have subsequently formed have projects, remember to save for Houselab nationally and since it is a empower small businesses and
partnerships.” Tip: “Plan and have a management a rainy day.” mobile app and web-based system for create jobs for those involved in
strategy. I can’t emphasise that management reports, we’re looking the construction industry,
enough. You need to set the forward to it being used internationally specifically those women who
parameters of what you want to too.” are part of the homebuilding
achieve. If money is your main goal, economy.
you will run around like a headless Tip: “Take the time to understand
chicken.” your market dynamics, competitors The NHBRC has previously put
and customers. It’s good to 100 women through this
understand that you are serving programme, with spectacular
another person’s needs. Be flexible.” results.

Go to city-press.news24.com and
@city_press to check out video
profiles of previous graduates of the
Women in Construction programme

Assuring Quality Homes Since 1998

The NHBRC is here to protect your rights as a new homeowner, by ensuring that our
registered builders deliver a quality home that you can enjoy for generations to come.

1. Use a registered builder and sub-contractors.

2. Register your new home 15 days before you start building.

3. Demand that a minimum of four inspections are done during construction.

4. Before signing your “happy letter”, make sure you are satisfied with the quality of your new home.

5. Address any construction related issues with your builder in the first three months of moving into your
new home, to take advantage of your Warranty Cover.

Toll Free: 0800 200 824 www.nhbrc.org.za @NHBRC National Home Builders Registration Council