Page 2 - NHBRC

CITY PRESS, 2 OCTOBER, 2016

opportunity index GOOD CONNECTIONS Back row from left: Nosiphiwo Msitweni of Hlumantombazana Civil and Construction; Glorina Nyatshoba of Newglo Trading CC; Nontsikelelo

Sokujika of Exodos Cleaning and Projects; Grace Faku of Rowco 121 CC; Grace Makhetha of Women on Edge Civil Contractors; Lesego Malale of Tshilale Trading CC;

Tshepiso Faith Mabena of Nokhanya Services Pty Ltd; and Logan Kruger of CLK Training and Events Pty Ltd. Front row from left: Grace Sebusi of M2R General

Trading; Nobantu Mbude of Sibahle Facilities Management; Vuyiswa Ndzakana of Ms3 Property and Investments; Gladys Mokoena of Masiqhame Trading 28; Ntsiki

Ndzishe of Gamede Services; and Aletta Ntholi of Setshabelo Trading 561 PHOTO: EUGENE GODDARD

Know the players
on your patch

The National Home Builders’ Registration Council (NHBRC) is once again Deputy
investing in emerging female entrepreneurs in the construction industry by Minister
enabling them to attend a business development programme at the Gordon Zoliswa
Institute of Business Science in Johannesburg. City Press has profiled women
who have completed the course – meet the women from the Northern Cape, Kota-
the Western Cape and the Free State who began their journey on the NHBRC’s Fredericks
Women Empowerment Programme this week. The 10-month journey is one
that offers many opportunities for the delegates to connect with each other and Women key
to building
to form long-lasting business relationships across the country.
City Press finds out why networking is key to entrepreneurial success communities

From business chambers and short courses to other for advice. EUGENE GODDARD
collaborative and networking initiatives, The women began on Monday what will be a 10-month projects@citypress.co.za
there are plenty of opportunities for like-
minded entrepreneurs to come together and business journey, and all of them came together for the Although gender equality in the workplace has a long
make magic. first block of the course to meet each other and to take way to go, women are increasingly making their presence
those all-important first steps to forming lasting business felt in former “men-only” spheres, such as in the
construction sector.
Lumka Mhlahlo, enterprise development relationships.
Deputy Human Settlements Minister Zoliswa Kota-
manager at the Gordon Institute of Business Science Logan Kruger, a delegate from the Free State who owns Fredericks says: “We know that the built environment is
male dominated, but we also believe that we have made
(Gibs), agrees that the journey doesn’t have to be lonely. CLK Training and Events, says: “Our lecturers have already strides towards transforming this sector.

She says: “It’s very important for small businesses to said that we must take advantage of this opportunity. “One of the things we have done is we have committed
ourselves to awarding 30% of our contracts to women.”
network and collaborate with others. For example, you “We are all from different sectors of the construction
Awarding housing and infrastructural development
may have put in a proposal for a specific industry, so if we come together, we could contracts, however, is not a simple one-third parity
process, in which one out of every three projects is
contract, but when it comes you don’t create a conglomerate. Especially with awarded to a female-driven tender just for the sake of
gender equity.
have capacity – then you can those people who offer what you don’t –
What’s wanted are real transformation trailblazers,
collaborate with someone you would A those connections are pivotal.” people such as Dr Thandi Ndlovu-Molokwane, a GP who
usually see as a competitor.” Fellow delegate Lesego Molale, swapped her stethoscope for a shovel and built Motheo
Construction, a giant in South Africa’s built environment.
She says the entrepreneurs who project owner of Tshilale Trading in the
collaborate at Gibs’ programmes Northern Cape, agrees: “I have “Today, she’s a grade nine,” says Kota-Fredericks,
referring to the award-winning businesswoman’s high-
tend to be the ones who create in partnership made a few friends and level designation by the Construction Industry
businesses that can sustain with the associates already, and we are Development Board.
themselves afterwards. not just talking; we are already
doing something.” According to Kota-Fredericks, most women in the
Phumlani Nkontwana, Gibs industry are lower-grade operators, and a long-term goal
Enterprise Development She adds that this is a lesson is to give existing female contractors as well as
newcomers the necessary skills and knowledge to emulate
Academy programme manager, NHBRC from male colleagues, who she the likes of Ndlovu-Molokwane.
adds: “Successful businesses sell says never miss a chance to
great products and are amazing at network and do business together. Her ambition to have five grade nine women in the
construction sector in the next five years was bolstered in
partnerships. Small businesses can She feels women need to do more of 2014 when the National Home Builders’ Registration
Council (NHBRC), in conjunction with the Gordon
learn a thing or two from them about it. Institute of Business Science (Gibs), launched the Women
Empowerment Programme.
how to grow their businesses through Setshabelo Trading’s Aletta Ntholi, who
The joint educational venture by the NHBRC and Gibs
partnerships.” is also from the Free State, says that she is makes use of “leading academics and key influences” to
train students in skills such as entrepreneurship,
He says this includes linking up with companies grabbing the chance to form lasting business innovation, marketing and negotiation in a four-month
course structured around networking and mentorship.
upstream (the products or materials that feed into your connections.
Part of the focus of such training, says Kota-Fredericks,
business) and downstream (the products that flow out of “I have already met women from all the provinces. We is to find job opportunities for women in the construction
sector.
your business towards the end user) in the supply chain. are going to form a group of women from each province
“We would like a situation where women aren’t just
Ask questions like: “Who can I partner with to minimise and create a joint venture. The idea is to get work, then involved in building houses, but are involved in the entire
construction industry, including being responsible for
my production costs?” use it to transfer skills to other women who are too afraid building schools and other infrastructural components,”
she says.
This week, 111 women started the Women to get into the sector because they think it is only for
This approach, lifting the entrepreneurial gaze from
Empowerment Programme funded by the NHBRC at Gibs. men.” merely building houses to constructing communities, goes
back to government’s decision to engineer an international
For them, the course offers limitless opportunities to make Ntholi and the other 110 delegates are proof that paradigm shift away from merely thinking of “housing”, to
a broader vision that includes “human settlements”.
connections with like-minded businesswomen. construction might still be in need of gender
“Somewhere in 2004, we realised that we were just
This is the third intake of the programme, which transformation, but progress is being made – and a course chasing numbers,” says Kota-Fredericks.

previously put 100 women through the course in 2014 and like this accelerates that progress. “It helped us see that, to have an enduring effect, you
need to build communities. You need crèches, schools,
last year. Of those previous beneficiaries, many have Over the next few weeks, join these new delegates on hospitals, roads and other social amenities.”

created connections that have driven their businesses to their journey of business transformation and see how you

new heights – from consortiums to being able to ask each can apply their lessons to your own enterprise.

6 1Remember, you are asking others for information or
help – not for a job.

2Never dismiss someone as not being useful or being
unimportant.

3Offer to help others as much as you are asking
them to help you – what you want is a reciprocal
relationship, which is more sustainable.

4Networking is a contact sport – you need to set up
time to meet with people you want in your network.
This means making time outside of normal meeting
times or events.

TIPS FOR 5Develop a networking strategy. Get a clear picture
SUCCESSFUL of who you have done business with before and
NETWORKING who you would like to do more business with, as well
as who you’d like to do business with in future and then
plan to make it happen.

6It sounds really obvious, but be yourself. If you are
trying to project a persona, you are likely to be
stressed out and ineffective.