Rize Mzansi successes Aluminium was his window of opportunity

Last year’s first FIFA World Cup brings fond memories for Sabelo Mkhondo. This 30- year old entrepreneur from Katlehong, saw the window of opportunity and benefited from South Africa’s hosting
the football showpiece. He started an aluminium business and got a tender to do work for SAFA.

After featuring on the Rize Mzansi TV programme, Sabelo Mkhondo’s
phone never stopped ringing. “Many people saw my work and they were very impressed – I have been busy since then. I hope to expand to bigger premises to handle big orders as well,” said Mkhondo, who is the proud owner of Mamelodi Aluminium Spazal.

“Despite only three years in business, my company got exposure that
I could only dream of,“ he said.

Business skills

Spazal is a programme supported by Wispeco Aluminium (manufacturers of window frames and shower doors) and the Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services SETA(MERSETA).
The Wispeco Institute, with the support of MERSETA, presents formal
business learnership programmes to young unemployed people from
previously disadvantaged communities in Gauteng, Limpopo and the
Western Cape.

The learnership equips entrepreneurs with skills to start and manage their own businesses. In addition, Wispeco also introduces high-quality technical training on the various Wispeco products. The practical training is done in workshops where the entrepreneurs
learn to make their own aluminium windows, doors, garage doors and showers.

Own company

Thanks to training given by both Wispeco and MERSETA, Mkhondo
was able to start his own window frames company called Mamelodi
Aluminium in 2007. Apart from making frames for doors and windows,
Mkhondo also manufactures shop fronts.

SAFA House

The highlight of this exposure was when I got a tender to do work at the South African Football Association (SAFA) House which was the FIFA headquarters during the 2010 FIFA World Cup,” said Sabelo
Mkhondo also did some work at the FNB Stadium, the venue of the opening and closing matches of the 2010 World Cup.

“The impressive work I did at SAFA House and FNB Stadium also resulted in many people wanting me to do work for their companies, as well as their homes.”

Job creation

Mkhondo’s business also created five permanent jobs at his workshop in Pretoria. He chose Pretoria because at the time there were few up-and-coming manufacturers of aluminium window and shower door frames in the area. Mkhondo’s business was also featured in the Rize Mzansi reality television show between September
and October last year. Government funded the Rize Mzansi show with
the main objective of highlighting economic programmes that were offered by different government departments.

- Mbulelo Baloyi