Nqobile Kunene's personal success story has all the right ingredients: empowerment, skills transfer, and a woman "making it" in a male-dominated industry.
This is exactly what this divorced mother of three has done since she started Ndilekaluzuko Construction (Pty) Ltd in 2005 with little more than an entrepreneurial spirit, a company name and sheer determination.
With a personal motto of "making the impossible, possible", Nqobile has also become a "voice for women in construction". She has challenged the conventional thinking of the Department of Housing and Standard Bank with whom she has banked for some 20 years.
"Government is allocating projects to empower women, but so often their approach is based on their experience of engaging with a male dominated industry. Banks on the other hand have seemed to be reticent to really engage with businesswomen, given the comparatively shallow track-record of women particularly in the construction industry," says Nqobile.
Bob Tucker, Director: Customer at Standard Bank, says: "Standard Bank, as a financial institution, is also a learning and a growing organisation. We have been helped by Nqobile and other women like her, to gain a better understanding of the issues facing women in business, and how we can assist in alleviating those." Tucker continues, "Being a leading emerging markets bank, with our roots firmly in Africa, we are committed to being socially relevant in all the environments in which we operate. As such, we are absolutely committed to facilitating the development of small enterprises, particularly where they are owned by women."
Nqobile approached Standard Bank for a loan as she had been allocated a project from the Department of Housing to build over 300 homes. She says she was initially rejected but she refused to let this extinguish her passion and drive. She took the rejection letter, engaged the bank in robust and informed discussion and turned every rejection into a positive. "Eventually Standard Bank listened, and I respect them for that! They learnt from me and I learnt from them. Today we have a professional but trusting relationship built on mutual understanding and respect, coupled to a shared vision of success."
"I don't expect special favors as a woman. I told Standard Bank very clearly that I am not here to be treated in a special way, I am here to get money to run a business."
The challenge for women appears great. But says Nqobile, "Women must be relevant in business, and we need to take up the opportunities offered to us as women and not sit back and say we are marginalized. That is how we build credibility and stature. But, at the same time we should not just do things because we are told to do it, like puppets, we must engage with all the wisdom, "street" smarts and creativity that are our strength."
Although this former PA had no previous experience in construction, she never went into it blindly. She says, "You need to have an interest in the sector and an understanding of how it functions. Most importantly you need to understand what your employees do and what is expected of them." To this end, Nqobile attended various courses, including plumbing and bricklaying. Dedicated to always learning and improving herself and her business, by the end of 2008, Nqobile, who currently has construction grades with CIDB 4CE (PE) AND 5GB (PE) will finish with the year with 8GB grade, allowing her to compete on par with the "big boys" in construction.
Nqbobile has not just empowered herself but takes the empowerment of other women very seriously. For instance, most of her senior staff are women and her policy is that one out of four bricklayers, plumbers and other artisans should be women.
With 70 permanent staff members and current contracts to the value of over R8 million, one of Nqobile's other greatest attributes is that she does not just "build houses but builds a sense of community", according to Khanyi Chaba Director of Home Loans: Affordable Housing and Pension Backed Lending at Standard Bank.
Concludes Nqobile: "I encourage people, especially women, to think big and work smart. Never be discouraged and know that there are people and institutions out there which support big thinking to help you to realize your dreams."
THIS STORY WAS PUBLISHED BY A SOUTH AFRICA NEWSPAPER