My Brilliant Career Combining entrepreneur DNA with hard work
Jacqueline Pillay is the owner and CEO of construction and building maintenance company JasJian
Tell me about you the work you do.
JasJian supplies construction and building maintenance services to Sasol’s houses and hostels (about 2,500 properties), depots and garages in Mpumalanga. I started the company in 2007. Since 2017, we have increased our client base to include FedEx and the SA Sugar Association in Durban. I manage and oversee the daily operations.
Ad hoc work sustained JasJian during its first few years; through perseverance, I secured a building maintenance contract with Sasol Secunda shared services after five years.
What drew you to construction, and what keeps you working in the industry?
I grew up in Chatsworth, in KwaZulu-Natal. My dad had two jobs to support our family. Entrepreneurship runs in the veins of my family, and, from an early age, I exhibited entrepreneurial skills. When my husband and I moved to Secunda, where he was employed as a chemical engineer, I saw a gap in the construction and building maintenance industry, an industry that lacked 100% blackwoman-owned/managed businesses.
I like a challenge, and this is an industry where my competitors are predominantly male. With God’s grace, I’ve grown this business from employing one person to having 126 employees. JasJian is thriving.
You were invited to join the Entrepreneurs’ Organisation (EO). Tell me about EO and what it means to you to be part of it.
The organisation is a global business network of 13,000 entrepreneurs in 179 chapters and 57 countries. It was founded 31 years ago by a group of young entrepreneurs and enables business owners to learn from each other, leading to greater business success. They educate, transform and inspire members, and they also offer resources in the form of global events, leadership-development programmes and education opportunities, among other offerings.
I’m privileged to be part of it. The Durban chapter is the support structure I desperately needed to help me navigate through my entrepreneurial journey. Although we’re from diverse businesses, there are many similarities in the challenges we face.
What makes your job stressful?
There are many challenges in the industry, including unfair practices and fluctuation in the prices of commodities and fuel.
What did you want to be when you were a child?
Anything that intrigued me for that mo- ment. I was inspired by people who had done well in life, no matter what their situation. I eventually grew up and had my sights set on achieving the impossible — registering JasJian.
What do you find most meaningful about the work you do? Why?
The part about giving back. When you bless somebody who cannot return the favour, that’s what’s most meaningful and fulfilling.
What part of your job would you like to change or not do at all?
Dealing with labour issues.