Converting castor oil into biodiesel is a job creator
Thabang Mabapa is the founder and MD of alternative fuel company Selokong Sa Dimelana
What does your job involve?
My daily routine involves co-ordinating the direction of the company, including allocating capital to the company’s priorities, and modelling and setting the company’s culture, value and behaviour.
I set the strategy and vision of the company.
I’ve been very fortunate to have had the support of the Red Bull Amaphiko Academy over the past two years, and they have assisted me tremendously with mentorship and skills to grow my business. They helped me design a customised road map for my journey as an entrepreneur.
I also look at which markets the company should enter, how the company differentiates itself, and its product lines.
I have to keep my team of industry experts, managers and farmworkers together. I communicate closely with managers and advisers. And I play a role in negotiating with buyers.
In terms of what we do, we farm castor seeds and process them into castor oil, then convert some of the castor oil into biodiesel.
Biodiesel is made through a chemical process that essentially splits the vegetable oil (castor oil) into two parts: biodiesel and glycerine.
The fuel can be produced domestically, from seed to pump, and is nontoxic and biodegradable. You also do not have to modify your engine.
We use marginal land to farm the seeds, which means our products are not a threat to food security.
We sell our biodiesel mostly to farmers, at a reasonable price.
We also sell cold-pressed castor oil, as consumers use it mostly for cosmetic application, which helps us keep our biodiesel business sustainable.
What makes your job stressful?
Negotiating with bulk buyers on the price of castor oil and biodiesel is stressful at times, but I learn every day to master it.
What did you want to be when you were a child?
I wanted to become a professional football player because I was good at it and it’s all I could think about.
What do you find most meaningful about the work you do?
Collaborating with people from rural areas and developing marginal land for castorseed farming is the most meaningful part of the work I do because this is how Selokong Sa Dimelana (SSD) contributes to addressing the rural brain drain.
What part of your job would you like to change or not do at all?
I’m passionate about every aspect of my job and would not change any of it.
What other work would you like to do?
I haven’t thought too much about other work I would like to do, as I am so focused on growing and making SSD a success.