These unemployed graduates are creating businesses out of nothing
Gone are the days were graduates would wait for a job
New and innovative businesses are springing to life
How unemployed graduates are beating the unemployment blues By Farai Diza
Sisanda Nondlwane uses business acumen to start laundry business
The unemployment crisis in the country is not an insurmountable hurdle, at least not for Sisanda Nondlwane.
This was proved by the Mthatha youth, who started a laundry service from her home after months of looking for employment in the fields for which she was trained. Nondlwane, 26, of Link village, is a Mpilo Royal College community health care and City Varsity College film and television production graduate, and looked for employment opportunities for months after graduating last year before she gave up. She details that period as “very stressful”. Nondlwane said she started her laundromat business on January 10 and the support from fellow Mthatha residents has ensured that the washing continues to pile up.
“It’s been two months pushing my business, but I see great change already. I can financially support myself and help at home when there is something we don’t have,” Nondlwane said.
“I can never thank God enough for giving me the strength, courage and wisdom to be who I am today,” she said. “I received a lot of support the very first week of starting my business, and was even able to buy my mom a battery for one of her cars.”
Nondlwane job-hunted in Johannesburg after graduating,
It’s been two months pushing my business, but I see great change already. I can financially support myself and help at home
If you can braid hair, then start making money out of that; if you’re good at sport, you can start a club in your communities and look for sponsors
but having no success she moved back home in March.
I even went store-to-store handing out my CVs, but still nothing. I came back ome and still couldn’t find a job. In the past year I’ve spent most of my days nd money searching the internet and sending my CVs via the post office as well, ut have not even received a single rejection message as a result of my pplications.” he said the idea came to mind while she was stressing about unemployment and ot being able to buy herself sanitary towels or tend to her son’s needs. n any given day now, she washes clothes for three to four clients depending on he loads, and charges per washing basket. or graduates under the unemployment hammer, Nondlwane advised them to do hat they can.
If you can braid hair, then start making money out of that; if you’re good at port, you can start a club in your communities and look for sponsors.”
UKZN graduate makes a killing with iskopo
A KZN student who sold cowhead stew to fund her graduation day and support her family while applying for jobs has become a social media hit.
Sinenhlanhla Shange, 28, from Waterloo near Verulam, northern Durban, resorted to selling the stew, known as iskopo, and phuthu (scrambled pap) outside the King George Hospital in Sydenham. Shange’s customers showed support for her cause on social media, posting messages of encouragement.
“My love for cooking traditional food has made me to enjoy serving a crowd,” she said.
Shange said she did not want to waste time after realising how hard it is to get a job. She was a student of criminology and psychology at University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN).
The mother of one said she buys cow heads for about R200 per head, skin and clean them up and later chop them up to get the meat off the bone. She started the business by getting a R600 loan from her mom and made sure she paid her back after the second batch
Graduate drives fruit stall’s social media success
There is no greater satisfaction than taking theory, putting it into action and seeing it blossom to greatness.
And living proof of that is Johannesburg-based strategic advertising graduate Lonalinamandla Bawuti, who has been helping her sisters’ fruit vending business reach new heights through social media marketing.
As a result, “Third stand Mamela taxi rank” has become a popular search term with Facebook and Twitter users who frequent the stall in the Mthatha CBD to buy “fresh, clean fruit”.
Bawuti, 25, takes pictures with her customers and shares them on social platforms.
Even good Samaritans have chipped in to assist her, with one person lending her a gazebo to help protect her from the scorching sun and rain.
“My sister Zandile started her business to combat unemployment by selling meat in town. It then changed to a fruit vending business,” Bawuti said.
Her sister is a qualified paramedic and also holds an N3 in electrical engineering.
Chemist creates his own laundry washing powder
Kgomotso Sephuma has always wanted to manufacture his own products and now his dream has come true as he created his laundry washing powder.
The 26-year old graduate from the Sefako Makgatho Health Science University is a proud manufacturer of a washing powder named Queline. Sephuma is a master’s of chemistry student and already has degrees in BSc specialising in biochemistry and chemistry, and also a BSc honours in chemistry – both from Sefako Makgatho University.
Sephuma manufactures his washing powder from his own home in Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria.
“The idea started while I was an honours student in 2017, but due to financial constrains I faced, I could not start with manufacturing the end product.”
Sephuma said he was so far satisfied with the feedback from people who were buying the washing powder.
“Our washing powder is strong and unique compared to others because it is very effective in soaking and can be used in both hand washing and in machined.”
“Queline is so strong that it can remove stains in all types of clothing material without changing or tempering with fabric, texture and the material of cloths.” He’s currently selling his washing powder via his Instagram page @Luculants_Pty_Ltd and through WhatsApp.
“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”