Step of faith proves fruitful for entrepreneur

Despite struggling for four years and taking major financial strain after he turned down an opportunity to be a director in a construction company, a Nelson Mandela Bay entrepreneur says the pain was worth it.

Asa Mazomba, 31, a construction industry professional and the founder of TenderPoint South Africa, shared his story and gave tips to aspiring entrepreneurs about his now successful online procurement company that helps small businesses land contracts with government entities at an event hosted by Startup Grind Port Elizabeth at Kwantu Towers.

The Startup Grind is a global startup community designed to educate, inspire and give a platform which allows budding entrepreneurs to connect and network with the gurus of the industry.

Mazomba went to Port Rex Technical High School in East London, where he was exposed to interior architecture, and later went to study quantity surveying at Nelson Mandela University.

He said his big break was in 2014 when he made it to the final round of the Engen Pitch and Polish competition.

“It was not an easy road. In 2010 I declined a position to be a partner and director of a construction company I was working for in East London, and months after, left my job. Since then it was a straight downfall,” Mazomba said.

Mazomba said he began visiting Mugg & Bean in East London where he collected a database of contractors, sending them SMSs with information about tenders available.

Mazomba said after three years of not working, he approached a contractor in Cala, Whittlesea – through his SMS set-up – with a huge tender business. The contractor loved his idea and, in return, Mazomba made a substantial amount of money out of the deal.

He said that deal helped him win the Pitch and Polish competition in 2014.

Jermaine Charles, director of The Startup Grind Port Elizabeth, said they would host a business talk every Wednesday of the month to help connect entrepreneurs and allow them to network.