RISING STAR

NONDUMISO SIBIYA BOOMBADOTMOBI boombadotmobi.co.za

Nondumiso Sibiya has always been a problem-solver. ‘I always liked seeing how a challenge can be an opportunity instead of a stumbling block,’ she says. With this mindset, it’s no wonder she became a successful entrepreneur!

The scourge of illegal dumping in Diepsloot, Gauteng is what compelled Nondumiso to start Boombadotmobi. This waste management business tries to reduce illegal dumping by collecting waste from its source, connecting waste generators with waste collectors and ensuring that waste is disposed of responsibly.

‘Illegal dumping was claiming free spaces: children were having to play in the streets and were being run over by cars,’ she says. ‘That was a big motivator. But most of what was driving me was a vision of Diepsloot as a clean, beautiful neighbourhood.’

By partnering with local farmers, Boombadotmobi is able to distribute green waste that is used for composting. The business also collects building rubble, which is reused for road rehabilitation in the township. ‘We’ve also partnered with other organisations that use plastic bottles to make eco-bricks, and tyres to make garden beds,’ says Nondumiso.

Her biggest goal is to make a lasting impact. Being a social entrepreneur has given her the chance to better the lives of the people in her community by creating jobs. ‘We get people in the township to rehabilitate the roads as we can’t be there all the time,’ she says. ‘Knowing that someone doesn’t have work and that you’ve given them an income creates hope.’

Nondumiso founded the business only a year and half ago but she has big dreams of making Boombadotmobi the go-to waste collection company. ‘We envision our truck drivers’ database growing to more than 10000 across the province – at least,’ she says.

Winning the title of Rising Star means recognition for the work she’s doing for her community, she says, and will enable her to buy the tech she needs to automate the business. ‘We will invest half of the prize money into high-end communication gadgets to enable digital marketing and social media presence; the other half will be invested in working capital so we can handle bigger projects. This will help us reach our goal of having cleaner townships, and a cleaner SA.’

❛What drove me was a vision of Diepsloot as a clean, beautiful neighbourhood.❜