Meet the locals
Clement Makka Owner: Royal Shuttles & Tours
Clement, born and bred in Kleinmond, says his late mother was nine years old when all the coloured families were relocated from the town’s harbour area.
“My ancestors had a tough life and had to make do with very little: catching stumpnose and mullet, hunting buck and warthogs, doing a bit of sheep farming... I could kick myself for never having written down all my mother’s stories.”
According to Clement, the local landscape has changed dramatically since his childhood: “There are many more houses and people of various races – coloured, black, Indian. The schools have also changed and racism is no longer automatically ingrained in the children.”
After school, Clement worked at the Post Offices in Worcester and Kleinmond for a total of 13 years. “When I went for the interview, I thought I was going to sell stamps,” he laughs, “but I learned an incredible amount about people and service delivery.” However, the dream of starting his own business – a driving school – was always at the back of his mind.
He approached his friend Deon Brits to help him create a business plan. Deon immediately suggested that he consider starting a taxi and shuttle service, as many tourists to Kleinmond and Arabella Country Estate near the town would need this kind of service to get to and from the airport, or to visit wineries or other attractions.
“I took a big leap of faith in May 2019 when I left my secure job, and all the applications, paperwork and permits were quite a story,” says Clement. But the business well and truly took off and he purchased an eight-seater Volkswagen bus. By February 2020 he urgently needed another bus and bought a second-hand Hyundai H1. But then Covid-19 struck, creating a crisis for Clement and the business. Yet, “miracle of miracles”, it survived. “Yes, things are running well again,” he says. He now employs two drivers and owns a third vehicle. “Whenever I drive along Clarence Drive near Betty’s Bay, it truly feels as though I’m coming home.”
Clement says Kleinmond is a wonderful place but the biggest challenge is the many young people who’ve become involved with drugs, don’t have jobs and have turned to crime. “I often wonder how we should deal with these evils,” he says.
But he adds, “I’m just sowing seeds. It doesn’t matter if I benefit from the harvest. I believe what it says in Proverbs 11: He who waters others will himself be watered.” royalshuttles-tours.co.za
Royal Shuttles and Tours
071 850 3075