One woman’s ticket to prosperity
Widowed Lucia took on her husband’s bus business and it thrived
● The transport industry is male-dominated and women driving buses and taxis is still the sweetest taboo. But Lucia Netshituni, 39, the owner of a passenger transport business, has not let old prejudices get in her way.
Based in Venda, Netshituni has been providing a commuter service in that area of Limpopo for more than 30 years.
Dressed in a circle-style designer dress and Christian Louboutin heels, Netshituni stands next her Rolls-Royce. She says you can become successful no matter where you are and she has no intention of leaving Thohoyandou, the town she calls home.
Netshituni was introduced to the bus industry by her husband, Andries.
“I met my husband when I was working at Kruger National Park and he asked me on a date, and the rest is history.
“When I first joined the family business, I started as an administrator and worked my way to the top. My husband taught me everything I needed to know about this business,” she said.
Andries entered the transport business in 1983 when he bought his first taxi from winnings from betting on horses. He fell in love with the transport industry.
He died in 2013, in a car crash.
“He started with one taxi, and then two, and after owning five taxis he bought his first bus in the early 1990s,” said Netshituni.
“When I joined the bus business I didn’t know anything, but when my husband died we had 45 buses, and since I took over I’ve grown the business to 62.”
Bearing the motto “Azwibali”, meaning nothing is impossible, 45 buses are based at the Netshituni depot in Thohoyandou.
The service caters to a population in Venda of almost 1.2 million people, a significant increase since Thohoyandou was first established, with a population of 200 000 people, in 1973.
“Venda people don’t leave Venda, they go to cities and come back and build homes here. It’s good for business and it’s good to develop a village,” Netshituni said.
The business is thriving. “We sell 1 200 tickets daily, which can range from one-day rides to a monthly ticket, and we sell 1 500 tickets on the last and first days of the month.”
A daily trip costs R11 and a monthly ticket between R328 and R400. A trip to Zimbabwe costs R600. A full bus to Malawi brings in R65 000. To cover 71 routes, 22 of them controlled by the government, Netshituni employs 104 people.
“The main source of transport in Venda is buses. Our people feel much safer when they purchase a monthly ticket because it secures them transport for the whole month instead of paying taxi fare every day.”
The competition includes well-known brands such as Greyhound, Translux and City to City.
“As much as our main service is in the villages, we tapped into the [wider] market to improve our services because competition is tough and we needed to grow beyond the village,” Netshituni said.
Her buses range from a single-decker that carries 60 people to double-decker luxury coaches. The company has 50 standard coaches that service commuters travelling within Venda. Twelve luxury coaches — with Wi-Fi and airconditioning — service routes to Namibia, Zimbabwe and Malawi.
Netshituni said the company had incorporated the luxury coaches in 2009, starting with trips to Cape Town and Durban.
According to the Mega Bus 2016 report, 70% of South Africa’s population depends on public transport, either bus, rail or taxis, for mobility.
There are about 25 000 buses in the industry in South Africa, of which about 19 000 are involved in formal public transport activities.
The government has upgraded public transport to improve social cohesion. “It’s not only government’s job to service the people,” Netshituni said.
“In villages there is a need to service the poor; they also need to get to work, and Venda is developing.”
Apart from meeting rising demand, the company’s buses also have to navigate rough, rural roads. Other challenges include dealing with accidents.
You can become successful no matter where you are Lucia Netshituni Bus company owner
It’s not only government’s job to service the people Lucia Netshituni Bus company owner