Entrepreneurs urged to learn from the older generation
lindile.sifile@inl.co.za
“These programmes are just on paper and sometimes they do not implement the plans they promise. It’s up to an individual to lift their hand and make things happen. Young people should align themselves with these programmes and study these documents and try to be part of the plan. Don’t just look for work; maybe you have a solution to many challenges facing this country,” he said.
GEW wraps up today before Mpono heads to Durban, where he will be a guest speaker at the KZN Black Management dinner on Thursday.
Mpono, 35, who grew up in the Eastern Cape, is a living example of the message he conveyed at the GEW. He started as the chief of staff at Edison and learnt the ropes by gleaning wisdom from the company’s chairperson, Vivian Reddy, and within two years he was promoted to his current executive role, which he occupied a few weeks ago. He is the company’s youngest executive.
Edison Power is one of the leading black-owned electrification companies in the country, and it has done electrical installation for big structures such as OR Tambo International Airport, Vodaworld in Midrand, Moses Mabhida Stadium, uShaka Marine World, Montecasino and the Sun City resort, totalling in excess of R50billion.
“For eight years I ran my own renewable energy company. I left that business and for some time I was unemployed, and someone introduced me to the chairperson (Reddy). It took a year for him to finally give me attention.
“Once I got into his company, I followed him around and picked his brains to understand the man behind this empire, which he built with R500 from a borrowed bakkie in 1978. I’d drive with him on his way to the airport, just so I could learn from him. Later he gave me the responsibility of representing him at major meetings,” said Mpono.
Working for a company whose staff of more than 5000 people have an average of 10 to 20 years of service meant that Mpono’s tutors were always in his reach.
In his new role Mpono is tasked with expanding the company into Africa, a multibillion-rand fit that requires him to raise funding and forge partnerships with embassies and foreign banks.
“Africa is not a dark place. There are 1.3 billion of us. This is a huge opportunity for us and everyone who wants to do business in this continent. Yes, Africa has challenges, but we have solutions to those problems,” said Mpono.