Perseverance and faith drive Shereen’s business success
ENTREPRENEUR Shereen Govender says perseverance and faith have been the foundation of her business success for the past seven years.
Through her Alton company, Adonai Projects, Shereen continues to carve out her place in the male dominated field of engineering.
‘I started the company in 2012 working from a 180 m2 office with handmade furniture and one laptop, but I was determined to make it work,’ she says.
The 43-year-old who was born and raised in Tongaat, moved to Richards Bay in 1995 when her husband started working at Hillside.
‘I found temporary employment at a few corporate companies in the area.
‘In 2000 I joined Transnet capital projects as a personal assistant. While working there I completed a project management course.
‘Initially I had wanted to do a safety management course, but because of my fear of heights I decided against it.’
Her decision to join a privately owned engineering company would be the start to her entrepreneurship journey.
‘I left Transnet in 2009 and joined the private sector.
‘I worked there for two years and the owner, who was from Saldanha, was selling the business and the staff members bought it.
‘We ran the company for a year and showed growth, but after a year the owner returned and wanted his business back.
‘So I figured if I was able to run his business for a year, I could do it on my own.’
Her project management company entails manufacturing, steel supply fabrication, plant maintenance and piping, among others.
The company has also recently branched out into air-conditioning, which includes supply, service installation and maintenance.
‘It has been a struggle, but I believe there is space for me in this industry.’
Shereen says her entry into the incubation programme at the Downstream Aluminium Centre for Technology (DACT) in 2017 has also helped the growth of her business.
‘It is great to work with people who want to help you. Every business has individual needs and they accommodate those needs. They also provide opportunities for networking which helps you put your company on the map.’
But she says it is up to the entrepreneurs to put in the hard work to propel a business forward.
‘You have to be tough. You can get discouraged, but as an entrepreneur you need inner strength, something that will drive you.
‘I continue to knock on corporate doors, even when they turn me away.
I don’t give up. When they do turn me down I always want to know why.
Then I go back and work on ticking those boxes and improve the service I provide.
‘Failure is a learning experience. Success is good to celebrate, but failure is your teacher.’