Mabena doing what he loves #MakingIt

The African Reporter got an opportunity to speak to the local on juggling being an employee and employer.

Coming from humble beginnings, the KwaThema businessman says after having completed his matric, he went on to further his studies in Information Technology (IT).

But after working for other people for some time, in 2010 he embarked on his first business venture in the township.

“Sixteen years ago I opened my first internet cafe in Rest in Peace, while the second one only came about this year February.

“Back then while working in Midrand, people in the township always use to share with me how they did not have jobs.

“And at that time, digging deeper into the issue I soon discovered part of the challenge was that some of them didn’t have CVs while others did not know how to compile them,” he shares.

Driven by wanting to bring things closer to the people in his community and his love of computers, Mabena then opened the doors to his business.

“At some point I was even willing to provide this service for free, but since things are costly, I had to start charging people so the business could sustain itself,” he says.

But with that said, Mabena still believes his prices are very affordable compared to his competitors.

“Since I wanted my cafés to stand out and be clean, I designed them myself. I have learnt a few things along the way and have made changes as I go.

“For example, the first counter in my first café used to be at the back and smaller; however now I’ve moved it to the front so we can welcome people as they come in.”

Mabena adds the journey has been a great learning curve and though he only started working with one person, the number has mushroomed to six, which makes him happy.

“It’s a challenge doing this as I sacrifice a lot of time with family and friends.

“It’s also changed my life as I have to learn to make everyone I work with happy and ensure the business is running smoothly.

“But since I do it out of love, I really enjoy it and it’s worth it,” he says.

Some people may not know that Mabena also still works an 8am to 5pm job.

“After knocking off from work, that is when I have to come and check on businesses.

“This then means I sometimes have to guide my employees over the phone, while those who have been with me for longer are able to help new staff where possible as they know the ropes.”

He adds that one of his biggest rewards doing this is knowing that through what he does, six people can have something on the table.

“Studying IT at school and serving at various companies dealing with computers has made things a bit easier for me.

“However, other things about running a business I am learning as I go.

“It is for this reason that I always encourage people to go to school, because you cannot teach someone everything you know in three hours.”

Mabena also strongly advises that ones does something they love in order to succeed.

“All I wish for now, is to help make more young people as strong as me in character and business.

“And if your are looking at going into business, ensure you are hands on.

“I don’t like to think of myself as a boss but always see my employees as people I am working with, and this has worked for me,” he advises.

The entrepreneur is also furthering his studies, as he says IT is always changing.

And his future plans include opening more businesses like these two.

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