Her future is engineered by her passion and strength
When you mention entrepreneur Mamokiba Makuwa at TKY Trading in Burgersfort, her colleagues cannot help but rave about her expertise and hard work.
LIMPOPO – Mamokiba has a B.Tech in management with Tshwane University of Technology, and a SABS ISO9001 QMS certificate, and has made a name for herself at TKY Trading.
This achievement adds to the wealth of experience she has gained throughout her career.
Coming from humble beginnings in Burgersfort, she grew up selling ice blocks and atchar and matriculated at the age of 15.
She is a shining example of someone who followed her dream and built up her career from scratch with her passion to become the owner of TKY Trading, an engineering company.
Mamokiba takes pride in being a strong, capable woman in a male-dominated sector, although she says she still has much to learn about the industry and her clients. With her business’ steady growth, she is exploring the prospect of opening branches in other provinces.
Growing up among boys, the mother of two said she was a star student, giving the boys a run for their money.
“I was promoted from Gr 8 to Gr 10 where I shared a class with my older brother and rose to the challenge. At my first job I answered the phone but pretty soon I was meddling in sales and marketing. My title was receptionist but I loved sales and marketing, and when given the chance would triple the sales targets. It was this natural entrepreneurial ability that led to TKY Trading in 2012, making me the first female entrepreneur in the engineering services field in my area. TKY Trading specialises in armature winding, general engineering and construction maintenance, and provides a range of products and services to the mining industry,” she said, adding there is a high demand for these services in the area.
“We are surrounded by mines which mainly work on improving their production targets with engineering sitting at the heart of these mines. I saw an opportunity and I seized it. In this male-dominated industry, as a woman you have to go the extra mile to achieve your set goals.”
What she loves most is the challenge of being in a masculine industry and the responsibility of having employees under your care.
“We need to make a meaningful contribution to our society and generation. This will afford us the opportunity to develop skills and boost the economy in our area. Being an entrepreneur hasn’t been easy but it builds character. There is a huge gap in the way I saw things as an employee and now as an employer. There has been a great change in many areas of my life, how we handle problems, challenges and good times. I learn every day and I have a reason to wake up every morning,” she said.
She told CV TKY Trading was one of 11 businesses from Limpopo selected for the prestigious SAB Foundation Tholoana Enterprise Programme which provides participants with access to extensive training and expert mentorship. This includes market access, financing and other resources designed to help businesses like hers achieve new levels of success. “I strongly encourage budding entrepreneurs, especially women, to explore the support available to them to help them achieve their dreams.
She advises the youth to never let failure get to them and to never let success go to your head. “Anything is possible, all you need is faith, confidence, good communication skills, and knowledge of what you choose to do.”
