POLOKWANE – Having worked in the public sector from the start of his career, Lehumo’s focus has always been Limpopo and making sure the province gets put on the map in terms of business and other ventures.
Lehumo, who has an array of post-grad qualifications under his belt in commerce, information technology (IT) and the policy and public sector, began his business Olibecca Consulting in 2000 when it was first registered but he says business began picking up in 2012.
The company is based on core competencies in the areas of strategic business consulting, information and communications technology (ICT) solutions, multimedia, advocacy and awareness and the name is an acronym for Objective Leveraging of Information, Business, Edutainment, Corporates, Collaborations and Associations. The company is currently rolling out a signify software performance management system implementation for the Gateway (Polokwane) Airport, which Lehumo is very excited about. “We are part of a big step in placing Limpopo on the map and I consider this project a big milestone for my company,” he says.
He is big on the community and involving the community in any way possible. “I see so much potential in Limpopo and I am very community-driven,” he says.
He has always wanted to start his own company, saying that he saw himself as being more than capable of doing the job.
“Opening your own business is about the passion and the dedication and not about feeding your stomach.”
He believes in giving people chances in starting their careers and this can be noted by the fact that all his staff members are from in and around Polokwane. He learnt this from his mentor, Dr Andile Ngcaba. He has instilled the notion of working hard and playing hard in the way he and his team work and he says it has worked well for them so far.
“My leadership style is not leading from the front but rather, being the guide on the side, that way my team is able to self-express and take ownership of their own work. The reason I chose to employ a young team is so that they can learn and grow with the company at the same time,” he explains.
Lehumo takes inspiration from the kind of future he wants for his six children, the opportunities that are out there as well as community development. In the next few years, Lehumo says he wants his business to be at the forefront of consultancy in Limpopo.
“I want to be the first choice, the first name people think of when they think of consultancy firms,” he says.
