Bruce Diale: Limpopo’s only enviropreneur
Being the only enviropreneur in Limpopo to have qualified for Groundswell, Bruce Diale is eager to make a difference in the environment.
POLOKWANE – Groundswell is a program under Fetola, which assists with business growth.
Diale, from Polokwane, is a soil scientist and inventor behind the innovation Gardenizly, which he co-founded with his father, Dr Nkgodi Diale.
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He was selected to be one of the 25 environmental entrepreneurs (enviropreneur) from around the country to participate in the Groundswell Accelerator.
Groundswell is an interactive 18-month programme, supported by seed funding from JP Morgan. The programme focuses on small entrepreneurs working in the green economy, assisting them to build their entrepreneurial skills and cultivate sound business practices.
Since inception in 2007, participants in Fetola programmes typically grow by 50% per year, with a long-term survival rate of close to 90%.
Catherine Wijnberg, the CEO of Fetola, described the selected participants as a group of sophisticated and savvy scientists, many of whom hold advanced degrees.
“It’s exciting to engage with entrepreneurs of this calibre who promote renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, offer environmental consulting, provide water resource services as well as patent new inventions,” she said. Diale holds a B.Sc in agriculture from the University of Limpopo and is currently pursuing an MBA. He owns the patent for the Gardenizly tower garden. The Gardenizly facilitates food security through efficient water usage and was created in order to relieve hunger. It allows users to easily grow vegetables without the use of tools and minimal space. Diale took from the very first Groundswell workshop a lesson in getting his finances and administration in order.
“I now have a financial policy, job descriptions and started doing performance appraisals. I’ve upgraded my e-mail signature, upgraded my computers and communication channels. I’ve employed a bookkeeper and finance officer, and revised the company vision, using workshops to teach my employees about the changes we implement,” he said.
One of the main changes he underwent was gaining an understanding of the kind of people that he wants to retain in his business.
“I’ve changed my approach on managing my staff. For example, a staff member wanted to attend a hockey tournament for a week. Before the workshop, I’d have refused her. Now I’m trying to build a loyal relationship, so I have chosen to support her interests,” he said. The next workshop will cover costing and pricing, a crucial fundamental for small businesses. Entrepreneurs wishing to apply for similar business development support are invited to register their interest at info@fetola.co.za and to visit Fetola’s website at www.fetola.co.za/projects.
