Amos wants to break the chains of poverty through his business
Starting a business requires money, patience, many hours of hard work and the understanding that there might be some challenges along the way and Amos Phatedi from Bendor has experienced all of these, but his passion for working with aluminium motivates him not to give up.
POLOWKANE – Phatedi is the founder of Lebophele Lifestyle Aluminium and Glass Experts, which is situated at 19 Staal Street in Ladanna, a company that specialises in the manufacture of aluminium doors and windows among other aluminium products.
Phatedi is married to Salome and they are blessed with four children.
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The name Lebophele is derived from his children’s names: Lesedi (11), Bohlale (9), Phenyo (10), and Lethabo (6).
He completed an N6 electrical engineering certificate at the Capricorn TVET College which has put him on an entrepreneurial path, when he began working with aluminium in 2014 as a source of income. Lebophele Lifestyle Aluminium and Glass Experts, has trained two people in aluminium and they are now their own bosses, employing five permanent, and two part-time workers.
According to Amos, the business is growing.
“When I started the business five years ago it sometimes felt like my efforts were useless. I couldn’t always produce my products due to a lack of materials but I didn’t give up and kept on. Now I can buy more material to grow my business. I can design good quality products for local people, and I want to supply big companies across the country with my products. Working in such a business is sometimes a gamble because some customers fail to pay what they owe, and this can kill a business,” said Phatedi.
He said he was looking forward to growing his business and employing more local people. “I want to help grow the South African economy and help to create employment. Even though I have a passion for working with aluminium and having my own business, running an aluminium company is not easy and requires patience and passion. It is important to set goals for yourself and for your business and to pace yourself. Even successful and happy people set measurable goals for themselves,” he said.
He told BONUS that his dream is to grow the business so that he can employ more people to break the chain of poverty. “I always preach the gospel of learning to my employees so that they can one day start their own businesses and employ more people,” he said.
He advised the youth not to depend on government or expect anyone to help them. “We should create our own businesses as youth and avoid being all over the streets taking drugs and alcohol as this can prevent us from reaching our goals. Use everything around you to realise your dreams. It is not about luck, it is all about your attitude,” he concluded.
