Street-smart Manu ‘ready for anything’
The 23-year-old entrepreneur realised early on that an office job is not where he sees himself.
POLOKWANE- “Dying on your feet is better than living on your knees”, says Emmanuel Moopa, better known as Manu.
He is a 23-year-old entrepreneur that prefers the term street hustler. Manu comes from Madombidzha Village, outside Louis Trichardt but is currently working on his hustle in Seshego.
Manu studied business management at the Capricorn TVET college, and it was soon after getting a job that he realised working from eight to five is not his cup of tea.
“My qualification still comes in handy, but being in an office is not meant for me. It is important that you do something that makes you happy. I am happy when I am on the street interacting with other people.”
He says although it becomes hard working from the street his determination has kept him going.
Manu shared some tips on being street smart. “Always be adaptable, you never know when your next opportunity is going to pop up. You need to always be ready to put yourself in the shoes of your prospective clients.”
Manu adds that one must set realistic goals that you work towards. He says that if your goals are not realistic you will not be able to meet them and that stops you from progressing.
“If you do not meet your goals you might even think that you are not good enough. Another thing is to always make sure you are open-minded. When challenges come your way, it is best to be able to look at it with a clear head.”
Manu says being an open and approachable person is also very important because you never know who your customer is going to be. “You are a brand, wherever you go. You need to be ready to sell yourself at any given point.”
Manu is one of the many young entrepreneurs who have been badly affected financially by Covid-19. He adds that being an un-registered business means that he does not qualify for relief from the government. He says this is a sad reality for most informal business in rural areas.
