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Khulani Construction
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Building on
Khulani Quality Construction has become one of South Africa’s most successful construction companies, with a sixteen-year history of infrastructure and industrial development. We spoke to the company’s CEO, Gladness Msiska, on the struggles and successes of a black female-owned business in the current market.
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hulani Trading Enterprises was founded by Gladness Msiska in January 2000, driven by her vision of creating a black woman-owned construction company. Since then it has gone from strength to strength, carrying out numerous mining, industrial, energy, power and environmental sector projects. Khulani’s reputation, Msiska says, is built on “providing good quality work to all our valued clients” as well as “continuous skills development for our staff in order to ensure excellence at all times”.
Infrastructure and ethics
The two focuses of Khulani’s business are infrastructure and building, which focuses on industrial, mining and other areas requiring large construction projects, and plant operation, providing procurement, commissioning, and repair and refurbishment of company machinery. Assets managed and maintained by the company include tower and mobile cranes, concrete batching plants, concrete truck mixers, and large scaffolding systems. Kuhlani’s fleet of vehicles includes excavators, bulldozers, tipper
“Throughout these twin operations Kuhlani cultivate sustainability, positive practices, and a company ethos that values ethical ways of working.
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trucks and all manner of road surfacing machines.
“One year later, Khulani looks set to thrive, with a solid order book and a strong strategy to co-ordinate the company’s operations.
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Throughout these twin operations Kuhlani cultivate sustainability, positive practices, and a company ethos that values ethical ways of working. The company strives to manage the impact of their operations in terms of emissions, disruption and employee health and safety, as well as enforcing positive corporate governance and citizenship, and treats discrimination very seriously. Msiska makes her passion for progressive policy and inclusivity clear. “It is my mandate to promote and encourage black South Africans, especially
C o n s t r u c t i o n
young women, to always feel liberated, through the determination to make a success of themselves without focusing on their gender.” The company’s homepage proudly affirms their compliance with South Africa’s Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment policies. 25% of the company’s employees are women, and it has created over 150 direct and indirect employment opportunities across South Africa, staying true to its aim of enabling economic and social development.
Bridging the skills gap South Africa is experiencing a much-discussed skills gap at present, with more than 63% of businesses currently concerned that they won’t be able to find new employees with the skills required to fill their requirements. Technology and engineering firms like Khulani are among the most concerned with the shortage of skilled employees. Organisations are now looking overseas to find skilled labour, with many recruiting from Indian and Chinese labour markets. Many CEOs say that creating a
Construction
Actophambili Roads (Pty) Ltd Tel: +27 (0)11 395 2293/ 3087 Fax: +27 (0)11 395 3767
Contact: elsa@actop.co.za for more information
Building R02 | Denel Aviation Campus | 3-8 Atlas Road | Kempton Park | 1619 skilled workforce should be the government’s main concern, although counter-arguments have emerged blaming the CEOs themselves for not taking steps to review their hiring process and make changes to look to new sources of labour. Khulani, however, is ahead of this particular curve. “We create opportunities for those who are unemployed,” says Msiska. “By doing so we also want to help cut poverty in our local communities.”
A turbulent industry
Southern Africa’s construction sector has faced many challenges in recent years, with labour unrest, constant economic setbacks and upheavals and substantial delays on major construction
projects. Co-ordination and management in the industry was blamed, as was a lack of risk and performance management, leaving many contractors open to significant setbacks around minor negative events. Nonetheless, the industry adds significant value to South Africa, and looks set to have a bright future – if firms can cope with short-term liquidity needs. In particular, modernisation and growth in transport infrastructure and retail construction are tipped as some of the larger growth areas in the industry, and Khulani is well equipped to take advantage of this growth. However, the company itself has not been immune to the trials of the industry over the past
few years. Two years ago, the new leadership team at Khulani implemented a one-year strategy for Recovery and Growth through the COSI institute in Chicago, stabilising the business and helping to remedy the underperformance of the company in recent years. “We shall make it” became a catch-phrase used by the company to boost morale. One year later, Khulani looks set to thrive, with a solid order book and a strong strategy to co-ordinate the company’s operations. “All of this has come from hard work,” says Msiska. “I put in countless hours in order to make sure that the company remains on course. Commitment, care and dedication – that is what you need for the best results.”
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77 A Wes Street, Middelburg, Mpumalanga South Africa, 1050 T: +27 13 244 5017 F: +27 86 604 0758 E: info@khulane.co.za
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www.essentialbusinessmag.com ŠEssential Business Magazine 2016