IMKHITHA NTSHANGA

is cementing herself as an impactful business leader as the founder and CEO of MIBN Projects

Josephine Malakoane

is the Founder and CEO of Basadi Automotive Group (pty) Ltd

Briefly tell us about who Imkhitha is?

Oh, my goodness I do not know if I can keep it brief there are so many layers to me. So Imkhitha is a lady born and bred in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape in a rural village called Qokolweni. I studied there for high school and then I later moved to Cape Town to try to figure myself out here.

Walk us through your journey of becoming an entrepreneur

Initially, I studied psychology. However, I could not venture into that industry because there were no jobs at that time. As a mother, find balance in whatever life dealt me with. So I got a job as a receptionist after being a call centre agent for a few years. I am a curious individual, while I was a receptionist I started assisting my director and also around the office. During that time I was told I could make it as a project manager. So begin my research on how to qualify as one. I tried enrolling at Varsity College for a project management course, bear in mind that I had no idea what I was doing initially but I said to myself “if this person thinks I can be good at it, I will try”. In 2020, I founded a 100% black-owned consultancy, MIBN Projects, where I focus on the nuts and bolts of ensuring that all projects are completed timeously, on budget, and in scope.

What is the nature of your business? MIBN Projects doesn’t just focus on project management but on construction, design, and finishing. Because I am a person who likes to juggle many things, I also ventured into logistics. We just finalised our partnership with a logistics company.

What challenges do you normally face? Being a project manager comes with many challenges, but my job is irresistible. It’s overwhelming because you’ve to work with about seven other professionals. And those professionals have their team members, so the bug stops with you. And the client is going to ask only you why things didn’t go the way they were supposed to go. You have to be an electrician, you have to be the main contractor, and you have to be an architect.

What does transformation mean to you? Transformation to me is being able to cement yourself as a young person and see yourself as a person of value. Being allowed the time and space to learn, too. We are ten steps behind and need to catch up, which requires learning.

What advice would you give young people? As long as your mind and heart are in it, go for it. And be what you know you can be. You just have to be given the space to cement yourself. Also, don’t be naive and say you do it when you don’t have the background.

What is the nature of your business? Basadi Automotive Group (Pty) Ltd. was established in 2018 by a brave young lady who decided to take on the male dominated industry by assuring excellent service and providing opportunity to females who wish to join the motor industry. We pride ourselves in providing ad-hock fleet related services to allow you to focus on your core business. Our service offers are as listed below but not limited to:

Vehicle transfers

Vehicle carrier movements

Nationwide de-fleet inspections and collections

Nationwide new vehicle deliveries

Fleet towing service

Emergency battery and tyre change services

Mobile car wash

Removal of branding

Vehicle maintenance and tyre supply

How did you get started in your business and what challenges did you face? We faced the same challenges as other small businesses. Despite our efforts to maintain a positive cash flow, we have limited market access due to the big companies making it difficult for us to enter the market.

What are your plans and ambitions for your business? To grow as a company, Basadi Automotive Group must have national offices employing 70% women. Our goal is to become one of the leading vehicle movement companies in South Africa while expanding in Africa.

What makes your business to be unique? Passion for vehicles, service excellence and women empowerment on a different level.

What is your strategy for getting and keeping profitable business? Nowadays, it’s very difficult for small business owners to maintain a positive cash flow, especially in our industry where fuel prices have changed so much. We aim to please our customers by offering excellent service but all our inputs are linked to fuel and the ever-changing interest rates. So the key focus for us since the inception of COVID-19 has been to keep our current customers very happy and try to be very costeffective. The goal of our company is to grow our customer base through good referrals from our existing customers. Despite a slight decline in profitability, we have increased our market share and that’s our long-term growth strategy for now.

Do you think there is a bright future for this line of business in SA? Yes, there is a bright future in our sector especially now that more and more big players are allowing us to join the meeting at the table. We are now more than ever included in the discussion as black females with small businesses. This is a great start although there is still a long way to go to reach the targeted inclusion.