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KELE ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION PAVING THE PATH IN THE ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION SPACE
INTERVIEW WITH KGAUGELO MOGAPI, MANAGING DIRECTOR OFKELE ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION PTY(LTD)
PLEASE GIVE A BRIEF PARAGRAPH SUMMARY OF THE COMPANY, AND ITS CURRENT PRODUCTS AND/OR SERVICES, AND WHICH MARKETS IT CATERS TO.
The company is currently providing engineering services to clients including Anglo American Platinum’s Mogalakwena Mine. The running five year contract entails providing resources on site for the maintenance and repairs of air conditioning equipment on the mine’s heavy mobile equipment.
WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE KEY CHALLENGE FOR TRANSFORMATION IN YOUR SECTOR?
• The deteriorating economic environment in the country has greatly reduced the available engineering and construction opportunities for young companies to compete with high chances of success. This has slowed down our growth.
• Limited access to banks and lending institutions for the much required Capex to grow business like that of Kele Engineering and Construction.
• Male dominance in the field has not yet subsided and competing as a woman owned company is usually overshadowed.
WHAT ARE THE SKILLS YOU LOOK FOR IN STAFF, AND ARE THESE NEEDS BEING FULFILLED?
1. Trade Test for artisans
2. PR Registration for Engineers
3. People skills
4. People who resonate with our vision; mission and organisational culture
We first advertise in the local communities and subject potential candidates to a robust selection process.
WHAT ARE YOUR COMPANY’S KEY TRANSFORMATION MILESTONES?
Employing three female artisans in our complement and assisting a local black owned supplier with capital and ensuring they are established and are able to run on their own in a space of two years.
HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY THOSE LEADERS IN YOUR BUSINESS?
ICT skills; Financial Management skills; People skills; Business acumen skills and Communication skills.
We identify those leaders through performance appraisals and weekly Exco meetings.
HOW HAS YOUR B-BBEE RATING BROUGHT YOU BUSINESS OR EXPANDED YOUR BUSINESS?
We won key appointments including the 5 year long Vehicle Air Conditioning contract. This expanded our scope tremendously. Had B BBEE not been taken as a factor the completion might have been even steeper for us.
WHAT TIPS OR ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR PITCHING BUSINESS CONTRACTS?
Interested companies must be conversant with the work scope being pitched. They need to have strong skills to deliver the works and be in a position to demonstrate accordingly.
Companies pitching must ensure that they are always compliant with requirements of laws and regulations including Tax clearance, COIDA registration; UIF and B-BBEE amongst others.
It is advisable for the company profile to be always up to date and clearly demonstrate the capability of the pitching company together with briefings on past successful projects.
It would be reckless for a pitching company to forget to share with prospective clients their ability to manage safety, health and environment.
KELE ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION PAVING THE PATH IN THE ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION SPACE
COMPANY OVERVIEW Kele Engineering and Construction was founded by Kgaugelo Mogapi and her business partner; who is the co founder; Mr Nkosilati Tshuma in the year 2018. Kgaugelo was born and raised in Mahwelereng in Mokopane. She has always been intrigued by heavy engineering and construction projects from a prime age. She then conceptualised the idea of playing her part and sought how best she could contribute in the engineering and construction space hence Kele Engineering and Construction was born. Her passion for support to the local mining companies, whilst empowering local people with opportunities also prompted the birth of Kele Engineering and Construction.
ACTIVITIES AND OPERATIONS Mokopane Operation – currently busy with repair and maintenance contracts for the Mine and Mining contractor heavy mobile equipment.
EXCITING HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE YEAR Identified by Mogalakwena mine as a cooperative partner in the engagement of local communities and bringing them the much needed access to youth on the job training and technical competency certification. This happened after Kele Engineering and Construction conceptualised a training academy and embarked on its start up at a small scale.
CSI INITIATIVES Local community forums – working jointly with clients to recruit previously disadvantaged young people in this country and take them through skills development training to equip them for the continuous challenges of the dynamic employment market.
COMMENTARY ON YOUR SECTOR, HOW IT HAS CHANGED IN THE LAST 5 YEARS, ETC. The last five years has seen a rising service provider population resulting in increased competition for a small piece of cake. This has required strategic agility and resilience as to have companies including Kele Engineering and Construction remain viable. One major change has been the tightening of tender processes making them very difficult for small companies to contemplate. Nonetheless Kele Engineering and Construction is proud to have won the much sought after Vehicle Air Conditioning contract in Mogalakwena Mine.
Further changes that have also manifested include the dwindling revenue base, compounded by the reduction in project offers; whilst the number of competitive companies grew. Low margins on contracts have also emerged making it crucial for companies like Kele Engineering and Construction to adapt by optimising cost structures and managing budgets religiously. Funding for capitalisation of young companies by banks and other approved fund managers has worsened the growth opportunities for our industry over the past five years. As such construction projects have reduced even on regional and local scales. This has hampered growth.
KELE ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION PTY(LTD)
COMPANY VISION; MISSION To be the best high-quality engineering and construction service provider that meets and exceeds client needs through innovative processes.
WHAT IS YOUR TARGET MARKET, AND WHY SHOULD THEY DO BUSINESS WITH YOU IN PREFERENCE TO YOUR COMPETITORS? Mining and power value chains. We have specialist resources that are aligned to that environment and have established through our internal planning and strategy formulations that we best fit in that category.
WHAT PRODUCT DO YOU MAKE, OR WHAT SERVICE DO YOU OFFER? We offer engineering consultancy, project management, construction and procurement services.
DO YOU HAVE A UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION? We empower residents of local areas where we work with training on our ways of work to be a top-notch service provider, working through the local communities to deliver value services at competitive pricing.
WHAT INNOVATIONS HAVE YOU BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR? We have designed reliability and process innovations that translate into consistent productivity and reliability for our clients whilst respecting safety, environmental, health and quality protocols.
Thus providing a framework for production improvements and consistent revenue for our clients.
We report on recent corporate events – mergers and acquisitions, for instance. We have been adopted into the KELE Group Holdings group of companies.
SPECIFIC BEE ACHIEVEMENTS We assisted a local Enterprise Development company and established them from start by assisting them with capital, recruitment, sourcing vehicles and securing office space.
SPECIFIC SED INITIATIVES We provide much needed access to youth on the job training and technical competency certification.
NKOSILATI TSHUMA CO-FOUNDER | KELE ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION PTY(LTD)
Company Details
600 Dudu Madisha drive Mokopane, 0626
linkedin | Kele Engineering and Construction Pty (Ltd)
