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Like thousands of other young people in Ekangala, Bronkhorstspruit, Nomathemba Selesho had few job prospects when she finished school. So, she studied accounting sciences and found a job at a local bank. She gave all that up when the entrepreneurial bug bit and she realised she wanted more for herself and her family.
Nomathemba was inspired by her father who started his career as a truck driver and then bought a second-hand truck to support their family of ten. “Growing up, I looked up to my father who was the mechanic and driver of his own truck. I saw how he struggled and I knew there was a better way to grow and build a more sustainable trucking business. It helped that he believed in me,” Nomathemba said.
Starting Themba Liyeza Logistics was a leap of faith. She took out a loan, used her savings and borrowed money from her family to buy her first truck and trailer. “The main challenges were raising capital and managing fuel costs, but with my family’s support, we managed to get through,” she says.
Dealing with the township’s poor infrastructure and limited resources was tough at first. Inadequate maintenance of public roads, limited access to reliable transportation, inadequate communication networks, and unreliable utilities such as electricity and water all hindered business operations and increased operating costs.
In Ekangala, Themba Liyeza Logistics is more than a business; it’s a pillar of hope for the local community. By employing local drivers, mechanics, safety officers, and admin personnel, Nomathemba directly contributes to reducing unemployment in the area.
“Our priority is focused on uplifting the local economy,” she explains. “We also support other local enterprises by buying tyres, utilising truck wash services, and engaging local branding services, thereby reinforcing the community’s economic fabric.”
Since its inception, Themba Liyeza Logistics has created 18 job opportunities, significantly impacting the local unemployment rate. In an area where the youth unemployment rate is particularly high, at over 50%, this business is a crucial source of employment and skills development.
Operating in a male-dominated industry, Nomathemba has faced significant opposition. She has been turned away from numerous opportunities simply because key decision makers do not believe she deserves them.
“Securing contracts is challenging because there are a lot of gatekeepers along the way. It also feels like I am not taken seriously,” she admits. Ironically it is her gender that makes her stand out; it has given her the drive to improve her business, create a legacy for her children, implement proper systems and processes and ensure that her business is fully compliant.
This attention to detail is an inspiration to other women in the Ekangala, showing the next generation of women entrepreneurs that with determination and support, barriers can be overcome. Having the right kind of business support was a game-changer for Nomathemba. She applied to join the SAB Foundation’s Tholoana Enterprise Programme, a business support programme that helped her focus on putting the correct structures and processes in place in her business. Themba Liyeza has since seen a 226% growth in turnover and 43% growth in jobs.
Nomathemba is now pursuing opportunities to expand Themba Liyeza Logistics into various industries such as food and beverages, retail, and other commodities like cement and fuel.
“We want to empower young entrepreneurs in the logistics space, provide consultation services to those entering the market and create more jobs,” she shares.
Her advice to aspiring entrepreneurs: plan meticulously, save funds, and ensure compliance to thrive in the logistics space.
Nomathemba’s resilience and the relentless pursuit of her dreams is driving change in Ekangala, and she is inspiring future generations of entrepreneurs to so the same.
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Nomathemba Selesho is a participant on the SAB Foundation’s Tholoana Enterprise Programme, an 18-month business accelerator powered by Fetola which supports the lasting success of businesses from across South Africa, particularly those owned by women, youth and people living with disabilities, and those in township and rural areas.
