23 Feb 2016

For one Tshegofatso Shaun Phokoje, the security sector has always been his calling. The 30 year old saw a niche when government introduced a plethora of progressive policies and interventions to develop and empower the youth.

 That was reason enough to ditch the military fatigues for private security sector.  Despite dissenting voices from friends, family and the obvious lure of a guaranteed salary come month end, for Phokoje the entrepreneurial bug had bit hard.

 With his exit package from the military, he set out on a journey of self actualisation.  He enrolled for a degree in Business Management while that was a start to a theoretical journey, his sight was firmly set on actual business hence he registered a security company.

 In no time the meager savings from only a six year sojourn in the barracks dwindled and Phokoje was to make the hardest decision of his life, having to again quit, this time school, before completing his degree.

 “It was a really tough time for me as I didn’t want to be seen as a quitter but I had my sight firmly on realising my dream of running my own business,” he said.

 He applied for the youth development fund and his application was approved.  That was time to leave the city and set up shop in Palapye.  Underdog Security was no longer a dream, with the youth development fund seeding capital, my dream was realised.

 Today, Underdog security has a staff complement of 10 permanent employees and is housed in one of Palapye’s plush office blocks.  With the ever promising trickle of job offers for his company, Phokoje has invested in a fleet of two staff vehicles, a micro bus and a truck.

 As a marketing strategy, both are adorned in company signage and he sees that as mobile billboards. “As a start up, the major challenge we face is competition from fellow market players and to be visible, one has to delve deep into the pockets to advertise, but with car branding, the expenses are substantially cut,” Phokoje said.

 In as much as he wanted to attain economic stability, Phokoje says he has always had his sight on uplifting others as he progresses hence he is in the process of setting up a charity organisation to help the less privileged.

 “As a Youth Development Fund (YDF) beneficiary, I am fortunate to have been given a life line, now the onus is on me to knuckle down and toil to make this a success and add value to others,” Phokoje saiD. Ends