12 Jan 2017

Mr Obert Mtengi of Lefoko near Jwaneng believes his tyre service business has great potential.

Mr Mtengi said in an interview that he was funded through the Poverty Eradication Programme to start operating the business in April 2016.

He said his tyre fixing experience was gained while doing piece jobs for people in the village.

“In our village, we were given options by our social workers to choose from a list of projects depending on our capabilities to be funded, and among the list there was tyre service and I knew that was where my skills were and also that it had no competition compared to other listed projects.

I saw it as a breakthrough in my life,” he explained.

Speaking from his business site where he fixes tyres, Mr Mtengi said since he started operating, business has been rather slow but he is hopeful about the future. He said he had to add welding to supplement the slow revenue of the core business.

Though some days business is low, Mr Mtengi said he looks forward to available customers in emergencies after working hours.“I foresee the business growing big in future. At least I never go hungry as I have something to look up to and during weekends things get much better. My primary customers are people from nearby villages like Seherelela, Tsonyane, Maokane, Samane as well as Jwaneng, especially those who use the gravel road,” he said.

He remained positive that if his business grows it would create opportunities to employ a number of people and that would make the business more efficient and this would enable him to tender for service provision in government departments.

Mr Mtengi is thankful to government for having provided him with the opportunity and sees it as a foundation that will instil a difference in his life.

He urges other beneficiaries to soldier on despite challenges saying every business has its own challenges and it takes only patience, passion and strong positive attitude to overcome these challenges. ENDS