14 May 2018

Seolwane-born Kaone Koogane believes that every dark cloud has a silver lining.

Upon losing his income following the end of his five-year contract with Deilmanhanel; a German company that did hydraulics at BCL 3 shaft, he did not feel all hope.

Mr Koogane did not despair, but rather utilised the Youth Development Fund (YDF), which funded him to the tune of P100 000 to start his business.

He told BOPA in an interview that he did not want to stay home doing nothing but decided to venture into something that he could use for the betterment of his life.

As such, he ventured into a welding, fabricating, structuring and engineering company that he named Brace Holly Metals Investments.

Brace Holly is strategically situated right in the village of Seolwane where it continues to attract more customers.

He noted that with the YDF seed capital, he managed to buy most of the materials needed in his workshop including; compressor, generators, cut-off sew and pipe bender among others.

The young entrepreneur noted that getting funds to start up a business was not easy, but he did not just fold his arms and wait for the funds to land on his lap.

Instead, he said, he attended countless orientations at the village kgotla to learn more about YDF and frequently visited the YDF offices in Palapye for more clarification whenever he encountered problems.

Mr Koogane said that his business is making profit as the orders are coming in and his services are in great demand.

On the backdrop of that, he saw the need to engage two more workers from the village to empower them.

He noted that he has been exhibiting at the annual fair/show held in Maunatlala to market his products and the reception he gets is amazing.

Mr Koogane noted that just like any other business, he also faces some challenges; saying running a business in a small village has its obstacles such as unscheduled power cuts, and at times he has to lower his prices to accommodate his customers, bearing in mind that he is in the village.

He also said that there is no hardware in the village hence he has to travel to nearby villages to get the necessary materials and he ends up spending his profits to cover transport costs.

Mr Koogane said he is determined to grow his business to be one of the successful businesses ever funded by YDF and therefore encourages other youth, in particular, those who are unemployed to nurture and unearth their God given talents for survival.

He said they should stand up to utilise the available government initiatives meant to uplift them from abject poverty.

He said he believes his hard work and determination will go a long way in taking his business to the next the level. ENDS