29 May 2018

One of the greatest inconveniences that human beings are faced with is waste.

Households and companies produce a lot of waste on a daily basis.

If not managed properly, it can end up contaminating the environment with adverse effects like diseases.

It is on that note that Ms Abueng Mampadi founded Search Line (Pty) Ltd.

“I thought, why don’t I contribute to preserving a healthy environment while making money through refuse collection business,” she explained.

The business was registered in 2011 but started operations last year due to challenges in marketing. It is currently operating from her home in Block 3, Gaborone, as she is still searching for an office.

She used family income as start-up capital, which helped cover the purchasing of the truck and other necessities.

The company’s rates depend on the nature of the waste, indicating that construction waste cannot be charged like yard waste.

Search Line has created employment for three people being the driver and two labourers.

She also adds that running a waste management business is less stressful as waste is always there, so they do not have to stress about having no business, especially considering the potential the business has shown so far.

Furthermore, Ms Mampadi says she has managed to win contracts with some companies on a monthly basis. They are also currently contracted by the council at Mochudi.

Every business has some challenges and Search Line is not insulated from that. One of the challenges is that marketing the company gives her sleepless nights.

She is however hopeful that her visibility will improve as she is looking to start marketing on Facebook and printing flyers.

However, in a bid to keep the existing clients, she has vowed to maintain good relations with them and try to improve Search Line services through the feedback.

Moreover, the 29-year-old from Mahalapye is sometimes forced to decline business opportunities because some customers have waste that needs bigger trucks which she does not have.

She has also realised that the competition is too steep more especially from bigger companies .

“Some small companies also operate without licenses and they charge relatively low prices and some customers flock to them,” she said.

Although waste is something that every household has, Ms Mampadi has observed that people need to be sensitised on waste management and the effects of not disposing it properly.

She is therefore looking to launch an initiative that will be geared at disseminating information on the dangers of poor waste management.

The other disadvantage is that some clients do not want to pay the set amounts and are always ready to negotiate yet the expenses of the company are increasing all the time.

Despite the challenges, she is not thinking of giving up as she has future plans. She says she is planning on expanding her business and this will mean purchasing a compactor truck.

The truck will enable her to venture into smart waste management methods like tracking waste levels in bins.

Part of the plan also includes registering a cleaning company which is already on the pipeline.

The idea to have a cleaning company was influenced by the observation that collecting waste also goes hand in hand with cleaning the environment.

“I would also like to hire one more person who will help me with the work load. I am currently doing administration, accounting and all the paperwork. And this is too much,” she said. ENDS