12 Aug 2018

Cleaning cars for pay has always been regarded as a man’s thing, but Ms Tumelo Mokanye of Khakhea is slowly but surely turning that perception on its head around Kang.

Instead of sitting idle at home trapped by stereotype, perhaps even waiting for an opening somewhere in an office, which sadly might never happen, Ms Mokanye has rolled up her sleeves and used the inherent, special touch mothers are known for to create employment for herself and two other young people.Having completed her Form Five at Kang’s Matsha College in 2010 and not doing so well, the 28-year old was faced with a challenge of making something of herself and putting food on her plate.

The mother of two, however, explained that she allowed adversity and unemployment to force her hand and move her into a terrain commonly associated with men and she is happy she did. Ms Mokanye, who gained invaluable experience running a business that entailed cleaning carpets, houses, furniture, chairs and mattresses, decided to turn her love for hygiene into an income generator. Using savings accumulated from her cleaning services, she purchased a starter pack for her new venture, Bikini Hand Car Wash, which she explained was a cause for women.

She was working dexterously removing dirt from the tyres of a Hilux GD-6 vehicle, when we caught up with her at Mojamorago Complex in Kang, where traffic is sometimes stopped by roving cattle or is calmed by speed bumps.She said she opened Bikini Hand Car Wash early this year with no intention to prove a point to her male counterparts, but to put food on her table.

“I wash an average of 11 cars in a day depending on customer turnout,” she said, adding that most of her customers came from private companies and parastatals.

 She said her car wash attracted many customers, perhaps due to the perception that women were better cleaners than men. Ms Mokanye said she learned the intricacies of the job so well that even in the biting winds of autumn, nothing gave her more joy than giving cars thorough cleaning.  Her competence is apparently giving the three other car washers, which happen to be her competitors around Kang, a run for their money.

She charges P40 for small cars and P50 for pick-up trucks and SUVs. She said as customers began making a bee line to her business, she had no choice but to engage two young men to scale up efforts to satisfy her customers.

A combination of hard work and drive for customer satisfaction always keeps Ms Mokanye toiling around cars, instead of basking in the comfort of an office.

Equally, she said she always wanted to prove to her male subordinates that poor time keeping and laziness would not be tolerated, which has earned her the respect of both her employees and customers.

One of her employees, Mr Aubrey Moabaloso said he admired his employer for being hands-on, revealing that some customers preferred her to them.

“I was trained to wash cars by men, and I can honestly tell you women are better to work under,” he added. However little her income might seem, Ms Mokanye said she relished the fact that she was now able to fend for herself and her family. “I am supporting my sons, siblings and parents with clothes, food, toiletry and anything they need,” she smiled. Unlike other young people who might have allowed hardship to throw them into criminality, she said she chose hard work, making her family happy that she earns an honest living. Even as she relishes her achievements, the challenge that comes with business is not lost on Ms Mokanye. She explained how her business sometimes slumped when she was absent as her employees took liberties such as missing work when she was not around.

 “Washing cars is not an easy business. You mess-up your hands, they become rough. And you can catch colds,” she said.

Ms Mokanye visualises having her own self-washing hub in the future which would also create more employment opportunities for the youth. ENDS