10 Nov 2021

A Gumare young entrepreneur, Mr Thuso Mouti, believes that for one to be successful, they have to learn from other entities and people and endeavour to close existing gaps.

While serving as an intern at Maun Administrative Authority in 2014, the 37-year-old saw business opportunities in trash collection and decided to start a waste collection and management business.

At the time, Mr Mouti was working as a Safety Health Environment (SHE) officer, under the department of Environmental Health.  His duties included among others; inspecting guest houses, lodges and other premises across the North West district.

Thanks to his resolve to pursue a dream, he is now a proud owner of a successful business specialising in clinical, domestic and industrial waste collection, cleaning services, pest control services, treatment of waste water ponds, sludge degradation and treatment of pit latrines. His business has a staff compliment of well over twenty young people.

Mr Mouti told BOPA in an interview recently that his company, Zekethubojwa Waste Management Suppliers and Cleaning Services was established primarily to complement North West district council’s efforts in waste management and collection.

The council, he opined, was not doing well in collection of domestic and clinical waste. “Our clients did not get adequate service due to various reasons and we decided to come in and close the gap,” he said.

He said the journey was not a walk in the park as he had to start his business from scratch using funds he saved from his meagre stipend while still a student. The two-year contract he signed with Okavango sub-district for waste collection provided a perfect start for the budding 30-year-old entrepreneur.

Three years later he won a  North West district council.  Determined to expand his business, Mr Mouti approached the Ministry of Youth Development, Sport and Culture and secured a P100 000 loan.

He used the funds to procure ten mobile toilets and used proceeds accrued thereof to purchase two waste collection trucks as well as a business plot in Shakawe. 

Mr Mouti is happy with the amount of business support he gets from both government and the private sector; something he said was more encouraging during lockdown. He said efforts were underway to establish a material recycling centre.ENDS