Vusi Seroka already had a laundromat in Middelburg when he decided to realise his dream of starting his own business – a business that would allow his passion for enterprise to flourish so he could build a better life. He had a clear idea of what he wanted to do, so he approached Zimele for both the financial and practical assistance he knew he would need.
Zimele saw the potential in what Vusi was proposing in laundry and project management, and helped him set up and register his business. In 2007 Vista Wa Seroka was born.
With Zimele’s guidance and advice he submitted a tender to an Anglo American mine. He won the contract, and Zimele immediately provided him with the financing he required to buy the equipment and product he needed. With an initial loan of R25,000, Vusi was able to launch his new enterprise.
“Over a period of three years, Zimele would provide a total of R1.5 million as demand and business increased,” says Vusi.
Growing a business. Growing skills.
Trading as Vista Mining Solutions, Vusi’s business expanded. During the initial three years of its existence, he enrolled for courses in management and financial management in order to be able to control and grow his business efficiently and sustainably. Vusi says Zimele was at his side the whole time, guiding and advising him on what he had to do and when he had to do it.
Versatile and varied
From the award of his first tender, Vista Wa Seroka has grown to manage five contracts – each in totally different fields – at various mines. The company now manages projects in laundry, cleaning, painting, welding and electrical services.
“We go to the mines and propose a lot of jobs to them. Some of them are long-term projects – contracts of maybe three to five years,” says Vusi.
Top-class management produces top-class delivery
Vista Wa Seroka is committed to delivering the highest quality service. This is as much the ethos of the company as it is a business imperative. Vusi motivates his staff by ensuring they understand the value they add in relation to their remuneration, and by making himself available at any time to resolve problems or queries.
What is next for Vusi?
Vusi’s plans for Vista Wa Seroka naturally include expansion, and for him this means moving beyond the immediate region of Mpumalanga, where the company’s business is situated. He envisions extending the company’s activities into Limpopo and North West province and he has already initiated a relationship with Debswana, the joint venture partnership between De Beers and the Government of Botswana. If that association bears fruit, it will give Vista Wa Seroka a presence beyond the borders of South Africa.
For Vusi, it’s contributing to the community by providing employment. It’s the knowledge that he’s helping others to provide for their families that gives ultimate meaning to the success of Vista Wa Seroka.
Vusi is not daunted by his ambition to create 300 jobs over the next three years. His aim is to give employment to an additional 75 people a year, and he believes he has the ideas to make this happen.
Thanks to Zimele, this was all possible.