Page 46 - Demo

closing last thought I was
idea and became the shoeshine guy. This time things went well and the business grew, but I still had an itch to scratch.
So, when I learnt that two-thirds of South Africans don’t have hot water,
I made up my mind to
also become the shower guy. I spent two years wrangling Johannesburg’s property-related red tape and the taxi association
to get permission to build showers at the Soweto taxi rank. The community was keen and excited – until
we opened our doors.
Then we started to hear: How does one shower?
I’m afraid to shower.
They started calling our showers Jacob showers,
as Jacob Zuma was in the news for saying that he showered to avoid HIV/Aids.
Meanwhile, we were still waiting for Eskom to install power in our showers. We had an income of R5 000 a month and an operating cost of R55 000 while running
off a generator. Yet I was in love with the project and kept on funding it from
the shoeshine business.
A REALLY LUCKY BREAK
Then I got lucky. The generator broke just as
I was about to go away for three weeks. We had to close our doors. I felt relief. We never reopened.
Lessons learnt: Market research is important, and businesses that want to change people’s behaviour need deep pockets. Loving a business and it’s impact on a community should not overcome your sensibilities. Key partners (like Eskom, in my case) are not always swayed purely by social benefits. I also learnt that my stubborn nature can
be my downfall, but I
am determined to be an entrepreneur and build businesses that will fly. M
always a determined young man at school,
and when I got the idea
that I wanted to be a pilot,
I structured my entire education around it. I
chose maths and science
as my main subjects and when I was in standard 9 (Grade 11), I began job shadowing at the national air force. They allowed me to fly in their helicopters, which made me even more determined to one day fly planes myself. My family thought I was weird because I enjoyed science fiction and was a Star Trek fanatic.
Pedestrian matric results disqualified me from the
air force and SAA’s cadet scheme. So I repeated the year and this time received sterling results along with invitations to join UCT’s Math & Science department, Cape Tech’s information technology department
and SAA’s ground crew. Naturally I joined SAA
where I regularly flew with qualified pilots. Guess what? It gave me the same feeling I got from driving with my grandfather in one of his taxis or my dad in his bus. After five years at flight school, I left SAA.
HELLO TO THE START-UP LIFE
After learning the ropes
in my family’s livestock business, I started my
first business supplying fresh chicken and eggs
to Parliament and nearby restaurants. I lost all my savings and my family thought I was a loser – that is, until I changed tack to focus on a simple business
The decision
that changed
my life
SOMETIMES IT’S A SERIES OF DECISIONS RATHER THAN ONE LIFE-DEFINING MOMENT THAT CAN BE CIRCLED ON A CALENDAR THAT LEADS SOMEONE IN A CERTAIN DIRECTION, EVEN IF THAT DIRECTION IS MARKED BY A RANGE OF HIGH HIGHS AND LOW LOWS. By Lere Mosieane
Lere Mosieane is the man behind Lere’s Shoe Shine Business (shoeshine.co.za) at airports around the country. When Covid-19 grounded planes and closed airports, he began working
on a new business idea. In this time, he also wrote ‘Turning employees and customers into brand ambassadors’ for our SMME magazine, Nine Yards.
44 | ISSUE 1 2021
ILLUSTRATION: GALLO IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES. PHOTO: SUPPLIED