It’s not always easy to figure out what you want to do with your life, but you’ll never know if you don’t keep trying. Here’s a tale of a restless, questing entrepreneur who is cleaning up in Nyanga.
By Liziwe Ndalana*
I’m a middle child and a second-youngest daughter. I think this allowed me a lot of freedom, which my siblings didn’t particularly enjoy, as I had no pressure to be a role model to anyone.
I’m also the weird child, and a restless one, too. As long as I can remember, I was always that child who didn’t particularly like being told ‘how to be’.
A few years ago, I quit my job and became an intern at the age of 30. My mom was shocked, but she was glad I had a job to go to, at least.
I worked as a media liaison officer for the leader of a political party, in Parliament. A large part of my job was to facilitate media interviews for my boss, but after five years doing the same thing, I became restless.
In March this year, I did it again. I walked away from my job after three and a half years, but this time with nowhere else to go. In this job I was talking to and writing about entrepreneurs, learning about their struggles and successes.
My job was fun and it gave me fulfillment, and I felt like I had finally found what I was passionate about. Then I became restless again. I wanted to stretch myself more, do more than sit on the red couch and ask questions, but the environment wasn’t conducive for that.
Two months later, I started a laundry business, Express Laundry. My business is based in Nyanga township and it is doing very well. I’m running it from home, for now.
My regular customers are mostly men who usually take their jackets or suits to a laundry in “town”. There’s also a small group of middle class people who now live in the township.
They often drive far to take their laundry. They are now my stable customers. I relied heavily on the word of mouth to market my business in the beginning.
I also put up posters at hair salons, internet cafes, and barbershops and anywhere where there’s traffic of people. I run my business alone, but my nephew helps out when he can.
On an average day, I have one or two customers. Customers usually call in first before they drop off their laundry and these happen any time of day, but mid mornings are most common.
Most of my customers just need a quick wash and don’t generally need ironing service. My day is a long stretch of quiet hours and days, until month-end, where we get more customers as people have extra cash to spend.
I first had the idea around October in 2017, when I was looking for a laundry, but couldn’t find one in the neighbourhood. I didn’t follow through as I had no time or serious interest in running a business.
The idea of washing other people’s clothes is not really new in the township. There’s always an aunt or that heavily drinking lady doing it for R50 or so, but I’m doing it as a professional service.
I discovered that with the middle class group or the younger generation, people like the idea of taking their washing to a ‘laundry’, as opposed to taking it to that aunt or old lady.
I’m generally a health conscious person and I like going to gym as a routine, but I also run and I sometimes hike. About two months before I quit my job, I bought myself a smoothie maker to maintain my healthy breakfast routine, which I had at work on week days. Before I started my laundry business, I made smoothies and tried to sell them, but no one was willing to pay. People asked if it was a juice, shake or yoghurt.
I had to explain over and over again what it was, but they would still call it a shake. It didn’t take me long to realise that smoothies wouldn’t bring me any income as there was no market.
It helped though, as people remembered me as a “juice lady” when I was marketing my laundry business. The failure of this venture taught me the importance of embracing failure, something I’ve struggled with in the past. It also taught me to listen to my gut more and trust it.
I greatly admire Luvuyo Rani, co-founder of Silulo Ulutho Technologies, an internet café business, which provides connectivity and skills training in the townships across South Africa.
A month ago, my mom was here and she helped me wash a client’s blanket. She left with a smile. I’m sure she is happy that I won’t starve or compromise my dignity in order to put food on the table.
I like to think that I am a pioneer as I keep carving my own way in this life. So, come with me, and let’s journey together.
- This article first appeared on the Change Exchange, an online platform by BrightRock, provider of the first-ever life insurance that changes as your life changes. The opinions expressed in this piece are the writer’s own and don’t necessarily reflect the views of BrightRock.
