Award winners address business owners at networking session

The West Rand Chamber of Business and Tourism (WRCBT) held its first monthly meeting for the year in the Platinum Ballroom at Silverstar Casino.

The aim of these meetings is to provide a networking opportunity for business owners from all over the West Rand.

One of the special speakers for the night was Melodie van Brakel, founder of the Cradle of Hope organisation. Melodie has won the Businesswoman of the Year award for the past three years. The Cradle opened 12 years ago and impacts the lives of 880 people every month through its 12 projects.

The other speaker was Janos Kaszas from Majesty Oils, who won the Overall Winner of the Year for 2018.

Melodie said she wanted to inspire the people at the meeting because after almost dying 15 years ago, she realised she was getting a second chance at life and wanted to do something she loved.

She asked the audience what it was that made them get up in the morning.

Then she told the story of an elephant that was tied to a pole with a rope, from the time it was little. When it grew up, it still believed it could not escape because of the rope around its leg. Even though it was strong enough to break the rope, mentally it believed that it was not strong enough, because that is what it was taught from the beginning.

She believes that people should not be like the elephant and accept that they cannot do something because they were told that they can’t. She said everyone should believe that they are worthy.

She ended by saying that it takes R320 000 per month for her organisation to run their 12 projects every month, but God always provides for them.

Next up was Janos, who told the crowd how the owner of Majestic Oil Mills, Billy Pillay, started his company in 2001 with only 24 employees. In 2003, they upgraded their facilities and moved to Krugersdorp, where he was later offered any amount he wanted to sell his plant to his opposition. He refused to sell.

To date, the company has crushed more than 1 000 000 tons of seeds.

One of their proudest moments came in 2014, when they opened their own refinery. They plan to open their own bottling plant in 2019. They currently have more than 480 employees.

Every member at the meeting then had the opportunity to stand up and introduce him- or herself and talk a little about their businesses.

The evening ended with a networking session during which the attendees had the opportunity to promote their businesses and get to know other small business owners in the area.

From 12 to 14 March, the WRCBT will be hosting a career exhibition that usually draws more than 7 000 learners through its doors.