Patience and focus her secret recipe

MBOMBELA – Passion, patience, focus and humility have led to a former primary school teacher emerging from writing on a board to being a successful businesswoman and a leading employer.

This woman of integrity, whose habits evolve around cleanliness and hygiene, has since created job opportunities for 167 previously disadvantaged locals, of which 14 are working at the office and the others on-site.

According to Ms Dolly Mbuyane, the owner of Nozihle Cleaning Services, respect, humility, focus and providing high-quality services to her clients
have helped preserve her company throughout the
14 years of its existence. Her business’ headquarters are in Mbombela and she has satellite offices in Polokwane and Johannesburg. She is also spreading her wings to Maputo, Mozambique.

In an exclusive interview, Mpumalanga News learned that her love for the cleaning industry began when she was still a teacher at Ndlunkulu Primary School. “My classroom used to be very clean,” she giggled.

She registered her business in 2002 and only got her first contract two years later. “I started with one cleaner and a gardener and it was then that I learned about using commercial cleaning products. Based on my willingness to learn, Eskom gave us three more contracts and as the business started to grow, I decided to resign and be full-time in the business,” she said.

She started her business with no office equipment and used her husband, Mr Mandla Mbuyane’s office for five months. Her first official office was at the Old Mutual premises in town, but the space was not sufficient for both administrative work and a warehouse. The business later relocated to the industrial site where it still operates to date, and comprises of seven offices and a warehouse. Mbuyane said staff empowerment is a very crucial tool to every successful business.

“Starting and seeing this business grow steadily has been one of my successes. I never thought I would be where I am today, it is only by the grace of God,” she added.
Her company’s value is integrity, teamwork, accountability, excellent service and pushing beyond boundaries. “Where ever we go, we leave a mark by providing excellent service,” she added.

Mbuyane said her business is very conscious about health and safety and that it has never had an accident since its inception, which she attributes to the power of the yellow wet floor sign, proper working equipment, site inspections and toolbox talks on how staff should take care of themselves while working.

Mbuyane is proudly married to her childhood sweetheart, Mandla Mbuyane who she now knows for 33 years, and has been married to for the past 27. Mandla also works as an operations manager at the same business.

Mbuyane has won many awards provincially and nationally, including being a Shining Star in the South African Supplier, Diversity Council 2015, Ernest and Young Entrepreneurial Winning Women of 2016, PMR Golden Awards, South African Women Entrepreneur (SAWEN), and Ligugu Lami Awards. She is also a board member for many business associations and networking platforms, as well as charity organisations.