A squeaky clean business plan for Entrepreneur comp runner up

His sharp mind, witty tongue and vision for opportunity have earned him second place at the recent Ilembe Chamber Entrepreneur competition.

Mandeni’s Osborne Gwamanda, or Ozzy for short, is a qualified water resources engineer and said education was the main drive in his family home.

“My mom, Miriam, is a retired school teacher and when my dad passed away in 2007 he left my siblings and me with a good tertiary education,” said the 35-year-old Ozzy, who is the oldest of four children and the father of two sets of twins.

Also read: Drawing a new life – Meet The Entrepreneur 2018 winner

He went to Gauteng after varsity where he worked for Water Affairs and later went into the private sector with a focus on the mining industry.

“I travelled a lot in Africa, trying to avoid mosquitoes and malaria. Back in Joburg, I was used to the fast paced life and time was valuable. I used to get so frustrated sitting at the car wash and wasting time, which got me thinking about a car wash that comes to you.”

Being a water specialist, he knew what a precious resource it is and how wasteful washing a car the normal way was.

“When I found out about this portable eco-wash machine and people started becoming aware that water is not an infinite resource with the drought in Cape Town, I decided it was time to start Thumamina Mobile Car Wash, which means ‘send me’ in Zulu,” said Ozzy, who started the original Thumamina Consulting in 2017 which is focused on water resources engineering and environmental management.

“I am not competing with the guys washing cars at taxi ranks – my business is about convenience and was created with working professionals in mind as I come to you and clean your car while you continue with your work.”

His car wash is already quite the hit in Mandeni and he said he is keen to start branching out into Ballito.

“I am a very sociable person and I want to build relationships with my clients and become their car wash buddy. I also want to leave a legacy for my children and in doing so expand and uplift people. Every machine I add to the business will create two jobs for the operators.

“Lucky for me, Mr Ramaphosa launched his Thuma Mina campaign this year and now people think we are buddies,” he said with a chuckle.

o get your car washed the hassle-free and environmentally friendly way, contact Ozzy on WhatsApp at 078 076 2632.

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