A village in the know

A YOUNG man’s skills, innovation and business savvy adds value to his home towns of Itsani village, just outside Thohoyandou, and allows the community access to the internet where they might never had the opportunity.

Fhumulani Tsanwani (24) says he always wanted his own business and also wanted to bring the wonders of the internet to the rural areas of Venda.

He holds a B.Com degree in business management that he obtained at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth. After finishing his degree, he earned a sales and marketing certificate from Varsity College.

“After I graduated, I was fortunate to land a job as graduate trainee with one of the world’s largest retailers, MassMart. I trained as a sales manager at Makro in Port Elizabeth.

“That was when I realised that I wanted to manage my own business,” says Tsanwani.

He says he wanted to bridge the information gap in the rural areas of Vhembe and decided to start the process by opening an internet café, Easy Net, in Itsani. With Vhahangwele Makhado, who helps out at the café, he helps residents to access information that they would never usually be able to access.

“I want to expose the villagers to new opportunities that they can access on the internet. I want to help learners from disadvantaged backgrounds access websites and portals that could help them link up with graduate programmes, bursaries and internships.”

Tsanwani says he struggled to raise the capital to start his business, but he managed to raise enough funds to start small and built his business from there.

He says it is very gratifying when he is able to help people apply for jobs online and they end up getting those jobs. He feels he is making a positive difference in the community while his business keeps growing.

“Easy Net is also turning into a popular hangout spot for the young people of the village. I prefer it that way because when they are here, they are not on the streets or using drugs,” he says.

“Instead of spending time at the taverns, learning to drink and smoke, they spend their time here, learning more about the world out there and applying for jobs.”