Masilo follows his dream
The 42-year-old from Mankweng owns Bakone Roof Sheeting Manufacturers which makes corrugated sheets among others and the company seeks to break new ground in the industry.
POLOKWANE – Masilo Phala decided to take a chance on his dream of becoming an entrepreneur when he quit his job at one of the biggest petrol companies in South Africa a few years ago.
He started by getting a qualification, a B.Com degree in management science at the University of Limpopo and an honours degree in industrial psychology at the University of Pretoria. Things did not work out as he planned initially, however, as like many South Africans he was faced with many challenges, including poverty.
Now the 42-year-old from Mankweng owns Bakone Roof Sheeting Manufacturers which makes corrugated sheets among others and the company seeks to break new ground in the industry.
Masilo, also known as General Makapa, is also a member of the biggest motorcycle club bike team in the Southern African Development Community, the Sapa Yopa Motorcycle Club.
“I have always been an entrepreneur. When I was student at University of Limpopo I worked as a library assistant to survive, learning not to depend on my parents financially. I also worked at two cellular companies while studying in Pretoria when I noticed a gap in the Limpopo roof sheeting manufacturing market. When I returned to Limpopo I formulated a business plan to fill the gap in the market, my passion to create new things pushed me towards my goal,” he said.
In 2015 he established Bakone Roof Sheeting Manufacturers with the aim of creating a product customers can use as an alternative to mainstream corrugated metal sheets and Inverted Box Rib (IBR) sheeting. It is my brainchild, based on a passion I have of identifying basic human needs,” he explains.
Growing, Masilo says his father always told him he needed to work hard to make a difference and this advice has always stayed with him.
“I grew up in the rural areas where I observed how people rely on corrugated iron, not only as material to build a roof but to build an entire shelter. I saw how these homes leaked during the rainy season and how roofs would get blown off during storms and rust with time. All of these issues were on top of how people struggled to transport these corrugated sheets from town to their homes. To help resolve some of these issues I came up with the idea of manufacturing quality grade corrugated iron sheets within close proximity of the people who use and need corrugated iron the most.” He did some research into the type of machinery and equipment needed and how he could make it easier for people in the community to purchase and transport the products.
“I look forward to acquiring new skills and knowledge. It also fulfills my dream to help make the lives of the people in the community I grew up in easier,” he added. Bakone Steel employs eight permanent employees which allows Masilo to give back to the community in another way by training individuals to operate the machinery and do the type of work, creating job opportunities and passing on labour skills.
