Soweto entrepreneur turns candle making skills into a thriving business

Soweto entrepreneur turns candle-making skills into a thriving business

From factory worker to candle business owner

An entrepreneur from Soweto turned skills acquired at a candle factory into a successful venture that provides colourful and durable candles to clients all over South Africa.

At just 27 years old, Soweto entrepreneur Makatu Tshivhula has turned a short stint in a candle manufacturing factory into a thriving business that supplies customers across South Africa.

Tshivhula is the founder of The Light Candles, a candle manufacturing company. It is situated at 10556 Msilinga Street, Pimville Zone 3, Soweto.

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The company was founded in February 2020 and manufactures a variety of candles, from simple household products to luxury candles with different fragrances.

This company serves a number of customers, including churches, traditional healers, and event organisers.

The initial small-scale activity turned into a larger business that not only sells products locally but also delivers them to other provinces via couriers.

Before starting his own company, the entrepreneur worked at a candle factory for five months. During this period, he gained many skills and information about the production process. He did not waste his experience and decided to use it to start his own company.

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“I used the skills and knowledge I gained from working in the factory to manufacture and distribute candles to my community,” he said.

As most entrepreneurs do, Tshivhula have to face many obstacles during the process of developing his business. Accessing markets and financing the business have been two of his major challenges in establishing the venture.

Regardless of these challenges, Tshivhula has remained persistent in its efforts to make The Light Candles grow and establish itself as something special in the marketplace.

According to Tshivhula, one of the special things about his business compared to his competitors’ is the wide variety of goods. The company manufactures candles in as many as 30 colours, offering consumers more variety than most companies.

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The quality and longevity of the products have also been another advantage that The Light Candles enjoys compared to its competitors. Unlike the products of many other candle manufacturers, which burn only six to seven hours, Tshivhula’s products can last up to 12 hours.

Currently, Tshivhula continues to grow his business while manufacturing goods for various customers.