From street vendor to successful entrepreneur: Dorcas Malefetse’s inspiring journey

Today Dorcas Malefetse celebrates Mother’s Day with her family, with much to reflect on. Her entrepreneurial journey has taken her from a child helping her parents sell grilled mealies on a dusty Soweto street corner, to the managing director of her own landscaping company.

Malefetse, the managing director of Thatego Holdings (Pty) Ltd, in Middelburg, Mpumalanga, is a former equities trader who discovered her passion for entrepreneurship early on. She used to rush home after school to help her parents grill and sell mealies, knowing it was the only way to put food on the table.

Thatego Holdings was born out of adversity. In 2000, Malefetse's husband, Thabo a pharmacist, was diagnosed with a life-threatening aneurysm. After a successful operation, he could not return to his permanent job; instead, he stayed home and fell in love with gardening.

Malefetse, recognising that one paycheck would not be enough to finance their home, persuaded her husband to establish a gardening business with her as a source of extra income.

The couple bought a 1957 Toyota Corona, removed the backseats to fit in wheelbarrows and tools, and used it as a family car on weekends.

"I knew nothing about landscaping, but I was determined to walk this path that God had set for me and my husband," Malefetse says.

After branding their work clothing and the car, they were able to purchase a better vehicle a few months later, and “that's when we saw the result of our labour".

Malefetse attributes much of the company’s success to its relationship with Property Point and its 24-month business incubator/accelerator programme for SMEs.

“I vividly remember our introduction to Property Point as if it were yesterday, which occurred just when we believed we were at the top. We approached a large company for work, and they told us to contact Property Point because our processes and procedures were lacking. We didn’t have any established systems in place, or documented procedures. It was all in our heads.”

Malefetse says that Property Point’s programme “taught us how to operate a business and devise a customer relationship management strategy to change our game plan and increase our revenue”.

With the skills gained from the programme, including financial management, marketing strategies, sales techniques, and compliance with regulatory requirements, they had significantly increased their sales two years later; “we were awarded as the best-performing business” in the programme.

"Property Point gave us access to a variety of clients, creating opportunities that took our business beyond what we had ever imagined and assisted us in thinking of a sustainable business approach."

Reflecting on her role as a mother, Malefetse says: “Like a lioness, I hunt not only for myself but for my family and community. You can’t control everything, and most days, you’ll feel like you’re failing, but you aren’t Mama, you’re everything to everyone, and that can be a lot sometimes. My best tool for balance is creating healthy boundaries around work days and hours. I also allow creativity to come from my home and within the family since I work with my husband and our kids, who are constantly inspiring us. Regularly communicating with my partner about splitting responsibilities at home has helped me not feel overwhelmed like before. Communication is key in maintaining balance. Never be afraid to express how you feel. I never just dreamed about success; I worked for it.”

Shawn Theunissen, founder of Property Point, says the company runs targeted programmes to address the underrepresentation of women. Currently, more than 50% of the SMEs they support are women owned.

The company has also partnered with organisations that advocate for and support women entrepreneurs, such as the Women’s Property Network.

ENDS