Harold Mkolokosa, a 29 year- old Malawian makes a living by building wooden furniture and dog kennels in Tembisa in South Africa.
Speaking to Malawi24, Mkolokosa said he went to South Africa in 2012 and started working as a gardener for a police officer.
He was however earning a low salary and he decided to look for other jobs.
“The money for garden work was so little that I couldn’t look after my family back in Malawi. I had to quit the job,” Mkolokosa said.
In 2014 he decided to work with a friend in building wooden houses and making furniture. This helped him to sharpen his skills as a carpenter.
Even though he couldn’t come up with the capital, in 2014 Mkolokosa organised a few basic tools and ventured into his own enterprise.
“I had R5 000 and bought four essential machines. I had no customers then but now I build wooden products for township and suburban customers.
“I call my small roadside workshop Wooden Carpentry and Joinery. This business employs six people. I started with only two helpers. It is a sustainable business,” he said.
The company makes dog kennels, wendy houses, benches and other wooden items.
Mkolokosa however said power cuts and water problems are the challenges they face in the business.
He said one day he hopes to have his own transport to deliver his customers’ orders.
“People must create their own jobs because there is no employment at all. Everyday life requires money. One day I want to employ more people from Tembisa, when this workshop grows to become a big factory,” he said.
Mkolokosa who is a father of one hails from Kabanu village in the area of Traditional Authority Chigalu in Blantyre.
Well done Mr,keep it up. That is how we live. To be prospered does not need snoozing but to work hard.
Big up mkolokosa
I agree in principle with the comm
ent just read. Ofcourse, many graduates and artisans with rich
minds leave Malawi and seek to
settle elsewhere because Malawi
cares more about useless men and
women who claim to be politician
s. These dead wood have only mud working in their heads. For
quite a long time now most Malawi, especially the cream of th
eir nation, northerners trek out of
that country because whtever they do is not the least appreciate
d. Malawi to me is only good enou
gh for retires men and women. Such a beautiful country!
The major problem has been
the first decades of self rule which
thrown out of window because of
praising a mortal man. Those were the days when the only people who mattered most were
Mama and I, John Zenius Ungapak
e Tembo and the useless Samwa,
Manjam’khosi, Charles Kamphulusa
and the Gwandanguwe Chakuamb
a Phiri. Were such horrible days that even filthy dirty youthleaguer
s dared touch your beautiful wife
in full view of the onlookers by only a mention of that horrible name, KAMUZU. Hell, some fools
continue towing that line of ment
ality. You may try your very best to lecture to the assholes but with
out any succeess because their minds are carbonated. I really pity
these hell damn shit of creatures
who’re still reminding Malawians
of that silly notorius regime. The
four corner stones were only intro
duced to silence whoever question of stupidity.
Hang Tembo and all the Chakwera’s and promptly start on
stronger foundations even if it may take a longer period. Kick out
that Kamuzuism mentality of kugomera.
GET UP, STAND UP AND FIGHT!
Phone and speaker hahahaha and a 20 litre bucket of achaar
Phone and speaker hahahaha and a 20 litre bucket of achaar
Thats wat we want nt jst wastin time there wen coming here u come wth a phone & speaker wats bt u’ve stayed there 4 four yrs.
Thats wat we want nt jst wastin time there wen coming here u come wth a phone & speaker wats bt u’ve stayed there 4 four yrs.
AWORD FROM AN IDIOT
Stevie wawina
Amene akucita zodabwisa ndiyemweyu mu s.a kodi
let the guy contact me @ 0718632457 (Denis) i can provide him with free pallet woods for his business, but he must hire his own transport to fetch it,,, hope that will assist him alot to enlarge his business
Uyu atigendesa miyala kuno uyuu….wayambazi mazula akwiya nazo. Peter wamuthalika tumiza basi izamunyamule uyu atiphesa mwana wakoi
Uyu atigendesa miyala kuno uyuu….wayambaz
Zibwerani angokumangankoni Kumeneko
Zibwerani angokumangankodi Kumeneko
Good move.but don’t forget your family where you belong. Home is the best.sorry if annoyed.
I do not agree with mad heads. Do
es it mean that we South Africans
hate our fellow Africans when they’re doing fine? That comment
tends to send across a very bad
message to creative individuals from other countries around us. Let us not bring fear into lives of
those who have rare God given
talent and use it for better purposes.
I will repeat what I’ve always
said about Malawians. These peop
le to be honest are the kind of peo
ple who are humble and hardworking. Unfortunately, in their country of birth they’re not
free to express their intellegence
simply because the Single Party
regime scared them and drove the
m away. Everywhere you may go
in this global village you’ll meet a
Malawian doing extremely well.
These people are extremely blesse
d but Kamuzu and his Central region party, the evil machinery is
to blame. Let these good people
be benefitual to nations which
appreciate their input. So what?
I do not agree with mad heads. Do
es it mean that we South Africans
hate our fellow Africans when they’re doing fine? That comment
tends to send across a very bad
message to creative individuals from other countries around us. Let us not bring fear into lives of
those who have rare God given
talent and use it for better purposes.
I will repeat what I’ve always
said about Malawians. These peop
le to be honest are the kind of peo
ple who are humble and hardworking. Unfortunately, in their country of birth they’re not
free to express their intellegence
simply because the Single Party
regime scared them and drove the
m away. Everywhere you may go
in this global village you’ll meet a
Malawian doing extremely well.
These people are extremely blesse
d but Kamuzu and his Central region party, the evil machinery is
to blame. Let these good people
be benefitual to nations which
appreciate their input. So what?
Ndpo kuli amalawi ambri omwe ali nd ntchto zomwe akumatha kuwalembanso anzawo kuno
you got an experience baba and your job is entertaining but the problem you are a foreigner. you know the skottens of jhb how do they kill sithole for his cigarrettes he was selling its better if you have a safe place or maybe municipality gona give you a safer place to do your job nicely{BIG UP bro}
Malawi regarded as the most and highly expensive in its domestic tariffs of it Energy prices in southern Africa, and how would local citizens managed that?
I doubtfully Malawians won’t see the better fruits of choosing a Democratic Leadership.
Leaders who has come and go from 1994 to date, are only hungry leaders who just looks after themselves not the nationals.
I wish to see a unique leader one day with a dedication, merits and commitment goals of its nationals
A leader who will put Malawi first than anything in his/her life.
Things went mere wrong in 1994 when this man Bakili forget to investment into infrastructures programme of Energy and Roads networks which by today Malawians would start yielding its benefits in
Developing micro businesses and attracting local/foreign investors.
Malawi won’t succeed without
Looking closely on developing power Energy and road networks around Malawi making easy for any business to sustain it resources.
Imagine from Salina to Kasungu and Mwansambo to Mtunthama,Dwangwa to Jenda, how can a business man deliver its logistical support?
M1 and M5 distances a larger margins of which farmers lose their produce due to lack proper connecting roads
How long is from Area 25 which is Kanengo industrial area to Dwangwa, Vizara Rubber Plantations, Chikangawa vply, companies?
Its a great shock to learn that many rural peoples of Nkhotakota, Salina, Dowa, Kasungu are dying with an employment back log relying on substance farming of which the investors don’t open their businesses due to Roads net work plan.
Bring connection regional roads to districts road to make an easy means of transportation to Malawians and investors.
I’m dear bleeding.
Khumbula khaya bwaa
thats a good example set…..not these other malawians who turn out to be robbers in the foreign land…….bigup
I like that sometimes its easy making money here with very simple things that at home with hard labour.
I thank my government b’se here in Uganda,we can now make electric cars! (we have 3 so far)
Ok
Good job mkolokosa
# Nigel Sanky, there is a family in northern Malawi known as the Sankhani’s where late Steve Sankhani who used to stay in SouthAfrica used to come from are you on whatsapp ? Don’t worry you will find your roots
Sankhani they are from Nkhata bay I knw some of them!!
From top down time has arrived for us to open our eyes we have been in the dark for a long time we are half blind apply paraffin before its too late. Ophunzira sadziwika
Sankhani or Sankani Nigel? Hey Sankhani guys at Nkhata bay boma that’s one of you .
Malawi government has plans to collect more tax revenues than creating conducive environment for investment and job creation.
That’s cool of him because he will be appreciated by his customers that side than here at home where we believe a white makes smart stuff to be bought by the so called worthy
Good people help me to find my family in Malawi. My name z Nigel Sankni born in Zimbabwe, bt my father from Malawi…… An1 know Sankani family plz help me my #+26774131533 +26774773219
Good for him, I understand about the electricity but carpentry job where the water is coming from?
This man will be deported soon
Big and big blame comes to Malawi’s leadership by not thinking big on its intellectuals who will deliver to its nation.
If you can go deep about this Mkolokosa’s story, he is a university, college graduates and is not alone almost thousands of Malawi nationals leaves Malawi for greener pastures.
Where in the world have you seen a country like Malawi selling its skills and enriching other country?
Issuing and selling Passport as Malawi govt business will cost Malawi’s Economic and Development Plan more severely.
By not applying unique minds of our leaders on the economic goals of Malawians, I doubt we Malawians are going to be slaves of other nations leaving Malawi a begging nation.
Employment crises will be solved only by creating a space of foreign/local investors, who will come to our shores.
But this is not a one day – 5yrs plan but along term plan.
Energy/Roads infrastructure is the biggest backlog of which Malawi will not succeeds if it doesn’t look serious on it carefully.
Agricultural Estates companies which has surrounded Malawi don’t deliver more enough to employ locals leaving no space, but immigrating abroad.
Now not later, let’s the govt intUniversitycorrectly by looking on these mentioned Projects.
Wealthy Malawians, University graduates, skilled artisans and locals are also abroad and inside Malawi to invest in Many economic building practises, but they are failing how to run and established their businesses due to poor roads infrastructures network system which Malawi have.
Energy is also a big headache of local Malawians failing their goals to successful.
Does all these challenges fall inside blind eye of our leadership?
Hey man on estates come to kasungu if you will not drop a tear!thousands of hectares are just idle tingophamo mbewa ndi kumweta tsekela basi.when locals try to encroach they chase them as foreigners.
y can’t the government put them into use by rearing chickens and other animals jst as the kapani guy is doing
I tell you we can be exporting some of them.
Hey man on estates come to kasungu if you will not drop a tear!thousands of hectares are just idle tingophamo mbewa ndi kumweta tsekela basi.when locals try to encroach they chase them as foreigners.
y can’t the government put them into use by rearing chickens and other animals jst as the kapani guy is doing
I tell you we can be exporting some of them.
Hie man keep it up but don’t for gt malawi charp
@chizeka banda tell that guy who is in botswana to go to malawian embassy they will help him there
there is also a malawian man here in Botswana he came here with his father when he was stil a young boy now his father is late but the boy cant go back to malawi his name is alex help him find his relative
Alex, How Old Is He? What Is His Surname? Where Is His Mother? Who Is Staying With Alex? Remember To Answer Me Pliz.
he is 30yrs his mother maybe is in malawi he is an electrician
plz tell him to write to kumbul eyakha lol hope they’ll help him
Ok Above 30, He Is Now A Tswana. He Have Overstayed. Thank You And Greet Him. #Mulibwanji? This Is Like Kunjani,
Kkkkkkkkkkkkk koma dzina ukamva,,,nkhani dzili apa ndi zomwe tamva s dzikugwilidza,,,ine dzikundimvuta mwina vuto la xul
The man is mature enough to find his relatives thanks for ur concern
Keep it up bra
Good keep it up
U better call your fellow Malawian 2 aid u work. But m Malawi jealousy eeeeeeeeh.
Ncy job to u brada
Better than stealing or jux sitting wt hands crossed like u r lame.he z making big money than evn thoz who r working for bg companies in Malawi
as the business grows the government will need to benefit from it as well, business registrations;location; pay bills; workers (be registered as SA’s) and all sorts ; its not as easy as it looks in a foeign land ; anyway ,I wish your enterprise may thrive , big man
Yes Malawi 24 you have just expose the poor Malawian tying to make some cash in joz for his family back home
Journalism with Impact.
soon they will kill this dog here in joz dey dont want foreigner to succeed more especially if another mararapipe also doing dat kind of bussines later we will sing kwathu sipadziko ndingopitilira…u made mistake to mention him as a foreigner coz pipo dey didn’t release that coz de guy have ID he pretend not to be foreigner
They won’t kill him
they wnt kill him bwanji nawe osazilosera imfayo wekha iyaa
nxaaaa as long as there is no competition then they wont
mind your mouth ,is he a dog?
Mwaganiza bwanji. ..I don’t think so kuti mpaka akhoza kuphedwa the way u think. .
mind your mouth ,is he a dog? make hey while the sun is shining.
then u can answer urself #alfred
Calling someone a dog ll not make u ahuman being. Ur comment has shown us that u were not raised by both parents. I blame ur parents for not using acondom.
From his coments this #Langbouy is just one of those lazy guyz who go to Joz looking for opportunitie but not really knowing wat they want,,kumangomwa ndikusuta basi,,mapeto ake majelasi,, leave Mkolokosa alone,,ngati iwe unabwerako bule zako!!
hahahahah just some fools trying to torture me while they got nothing to say…they jut concerned on word Dog without getting what de message is offering to us.me blaming news24 for exposing de guy on air.
why calling a creative young man a #dog ? lets think positive, like Malawians.
its only us malawian who just concern one word in whole comment sis man
i dnt c any problem in calling sme1 a dog,,, de msg is clear blother #enock kma akazaphedwa nde azizati rip,,, wqke up malawianz kumayenda muziona,,, u cn be a gud dog, u cn be a bad dog wtever meaning defferent..
i dnt c any problem in calling sme1 a dog,,, de msg is clear blother #enock kma akazaphedwa nde azizati rip,,, wqke up malawianz kumayenda muziona,,, u cn be a gud dog, u cn be a bad dog wtever meaning defferent..
Many Malawians are running their successful businesses here in RSA and they don’t hide their identity, people calls them”achimwene” . You’re judging them wrong bra. There’s good people I have ever seen back there home.
Ndikubwela ku RSA komko Malawi mmene tinayambila business no improvement eish land of the dead mwee!!
Ndikubwela ku RSA komko Malawi mmene tinayambila business no improvement eish land of the dead mwee!!
U have got no right of calling other pple Dog the guy has got his name and its thre #comeone men#
hahaha ukufuna kumupha nzakoyo ndi iwe koma sizitheka ufe imfe yowawa ndi iwe wamva… muu iii ga….