Malawian creating jobs in SA

May 02, 2016 Business 76
Advertisement
Harold Mkolokosa

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.

Harold Mkolokosa
Harold Mkolokosa helping friends.

“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.

Advertisement

76 Comments

  1. Well done Mr,keep it up. That is how we live. To be prospered does not need snoozing but to work hard.

  3. 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!

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  9. 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

  15. 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?

  16. 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?

  18. 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}

  19. 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.

  26. # 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

  27. 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

  30. 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

  31. 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

  34. 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?

    1. 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.

    2. 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.

  37. 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

    5. Kkkkkkkkkkkkk koma dzina ukamva,,,nkhani dzili apa ndi zomwe tamva s dzikugwilidza,,,ine dzikundimvuta mwina vuto la xul

  42. 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

  43. 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

  46. 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

    8. 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.

    9. 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!!

    10. 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.

    13. 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..

    14. 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..

    15. 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.

Comments are closed.