Case studies: South Africa

From small beginnings: a small business developing

Trevor Mulaudzi’s passionate conviction that a clean environment is a fundamental human right has taken him from the corporate environment to the world of the entrepreneur – initially as a one-man band, and now as the owner of a business that has a monthly turnover of over R1 million, employing 350 people in six of South Africa’s nine provinces and is poised to take off internationally.

A qualified geologist, Trevor spent the first 12 years of his career working in the gold mining industry, until, in 1996, a chance meeting with a group of schoolchildren in Carletonville changed his life.

“When I asked the children why they weren’t at school, they told me they were looking for clean toilets,” he recalls. “I decided to investigate the problem: the school toilets were in a dreadful state, and I knew that something had to be done.”

Trevor immediately resigned from his job, and began offering a cleaning service to local schools.

He started buying cleaning materials in bulk and selling them to the schools, and co-opted learners and parents to help keep the toilets clean once repaired and in working order. “I worked on my own for about four months,” he recalls “then, to raise some more money, I opened a car-wash in Carletonville, employing four young people.”

The car-wash led to the next major step for Trevor. A hostel manager from Western Deep Levels (now AngloGold Ashanti’s West Wits operations) was so impressed with the car-cleaning service that he invited Trevor to quote for cleaning the hostel toilets – his first contract, then worth R6,000 per month.

It was at this point that the quality of Trevor’s work was communicated to AngloGold Ashanti’s Small Business Development Committee under the chairmanship of Robbie Lazare, now Executive Vice President - Africa. The committee decided to give Trevor an opportunity to extend the scope of his services, and soon he was in a position to compete for and secure the hostel ablution and kitchen cleaning contracts.

“AngloGold Ashanti’s continued support has been vital to the development of my business, through bridging finance to solve cash flow issues in periods of rapid expansion, through constant encouragement and support, and introductions to new clients,” says Trevor.

The majority of Trevor’s employees – about 215 people – are still based at AngloGold Ashanti’s West Wits hostels. The remainder work at Elandsrand Mine (now owned by Harmony Gold), the University of Venda in Limpopo, the National Union of Mineworkers’ head offices in Johannesburg, and on contracts in Cape Town, Kimberley, Springbok, Rustenburg, Klerksdorp and Witbank.

In 2001, Trevor established a detergent supply company, and in March 2004 he entered into a black economic empowerment (BEE) venture with Kemport, a manufacturer and distributor of cleaning materials based in Krugersdorp, west of Johannesburg. Trevor is a 51% shareholder in the company.

Trevor is a member of the World Toilet Organisation (WTO) – an international body, with membership drawn from 41 countries, established in 2001 in Singapore with the objective of promoting the provision of clean, affordable and ecologically sound sanitation in developing countries – and has presented papers at several WTO conferences. This led to an approach from the Malaysian Government, which in turn led to the establishment of a new company, called Mustwin Concept, which has secured a contract, currently employing 13 people with plans for expansion under way, to provide training and equipment to restaurant toilet cleaning staff. Negotiations are in progress to conclude a similar contract in Korea.