By Lindelwa Dlamini
KUKHANYENI – Dreams delayed, never means dreams denied.
Not being accepted by many tertiary institutions in the country never stopped Meluleki Hlophe to pursue his dream of becoming the better version of a known and hustling businessman.
“After I was not accepted by tertiary institutions for a teaching course in 2017 which was my passion, I never let it change my perspective in life as I am a dreamer. I then decided to start generating an income for a poultry and piggery business which I capitalised for a period of 3 years from making beats bracelets, watches and bracelets with name tags. I was able to buy chicks and two female pigs for my project,” he said.
He continued to explain that whenever he was in town (Manzini) to run errands he would see a lady he was familiar with. He said one day he approached her to teach him making bracelets with names tags from beats and watches among others things.
This lecture took him 45 minutes and he was a star afterwards, as he continued watching more new arts from YouTube.
Hlophe further said, if it was not for the late Stanley Matsebula who was the Group Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director of Swaziland Savings and Development Bank, who advice him not to borrow money from any co-operatives in order to start a business but to do something which would give him the capital, he wouldn’t be where he is now.
He said Matsebula advised him that if you want to be a business person you have to be a humble as pride leads to poverty. He gave him tips like selling fire wood to people in my area and save that money for the business he wanted to start.
He added that he made a huge loss just a year after starting his business as he was staying at his Mother’s parental home in Mafutseni, then he was forced to leave to his father’s home at Ekukhanyeni where he started building new poultry houses for his chicken and shelter for my pigs.
Furthering to explain the challenges and obstacles he faced, he said that at first he placed the chicken inside his living room and as he was focusing on building a shelter for his pigs.
The past eight years, Hlophe have been stationed next to Manzini Bhunu Mall where he would unashamedly ask for support from any passer-by and that has been his only way to get support. Facebook has been his other marketing strategy to getting customers as he would showcase the final designs of his products and stun people.
Hlophe finally advised the youth to not let people dictate to them what to do with their life by looking at hustling as not decent jobs. Having a degree does not mean you will have a high paying job but take whatever comes to you anytime to make a living out of it.
