Startup Story
To change people’s economic prospects, it’s essential to give them the skills they need to access jobs or to start their own businesses. In South Africa, Makhosazana Megan Ngubane has built a highly effective, specialist education business, Makhophila Training, to provide those essential skills, particularly to people in rural areas.
LoA spoke to Megan to find out more about her mission and her vision to help up-skill South Africa’s people.
Tell us about yourself
My name is Makhosazana Megan Ngubane and I founded Makhophila Training in 2010 in South Africa after being retrenched. I am passionate about skills development and am dedicated to the empowerment of people in rural areas. Through my work and my business, I have achieved several recognitions including being a finalist in the Africa Google Search Competition.
“My passion for education inspired me to seek accreditation in order to start Makhophila Training.”
“My business started with passion, then accreditation, and then completing courses in Business Management, Skills Development Facilitator, Assessor and Moderator. Nothing beats on the job training and experience.”
What does your company do?
We offer various accredited quality and relevant skills development and training solutions through four key divisions - Information Technology; Agriculture; Business; Local Government Development
What inspired you to start your company?
My passion for education inspired me to seek accreditation in order to start Makhophila Training.
Why should anyone use your service or product?
At Makhophilia Training, we have a team of experienced Facilitators who focus on providing Workplace Based Training. Our business has a 10 year track record.
“Over the years we have developed systems and policies we apply in our daily operations and continue to adopt innovative ways of meeting our objectives.”
Tell us a little about your team
Makhophila Training has a dynamic team that is competent to complete all administrative and facilitation duties. Continuous learning is also encouraged for the team.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
I knew from a very young age that I would be in Education. I used to assist the children in my neighbourhood in Kwa-Mashu with their homework. My background is more an educational one than an entrepreneurial one. My parents were both Educators as well as my other siblings. I started as a one woman entity working from home and now have 6 team members and also work with several experienced Education Experts during our various skills development programmes. We have increased our accreditations over the years. My business started with passion, then accreditation, and then completing courses in Business Management, Skills Development Facilitator, Assessor and Moderator. Nothing beats on the job training and experience. Over the years we have developed systems and policies we apply in our daily operations and continue to adopt innovative ways of meeting our objectives. Challenges over the years have surfaced but I have never given up on the vision.
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
Three key areas of activity are in our future plans. We are developing our user friendly e-learning platform. We aim to bring robotics and coding to rural areas. We are working on our ECD (Early Childhood Development) accreditation.
“Challenges over the years have surfaced but I have never given up on the vision.”
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
People Empowerment - the fact that someone can graduate and be employed or start a business through the skills gained at Makhophila Training. On a personal level, I have full control of my time.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
Never be afraid to start on a small scale but have the bigger vision. Have a mentor. Passion for what you do makes the tough days better.
Contact or follow Makhophila Training
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | EMAIL info@makhophila.co.za
Why LoA loves it….
Edupreneurs like Makhosazana Megan Ngubane understand the difference they can make to people’s lives and to society as a whole through the businesses they build. She is helping people to fulfill their potential by empowering them to develop the skills society needs in order to grow and thrive. She believes in providing quality skills development, education and training that will enable every individual who graduates from her programmes to take their place in society and make a meaningful contribution. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo, Lionesses of Africa