Moli & Mela Group, a business providing innovative and sustainable waste management solutions in South Africa

Tshego Molefi is the co-founder and Managing Director of Moli & Mela Group, a specialist waste management business in South Africa, founded in 2017 and today employing 60 people. A former journalist turned business leader, she is now an award-winning entrepreneur, fostering change in the male dominated waste management industry. She is bold, resilient, and driven by faith. Her success goes beyond business—it’s about impact. Her humble beginnings have inspired her philanthropic work, particularly in the education sector, where she uses her resources to provide education for those that are less fortunate. She believes education is indeed the key to success.

Lioness Weekender spoke to the pioneering industry change-maker, Tshego Molefi, about her entrepreneurial journey, her vision for the business, and her passion for philanthropy.

What does your company do?

We are a waste management company specializing in waste removal, disposal and recycling. Our core mission is to provide innovative and sustainable waste management solutions.

What inspired you to start your company?

I decided to get into business to make a decent living, To me owning a business meant, you make your own money and become rich. I was met with a rude awakening. I tried my hand at different ventures after leaving my work as a journalist. I was desperate to make it in business. I turned my passion for flowers into a business. That venture failed. I opened a cleaning company. That venture took too long to pick up and that's when I sat down with my best friend and now partner to map a way forward. We decided to do extensive research into waste management. We were fascinated by the litter in our town and then began asking the right questions. Out of those questions, we decided to come up with solutions.

What makes your business, service or product special?

We bring waste, dirt, what is regarded as useless back to life. Managing waste is a foreign concept to many. To us, it is finding a solution to what directly impacts the environment. Our business is often overlooked but in the main, it is an essential part to keeping our environment clean, bringing lasting solutions to preserving the environment but also a huge economic driver.

Tell us a little about your team

The core of our business is human connection. We understand that we are in a position to positively impact lives. We continue to hire driven Individuals who have ambition and share similar values. Without our dynamic team, we do not have a business. I look at my team as one big family who are striving for excellence.

Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And, do you come from an entrepreneurial background?

My sweet mother was an entrepreneur. Because she passed when I was still young, I often hear of the resilience and tenacity she carried in her quest to become a force in business as a young black woman. My childhood memories are filled with early mornings of hustling. My grandfather was a pioneer in business. He was one of the founding fathers of the taxi association in the mining town of Rustenburg. He is lauded for many firsts. He ran successful supermarkets across the Ledig community we come from. He was a favoured man with foresight in business during cataclysmic times of the then apartheid regime in South Africa. I understand that my journey was paved by pioneers. It is no coincidence that entrepreneurship feels like home, it is home. I come from a line of businessmen and women who understood that business is not only for the betterment of oneself. it is a calling to impact lives, to drive change and to give dignity to the people of God.

What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?

The company has done amazing work over the past years. 2025 and beyond is about expansion. Our business is ready for the next step. Right now, we are in the process of building a state-of-the-art facility to house our services. What's important in this process is to highlight that the new site will be situated in the very community that raised me, because Ledig and the greater community of the Northwest Province deserve to pioneer such a move.

What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?

Positively impacting lives!

What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?

Just start! The road does rise up to meet you. START!

To find out more about the work of Moli & Mela Group, send an email to: tshego@molimela.co.za or visit the company’s website and social media platforms.

Website: http://www.molimela.co.za/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/share/18gQKeYSHk/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/tshegodon?igsh=b2ZocWZtaWhsYmV6