Women's consortium makes inroads after Sanral training

Yeyethu Bafazi Construction is a consortium established in 2018 by a group of five women, after they underwent training with the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral).

The group's members hail from the dusty streets of Mthatha in the Eastern Cape. They are:

• Thabile Nkonki from Talinko Construction;
• Zodidi Mbuzelwa from Junebug Trading 23cc;
• Siphokazi Cekwana from Mthonyama Technologies;
• Nyameka Poyo of Going Places Construction and Projects; and
• Nomalunga Tonjeni from Rhu and Sons.

The training programme with Sanral took place over a four-year period and included the following modules: Starting and Running a Business; Applying Business Concepts; Monitoring Control Costs; Applying Construction Documents; Reading and Interpreting Drawings; and Calculating Construction Quantities, among others.

"Having identified the skills shortage in the roads sector, Sanral decided to target small, medium and micro enterprises (SMEs) to be trained to build safe roads within communities," says Dr Mongezi Noah, a community development specialist at Sanral southern region. "The aim is to upskill SMEs in order to prepare them to participate in the roads agency's bigger road rehabilitation projects in future."

The training programme was conducted in Port St Johns and included practical exercises and theory. After completing the programme, the five women decided that forming a consortium would better position them as women in a male-dominated industry.

The construction industry plays a vital role in SA's economy and is a significant contributor to economic growth. It also creates employment, especially for the least skilled members of society, along with many opportunities within communities, and it contributes directly to improving the quality of life of the users of its products.

With SA's unemployment rate currently at 27.6%, and the Eastern Cape's unemployment rate at 37.4%, the role envisioned for SMEs in job creation is significant, especially now, and it is hoped that Sanral's investment in training programmes will also yield positive results in this regard.

Yeyethu Bafazi is defying the odds and making moves in an industry that continues to undermine its members' capabilities and passion. Undeterred, the women are determined to make their mark in SA's most poverty-stricken province and to bridge the gap by creating jobs, especially for those who are unskilled and those without work experience.

The consortium holds a Grade 5 Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) grading. Their goal is to advance to a Grade 9 CIDB grading in the near future. Their mission is clear: to become the best construction company in the industry, specialising in civil construction and general building for government clients as well as for the commercial, mining and residential sectors.

Nkonki, who is the director of Yeyethu Bafazi Construction, says: "Dedication to service delivery, creating sustainable relationships with our clients, and paying attention to detail is what sets us apart from our competitors."

As a business that's 100% owned and operated by black women, they often experience sexism and bias from the community and potential clientele, adds Nkonki. Their capacity is often scrutinised, despite the women having proven their competence through the range of construction projects they've completed.

Yeyethu Bafazi Construction employs construction personnel living in and around Mthatha. In this way, the consortium is not only an innovator in the construction industry, but also a job creator in a South African economy with few work opportunities.

Once people have completed their training with Sanral, the roads agency keeps close ties with its former trainees to ensure that they apply what they have learned and make progress. "The trainees have to keep Sanral well informed of their activities and CIDB upgrading. They are also added to the database of companies that have received training from Sanral," says Noah.