Charity Mdluli: A Taking Care of Business Success Story | Repair Programme (Johannesburg)
My name is Charity Mdluli. I am 49 years old and I live in Tembisa. I have two children, a boy and a girl, and I take care of both of them. I am part of the Repair Programme at TCB, which I joined in January 2023.
Before joining TCB, I worked in different places, but I was never happy with what I was earning. It was not enough to live on. I joined TCB because I wanted to change my life for the better. I expected to take my life to the next level.
My journey with TCB has been good and enjoyable. I’ve loved every moment of it. I’ve learned how to sell my items to customers, how to be patient with people, how to budget and save, how to use a computer, and how to communicate with different kinds of people, among many other things.
Giving new life to broken appliances feels great, especially because there are very few people who can do that. Since joining the programme, I feel amazing. I feel like a billionaire because I no longer have to borrow money from anyone. I always have my own money to solve my problems.
My life has changed completely. I used to rent a house, but now I own a home. Thanks to TCB, I was able to help my husband buy our own house. My children are happy because there’s no place like home. I even managed to arrange school transport for them, and I can now take them out for entertainment like other families do. I make sure I keep them happy. I’m also able to save money now. My life has changed a lot and I love it. I feel so special. Thank you, TCB!
My family’s life has changed too. There’s no more stress in the house like before. We used to fight for no reason, mostly because of financial stress but now everything is flowing. There is love and peace in our home.
What I love about my business is that people are starting to recognize me. I’m visible in the community. People respect me more now, and my business is doing well. People love the appliances I’m selling, mine are the best in the community!
My dream is to expand my business and open more shops. I also want to send my children to better schools. Being self-employed gives you freedom because you work on your own time – you don’t have to wait for a boss to give you orders.
I am happy because I own my own business, I don’t owe anyone any money, and I’ve just bought my own house. My children have transport to school. I can fix appliances. And I’m part of TCB.
Three words that describe me: determined, confident, and assertive.
Two things I depend on daily: TCB and my family.
Seeing other people’s businesses grow motivates me because I see myself reaching that level too. That keeps me pushing harder and going further.
I’m proud of myself because I am the first woman to become an ambassador in Repair JHB and that makes me unique and special.
Taking Care of Business (TCB) is a nonprofit social enterprise. We are empowering unemployed South Africans and their families to escape the cycle of poverty through small business opportunities, mostly within the circular economy.
