Josiah Morake: A Taking Care of Business Success Story
Ivory Park, Midrand
49 years old, father of 3
Unemployment creates real trauma and stress
Before I started at Taking Care of Business (TCB) in the Repair Programme in June 2022, I was a part-time gardener. I had to wake up very early in a dangerous township and face the possibility daily that I could get robbed. That, and the fact that I had to work for different people with no stable income put a strain on me. The money was not enough. I had 3 children and a wife that I needed to support. I was stressed out and struggling to deal with the difficult situation I was in.
Repair, a way out of despair
When I was younger I used to work for someone selling things door to door, so I had some selling experience. Later on, I started selling for myself but realised that I didn’t know how to manage my money and so I wasn’t able to make a success of it. I heard about TCB’s Repair programme and knew this was my way out.
I joined TCB and was excited to start learning the skills I needed to run a successful business and fix electrical appliances. It wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be! At 49, I found it challenging being out of my comfort zone and having to learn all these new things. I never thought that one day I would be able to fix appliances.
I’m proud to be in a programme at TCB that uses waste for good. Not everything belongs in the dump, there are so many items that can be fixed rather than being thrown away. At TCB we debrand and repair items and sell them at a cheaper price. People in my community are happy because they get these products at a bargain.
Holistic learning: A business needs more than just sales, it needs good management
Since being at TCB my life has changed for the better because now I’m my own boss and I now know how to run a business successfully with the skills that I’ve learnt. I am a responsible person and I’m able to take my business to a higher level.
TCB has taught me to categorize my expenses into personal and business expenses I also learnt about recording all my expenses.
I’ve been able to work on my personal well-being through life skills learnt and mentoring. I’m now a better person, capable of handling any difficult situation, something I previously struggled with. What stands out for me is the part of the programme that transforms participants into better human beings. When people are empowered they can change their circumstances from poverty to success!
Your future can be so much more than your current circumstances
I sell in my neighbourhood and at churches on Sundays and I also sell using social networks. I focus on where people gather in numbers and also where my items are needed. Knowing my target audience is important.
My dream is to own more than my one business and I also want to run a food outlet and later own a franchise. My advice to others starting out in their businesses is that they should learn to finish what they start, never quit no matter the circumstances and be passionate about what you are doing.
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.