A mother-and-daughter team from the Eastern Cape has gained a firm foothold in road construction in the province, developing skills along the way.
Sokhazimla Trading is an active participant in construction activities on the N2 project near Port Elizabeth, where its teams work closely with the main contractor, RoadMac.
Sokhazimla’s work included the installation of subsoil drains on the Stanford Road intersection and it was also responsible for glass grids between the Commercial Road and Burman Road offramps.
A duo
Nwabisa Mugubasi, who works with her mother, Nontsokolo, said her company has benefited greatly from the training SANRAL offers to small and emerging enterprises.
“They go very far to accommodate and empower small contractors. Every opportunity with SANRAL has been positive for us,” she said.
Nontsokolo registered Sokhazimla Trading in 2004 while her daughter was still at school. After completing her studies in project management and road construction, Nwabisa gained some experience with an architectural firm before joining her mother in the business.
The company is registered as a level 1 B-BBEE enterprise and has acquired a 2CE PE rating from the Construction Industry Development Board.
The extra mile
“As an SMME, we see the difference SANRAL makes with the training courses it provides,” said Nwabisa. “We have benefited from the training, especially gaining experience in the procedures required for the completion of tender documents.
“We hope to grow with SANRAL.”
Sokhazimla’s headquarters are in KwaDwezi and the company has another office in North End. It employs six permanent staff and can accommodate up to six additional people, depending on the size of the project.
Mbulelo Peterson, SANRAL’s Southern Region Manager, said the agency supports the growth of emerging enterprises and job creation through the application of participation goals in all its contracts.
“A predetermined percentage of the main contractor’s total contract value must be allocated to the subcontracting of SMMEs,” he said.