“Generational businesses are built as a result of employing good and sustainable business practices.” This is the ethos by which Lerato Nxumalo, a young and dynamic entrepreneur, fosters growth in her thriving multi-million rand venture. Nxumalo started her career in the mining industry as a process engineer after obtaining an MBA from the University of Stellenbosch Business School. She completed her undergraduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering. Though the technical qualifications empowered her to enter any market, it was the barriers to entry of vegetation management that enticed her to make a mark in the male dominated industry. “I wanted to make a difference in the sector, and appreciated the challenge to rise to the occasion.” Her upbringing in a household of entrepreneurs gave her the confidence to aspire to greatness. It also gave her a strong sense of social responsibility which her Christian faith caused further impetus towards. “Entrepreneurship and leadership is a call to serve others, my goals as an entrepreneur can therefore not only be economic.” “Every leader should measure themselves by the impact they made in the lives of others. When people are empowered growth is inevitable.” It is this empowerment that Nxumalo finds rewarding, and the support of her family that she finds inspiring. “I am grateful for my husband who believes in me and my vision. My children inspire me to be the best that I can be and to build a legacy our family will be proud of.”
