by NKHENSANI NKUNA
POLOKWANE, (CAJ News) – WITH just four years in the construction industry, Lerato Raganya (42) has just bagged her first award in business.
The Business Club in Limpopo awarded Raganya an award for a unique business run by a woman at an event which took place at Seshego Circle outside Polokwane.
Raganya is the founder and managing director of TLK Multi-Projects, which manufactures paving bricks, building bricks and lays floor tiles.
Raganya, a builder by profession, says being recognised as a woman in a male dominated industry means the world to her.
“I feel honoured for the recognition and it gives me great pleasure to see that all the hard work I put into the business is finally being noticed and the fact that I’m a woman inspires many people,” she said.
The mother of three from Namakgale in Phalaborwa, got into the business unintentionally. She could not find specific paving bricks she was looking for in her home town.
She then travelled to Polokwane where she found bricks in different shapes and sizes. An idea was born. She asked them to take her through the process of making different kinds of bricks. They were glad to assist, and the rest is history.
“I started making my own bricks and I sold my first batch. People liked them, and that convinced me that I could make a living from this. I quit my job to focus on the business full time,” Raganya said.
“However, as time went on, my (now) former employees stole the bricks molding equipment and started doing business on the side, leaving my business in trouble. I opened a criminal case and eventually got my tools back, but I had to deal with the backlog and had to explain to my clients why they were not receiving their stock,” she lamented.
Raganya said business was now back on track with her new workers.
She said the Business Club, a women and private network organisation, had since appointed her a Phalaborwa and Tzaneen co-ordinator, with her task being to assist other women in business with ideas and expertise.
Raganya advises other women not to be afraid to get their hands dirty and delve into industries that are male dominated, as there were successes to be scored there.
– CAJ News