Steel engineer Shocky Nengovhela triumphs over challenges

Determined to get into the male-dominated steel industry, Shocky Nengovhela from Middleburg in Mpumalanga, left her job and started her own steel engineering company, Tembo Engineering.

“Mechanical engineering is my passion. I have always wanted to get involved in this industry. We are a growing company. It was not easy to get to where we are now,” she said.

ALSO READ: South African actors who are engineering graduates [photos]

Nengovhela holds a BTech in Mechanical Engineering from the Tshwane University of Technology.

She registered Tembo Engineering in 2016 and started full operations in 2020. Her business provides mechanical engineering services to other companies.

“We innovate and design through our core which is mechanical engineering consulting work, from which we develop maintenance strategies, plans and drawings,” Nengovhela adds.

Nengovhela

ALSO READ: Software engineering: Recalling South Africa’s Barry Dwolatzky

Starting the business came with challenges for Nengovhela but she believes that assistance from the Department of Small Business Development, through its agency the Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda), played a major role in establishing and growing the business.

Nengovhela said her company received its breakthrough when she approached the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality Local Economic Development.

The municipality assisted Nengovhela to be part of the Mpumalanga Stainless Initiative (MSI), an incubator programme supported by the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality and Seda.

ALSO READ: Bentley Speed Edition 12: A tribute to an engineering icon

Tembo Engineering signed up for the incubation program and qualified for a subsidised workshop and office space.

“Our permanent residence on MSI premises opened opportunities for us including access to business-to-business trade and supplier trust as we were locatable and accessible,” Nengovhela said.

Today the company employs 12 permanent staff members who are artisans.

“Growth presents itself with challenges, including a constrained cash flow, constraints of tools, machinery and skilled resources to deliver good quality results.”

Nengovhela adds that she found the process of growing her business rewarding knowing that she was making a difference and creating job opportunities.

ALSO READ: ALX: Earn your Software Engineering certification and equip yourself for a world of opportunity

She was also a speaker at the recent Vuk Talks where she encouraged young people to pursue entrepreneurship after their studies.

Written by Edwin Tshivhidzo for GCIS VuK’ZENZELE

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ARTICLES BY GCIS VuK’ZENZELE

FOLLOW US ON GOOGLE NEWS

Read original article here

Denial of responsibility! Chronicles Live is an automatic aggregator of the all world’s media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, all materials to their authors. If you are the owner of the content and do not want us to publish your materials, please contact us by email – chronicleslive.com. The content will be deleted within 24 hours.

Leave a Comment