LESEGO Gumede is the founder of Sneaker Cleanic and a thriving business leader.
He achieved this success despite living with bilateral hearing loss, which affects hearing in both ears.
"With God and the ancestors by my side, I've kept moving forward. They've been my strength in silence and my guidance through the noise," he said.
From humble beginnings operating under a carport, Sneaker Cleanic has grown to operate two stores, one in Soshanguve Block XX Thorntree Plaza and the other in Mabopane Square, employing more than 12 people.
Lesego's innovative approach has driven the business' success.
"We quickly realised that in order to grow, we needed to be more innovative. That's when we decided to manufacture our own sneaker cleaning products," he said.
Lesego's business impact extends beyond cleaning services.
The company has developed a cutting-edge Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to help township businesses streamline operations.
"Being a township-based business ourselves, we understand the unique challenges entrepreneurs face in these communities. That's why we built a system specifically designed to provide practical solutions for township businesses," he said.
Lesego's vision for Sneaker Cleanic includes expansion into more townships around Tshwane, building strong distribution channels, and securing funding.
"I don't usually like talking too much about future plans, but some of the obvious ones include opening more stores. We're definitely aiming to expand into more townships around Pretoria," he said.
He said that the demand for their services is growing.
When asked about challenges, Lesego said: "A major issue we encountered was operational efficiency, and our lower pricing, tailored to serve the township community, attracted a high volume of customers. While that was great for business, it also created a heavy workload that we struggled to manage due to a lack of proper systems."
However, after developing their own system, they've observed significant improvements.
Lesego's determination, resilience, and hard work serve as a beacon of hope for aspiring entrepreneurs.
"If not us, then who will inspire the next generation of township entrepreneurs? That's why we need to push forward.
"We believe in the community. We believe that, by working together, we can achieve even greater success," he added.
