Retrenchment sparks entrepreneur’s demolition job

When Thandi Mase was retrenched at the age of 50 with only one month’s salary, she faced an uncertain future. Fourteen years later, the 64-year-old entrepreneur is the owner of Sebenzile Demolition, a growing demolition and salvage business that employs 200 people. Mase was managing a new debt collection branch in Johannesburg when the company retrenched employees in 2012.

“There were no benefits when I was retrenched because it was a new branch. I left with only my salary for that month,” she said. Finding another job at her age seemed unlikely, so she decided to create her own opportunity.

“I was forced to start something, and I needed to start very quickly.” Though Mase had previously earned an income sellingamagwinya,vegetables and other goods, she wanted to build a sustainable business. Her brother had transferred his company, Sebenzile Building Construction, to her before returning to the Eastern Cape. She first focused on construction, but the high cost of building materials made it difficult for the business to expand.

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Her breakthrough came after meeting a man who had demolition experience. “Demolition was completely new to me. When he explained the work, I understood the concept within minutes.” The next day, Mase changed the business name to Sebenzile Demolition.

Her first contract was to demolish a house in Benoni, Ekurhuleni. She arrived without proper tools but with determination. She hired three workers and joined them on site.

The team completed the project within three days. The project also introduced her to the value of salvaging reusable building materials. A salvage yard owner offered her R35,000 for the reusable material.

Since then, she has been operating two salvage yards, which help make demolition projects more profitable. Mase said she has never received bank financing. Apart from the SAB Foundation Covid-19 relief funding, she has grown the business by using income from completed projects and careful financial planning.

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