Ngoako Thobejane | Ngwacon Sports Facilities

Programme sponsor: Redefine Properties

“This programme has helped me to shift my mindset from relying primarily on public tenders to being a purposeful entrepreneur”

In 2004, I was in my third year of studying IT at Tshwane University of Technology when I read an article about Bill Gates dropping out of Harvard University to become a businessperson. The entrepreneurial bug got me and I decided to do the same. I started my first company – offering IT services – in 2006. I ran that for three years, but it ultimately failed in 2008.

I grew up in rural Limpopo and there’s not a lot of facilities here. I grew up playing soccer on gravel and we’d often get injured. In 2008, I saw an article in the newspaper from the National Lotteries Commission looking for black-owned businesses to build sustainable sports facilities at schools in the region. I decided to register a company and apply.

In March 2009, I registered my construction company called Ngwacon Developers CC. In 2024, 15 years later, we’re trading as Ngwacon Sports Facilities because we specialise in hard courts and we’re looking to expand into sports fields and to open offices in Gauteng. My dream is to one day get a contract to build a stadium the size of Moses Mabhida Stadium. I want my company to celebrate 100 years in business. We’ve got 15 years behind us, so 85 to go.

Milestones achieved

One of the things I always wanted was to own my own offices, which we now do on 2 000m2 of land. They are off the grid, so we are not affected by loadshedding. I’m proud of that, and of being able to build my dream home without owing the bank anything. While there have been a lot of ups and downs, I have come a far way from when my first child was born in 2011 and I had to sell my shoes to make ends meet.

Now I’m focused on growing the business. I am resilient and I know that when hard times come, it’s just a phase. It will pass and we will get through it.

We’re focusing on moving into the private sector, as well as doing business with the public sector, and serving corporates through the corporate social investment (CSI) market. We are positioning ourselves to assist companies looking to invest into sports facilities in impoverished rural areas.

Growing as an entrepreneur

Being an entrepreneur can be a lonely journey. I would always Google my problems and often I would find answers in The Big Small Business Show with Allon Raiz. I became obsessed with that show and when I researched Allon, I found out about Raizcorp and the incubation programme and it became my objective to be part of it.

Three years ago, I applied and was accepted, with Redefine Properties as my sponsor. It has been a game-changer for me, in my business and personally. I have learnt so much, especially about putting the right systems in place.

I used to be scared of finance. I didn’t know how to manage money in and money out. Now, I can read a financial statement. I used to do all my quotations on Excel and now we have a proper accounting system. The resources and mentorship have been phenomenal. I’m still in the programme, on Level E, and I hope to do Level D next.

Advice for other entrepreneurs

My advice is to think carefully before you choose to become an entrepreneur. It’s very hard work and it’s not for everyone. I took a leap of faith and it has worked for me, but you have to love being challenged. If you decide it’s for you, you need a tribe – a team. You can’t do it alone. Then it’s a case of just keep on keeping on. Keep pushing. Wake up every day and try to learn how to do this entrepreneurship thing.

A message for my sponsor

I would like to thank Redefine Properties from the bottom of my heart for the opportunity to be on this programme. It’s been life-changing for me, and even for my employees and their families, because we’ve all got people we support who benefit indirectly. Thank you to my sponsor for seeing the big thing we’re trying to do – changing kids’ lives by building sports facilities for them.

I also can’t thank Raizcorp enough for the job they are doing in supporting entrepreneurs and for this opportunity to share my story.