Simosakhe "Moses" Qinga (Carpenter) It takes a certain type of courage to be an entrepreneur. Simosakhe, or Simo as he is fondly called, has that kind of spirit. Simo trained as a carpenter for a year and a half before being employed as a fulltime cabinet maker. He learned all his skill hands on, but when the company that employed him closed, he was left jobless. Thereafter he worked for another manufacturing firm, but when he had a discrepancy regarding wages, he took the decision to work on his own.

Simo has managed to find some work by himself, but connecting to the WorkNow! programme has made a huge difference in helping him to self sustain.

Simo is passionate about creating with wood. While he is happy to do all manner of basic carpentry tasks, from sanding down wood to fixing cupboard hinges, he really loves cabinet making best of all.  When Simo joined the WorkNow! programme he was sent out for a range of jobs – one day hanging a door, the next repairing kitchen shelves, fitting a wooden ceiling and so on.

His first big break came when he was asked to remodel a client’s laundry area, including doing a wooden ceiling. He loved the challenge of handling the project from start to finish. More recently, Simo has been employed by Mike Rigg on a number of renovation projects. One in particular involves a large amount of woodwork – preparing wooden staircases, outdoor pergolas, sanding down of window frames and laying of wooden flooring. Mike has been so impressed with Simo, he has appointed him foreman on the project. And Simo is loving the regular work he is getting from Mike!

Joining the WorkNow! programme has allowed Simo to maintain his independence and sub contract to builders and renovators as well as handle smaller projects on his own inbetween. This dynamic young man has his own vehicle, his own tools and is helping alleviate unemployment further by employing assistants on his smaller projects, when he is busy on the bigger jobs.

Simo doesn’t regret the decision he took to remain self employed. He is managing to support his wife and two children, the youngest being just 1 and ½ months old!

His dream is to have his own business in Imizamo Yethu one day, producing furniture for the Hout Bay community. “There’s just no space up there” he laughs, but one day, one day! With his commitment and his talent, this delightful WorkNow! employee is guaranteed to go places.

Phakamile Jerry Madela is a very experienced painter, who has done many jobs with the CEI. He has also worked as a gardener , which he thoroughly enjoys, but his real passion is painting.  His reference described him as "an excellent worker, a tidy worker, who can work well on his own.  He paints competently inside and outside and is always on time. He is not in a hurry to leave and makes sure his work is finished before he leaves.

Timothy Kamanga arrived at WorkNow! unemployed but with a wonderful reference from his employer in Johannesburg. He was in her employ for 5 years, working in the office as an assistant, making tea, cleaning, working with the photocopier, as well as at her home doing gardening, painting and odd jobs.  I quote "he has a passion for what he does. It was a pleasure to work with him and he always put a smile on the faces of the people he met. The customers as well as the staff loved him. He is a people's person. He never took off work".  What a wonderful credo!  Timothy has been a "houseboy" and bartender, is happy to work inside the home or out.  He can paint, is a competent handyman and works well in the garden. He has started working once a week for Donne through our programme and she is delighted with him. She loves the fact that he uses his initiative and adds value to the smallest task.

Timothy was fantastic.  He was on time and worked very well.  Being such a good worker, it was easy to have him around.  After listening to instructions, he just got on with the job.  It was reassuring to hire Timothy through WorkNow.  Rather that than hire someone off the street.  With Work/Now you feel as if you have some protection or recourse if things go wrong - though in Timothy's case he did a great job.  [Donne Descroizilles]

Most of the semi skilled men who come into the WorkNow! offices to register offer themselves as labourers or perhaps gardeners.  For the women, it is usually as domestic workers or general cleaners.  So when a woman comes into the offices with a background in domestic work and ……...  house painting, she gets our attention!

Thobeka Mzindathi is a lady with a passion for paint. Yes, she can certainly do domestic work, but painting is where her heart lies. 

Thobeka has a grade 10 from Oscar Mpetla High School. She did further training with AGR National Training where she learnt all the fundamentals of paint preparation and application.

Thobeka came to WorkNow! in August 2006 looking for more permanent employment. Prior to registering with the programme she had been employed as a shop assistant and a domestic worker. She had also managed to obtain some painting work casually, helping with various projects, such as the refurbishment of Retreat Station. Thobeka was expecting to obtain domestic work only in Hout Bay.

So imagine her surprise when she was asked to attend an interview with Michelle Bak of the Ladder Ladies, an all women painting team. That there should be an all women painting team operating right here in Hout Bay, that Tania of WorkNow! should attend a business breakfast and sit next to Michelle, that Michelle should be looking for new, motivated and self managing women for her team. Well, it all fitted so easily together.

Thobeka started with the Ladder Ladies in October 2006 and is still happily painting. Whether she is learning new oiling techniques for indoor wall effects or scaling up rickety scaffolding outside the Sentinel Primary School, she is happiest with a brush in her one hand and a paint pot in the other!

She loves her job and she loves the fact that she has regular employment. Thobeka is supporting 3 children on her own and has managed to gain financial peace of mind through her work with the Ladder Ladies.  She learns something new every day, whether it is about painting or about running a painting business.  Her employer, Michelle Bak calls her “an absolute star! She is an enthusiastic team leader, reliable and always keen to learn everything new. She has made a real difference to my life and when I went away recently, I knew the team would be safe in Thobeka’s capable hands.”

Thobeka dreams of owning her own painting business one day, but for now she is so grateful to have found work in the direction of making that dream manifest.

Gopolang Jeremiah Mothibi is a versatile worker, competent in paving, plastering, tiling and painting. He has his own tools for tiling and is particularly competent in ceramics, having worked for Chasms Ceramics from 1999 to 2003. He has worked for the CEI as a paver and is very keen to prove his versatility and skill with WorkNow!

Gopolong had a wonderful manner, and was highly skilled at what he did.  I didn't quite know what to expect when I contacted WorkNow to ask for some help with a tiler.  My friends told me to be careful about having someone new around the house.  I would describe him as delightful, focused and hard working.  And he did an excellent job.  I wouldn't hesitate to call on him again.  [Joy Dreyer]