Khumbulani Ndlovu (32) and Daniel Murima (33) are co-directors at Johannesburg- based Bagview Technical Training company, which specialises in training people in transport and earthmoving machinery.
“Our team is made up of experienced experts in training, who make sure that trainees get outstanding training in their chosen field,” said Ndlovu, who was born in the Zhokwe area of Gwanda, Matabeleland South.
“Our primary mission is to make a contribution to South Africa, Zimbabwe and all nationalities represented here, by providing professional training to their nationalities, thereby contributing to the skills that will help them in the fight against unemployment.”
Masvingo-born Murima said companies had realised it made good business sense to have their staff trained correctly and regularly assessed on the machinery they operate. “Anyone with a view to broadening their skills and knowledge of their industry has increased their chances of getting or keeping employment during these tough times. Companies tend to retrench employees who are less effective and that is where we come in. We bring people up to date with changing trends through training and refresher courses in various types of machinery.”
Bagview offers training in the use of mobile cranes, graders, excavators, bulldozers, forklifts, front-end loaders, tractor loader backhoes, dump trucks, Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) installation, roller-tower cranes, skid-steering (Bobcat), arc welding, argon welding and all renewals. Due to the ever-growing demand for technical skills, the company is kept busy – with an average monthly enrolment of more than 30 people in each of the various courses it runs.
Ndlovu said his desire to have a company of his own began when he arrived in South Africa in 2010.
“I took up training as a forklift operator, but because of my ambition, I never worked in that field after completing my training. I quickly studied more on the training side of the field and instead of becoming an operator, I became a facilitator with a local training company,” he said.
“I worked for one year in that company, before I branched off to form something of my own with Murima, a close friend. It was not easy at first. We faced challenges of raising enough money to buy training materials and to pay for practical lessons for our clients. We also had to win the trust of the public, in an environment of fears raised by a number of un-registered fly-by-night companies that failed to fulfil their promises.”
With those challenges overcome by a strong will and vibrant marketing strategies, Bagview grew by leaps and bounds – and now has four branches in Johannesburg and one in Welkom. “This is phenomenal growth for a company that only started operating in 2012. Our dream is to one day see it grow into one of the biggest training providers in the whole continent. That dream is built on the fact that our trainees are not only Zimbabweans, but also South Africans, Nigerians and many other nationalities represented in the cosmopolitan population of this country.”
Graduates receive licenses and certificates that allow them to start operating the machines they have been trained on. The company has also gone out of its way to provide free training for underprivileged members of the society.
“We work with a local organisation that recommends prospective beneficiaries to us so that we can train and provide job placements for free. Every month, we enrol five of such people,” explained Ndovu.
“This is our way of giving back to the community for supporting our venture. We want to contribute to a better future for our countrymen and our hosts. This is also a way of helping to blend locals with their migrant brothers to foster peaceful co-existence,” he added.
Post published in: News