The 3 Ps of entrepreneurship

Bongi Silubane and Tashline Jooste, CEO of Innovator Trust

“I told myself that after a decade working for, and learning from some of the smartest business people in the country, that I was not going to work for someone else again. It was my chance to start something new,” says Silubane.

Today, Kubyala ICT Solutions provides integrated solutions to enterprise-sized organisations, delivering deep business analysis, data reporting, database development and project management. Its goal is to empower its clients to use data and technology to transform their organisations.

Says Silubane, “We want to find innovative ways to enable our clients to be more productive; to simplify the management and deployment of their technology investments, and to protect their corporate data.”

Silubane, who is a beneficiary of The Innovator Trust Accelerator Programme was originally introduced through a referral and has since received not only business-related training; but has also been assigned a mentor who has travelled a similar journey and developed what she believes is a deeper understanding on the dynamics of enterprise supplier development.

The Innovator Trust was established to grow small black-owned businesses in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector and to help develop competent SMME's through training, skills sharing and technical support over a two-year Enterprise Development (ED) incubation programme.

She believes that the biggest challenge for SMMEs is credibility, “it takes time and perseverance to build credibility with suppliers; clients and technology partners. You need one enterprise client to say yes, the rest is up to you”

Kubyala today employs permanent and temporary contractors of highly skilled IT resources delivering services and solutions to multiple clients across the public and private sector.

“If the last 10 years have taught me anything, it is that perseverance, partnership and a healthy dose of perspective makes all the difference when embarking on entrepreneurship,” concludes Silubane.