Mpho Mukosi
Johannesburg - Dreams that couple goals are made of. This is the case with co-founder of Star Cleaner detergent, Mpho Bokaba, 34, and his wife, Dikeledi, 31, from Atteridgeville.
The married couple, who both have the entrepreneurial bug, say they started producing dishwashing liquid to serve their community with quality cleaning materials that are locally manufactured.
“Before we started manufacturing our products, we made sure that we did all the necessary research so we knew what to expect in the market industry and how to promote our products,” said Dikeledi.
The couple say they are extremely excited about the growth of their product since the day they started selling the dish-washing liquid.
Although the dedicated couple faced some challenges at first, that did not stop them from working hard.
“We launched our business in November 2019, then in March 2020 we had Covid-19 and from there things started to move very slowly,” she said.
Dikeledi said even the national shutdown did not stop them from working hard.
“In 2021, we bounced back and made sure to push even harder for our product to start selling again,” she said.
Her husband, Mpho, said the business used to produce 33 units and it took a month to have all of that sold out, but now they produce more than a thousand and all of them get sold out in just a month or less.
“It actually got way better when we got the opportunity to have our business advertised on a billboard, and after that, we got exposure, and companies like Cash and Carry, Spar and Save More agreed to sell our products, as well as local markets around our home town,” said Mpho.
Like any other business people, Mpho and Dikeledi also face tough challenges when load shedding hits.
“Every time we get load shedding, we have to stop working and since we are renting out a place with other people, we have to book slots while working in the building, which is really slowing us down,” said the couple.
The hard-working couple wish to grow their business to a point where they can create a lot of job opportunities for the youth.
They are also working hard to one day own a factory with their own equipment, since they are currently renting.
“Having to work in a small space is also disappointing since we fail to produce as many dishwashers and hire as many people as we could, but we believe that as time goes by, our wish will come true,” said Mpho.
“Whenever you have a vision of something as a young person, just start; whatever that one can dream of, I believe that it is achievable,” he said.
The Star