LIONESS WEEKENDER COVER STORY
Monenebe Maintenance & Projects, a specialist cleaning plant hire business servicing South Africa’s mining industry
Beauty Monene was born and bred in Mamelodi in South Africa. She is the founder of Monenebe Maintenance and Projects, a business established and registered in 2006. She has a passion to define herself in business and giving opportunities to those in her community. Beauty is married with three daughters and has completed a BCom degree and a senior management diploma. She has worked in various entities in both finance and customers services, and her experience led her to establishing her business, Monenebe Maintenance and Projects. Today the business employs 39 people. In 2020, after the Covid pandemic hit, Beauty opened another manufacturing entity, and today she is mentoring her daughters in this business.
Lioness Weekender spoke to the inspirational Beauty Monene about her entrepreneurial journey, her vision for the business, and her aspirations for her daughters who represent the next generation of entrepreneurs in her family.
What does your company do?
Monenebe Maintenance and Projects specializes in renting machinery with operators to the mines, and other plant hire.
What inspired you to start your company?
I bought a franchise for Bin Cleaning in 2006 and was washing dustbins for households and shopping malls. After two years, I noticed a decline in the demand for my products and then converted the machines to cleaning in the mining environment.
Why should anyone use your service or product?
Monenebe is a specialist service provider with an established track record.
Tell us a little about your team
Monenebe employs 24 operational staff, 2 Site Managers, 8 Supervisors, 2 Mechanics, 1 Safety Officer and 1 Administrator. Included in the operational staff complement are 4 women, and amongst the supervisor team there are also two Women. I am the ceo of the company.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
I do not come from an entrepreneurial background. I was just entrepreneurial from a young age. I used to sell sweets during my high school days and later when I was working I started selling clothes. I have always been a creator and believed in creating solutions and providing a service. I worked at Woolworths as a student and my working days there enhanced my liking for customer service.
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
I would like to grow the company and exit at 60 years of age. My aspiration is to sell the business to the employees when I exit the company.
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
I am inspired by seeing and hearing my customers happy. I also get satisfaction in leading and empowering people within my team.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
First and foremost is know yourself and your capabilities. Learn more about what you want to start. Be involved in your business. Learn from your counterparts. If you are in a male dominated environment, be prepared to learn from them.
To find out more about Monenebe and its service offerings, contact Beauty Monene via email: beauty@monenebe.co.za or visit the company website: http://www.monenebe.co.za
