Startup Story
Kgabiso Palesa Sephai is the founder and managing director of two entities, KgabisoPalesa Consulting and KgabisoPalesa Cares NPC in South Africa. She is also a director at In Pursuit Renewable Energy. She has over 15 years experience in project planning, project & programme management, PMO setup and management. She holds a B.Eng (Hons) in Electrical Engineering from Multimedia University in Malaysia, a Postgraduate Diploma in General Management, and an MBA from the Gordon Institute of Business Science. She is also a Project Management Professional and a member of the Project Management Institute.
LoA spoke to the impact-driven founder, Kgabiso Palesa Sephai, about her passion for empowering disadvantaged communities in South Africa and her vision for her businesses in the future.
What does your company do?
KgabisoPalesa Cares (KP Cares), is a Non-Profit Company, Public Benefit Organisation (PBO) registered, founded out of a desire to invest in and empower previously disadvantaged communities in South Africa. KP Cares is committed to a “multi- generational” vision of developing and mentoring children and youth between the ages of 3 and 35 years old by ensuring healthy lives, inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting well-being and lifelong learning opportunities for all. We are committed to initiatives that best serve to raise leaders who have the ability, wisdom, and personal will to address the greatest issues that will confront a generation in their time.
KP Cares has created, and is currently managing, a Renewable Energy for Socio Economic Development Programme. The programme provides renewable energy interventions that are community-focused to solve challenges related to energy security, skills development, job creation and enterprise development. Through the programme, we train youth candidates on energy efficiency, solar PV/Battery Storage fundamentals, and develop SMMEs for participation in the Green Economy. The programme is a response to the critical need for growing skills in technical sectors, specialized sectors and labour-intensive sectors that will enable the absorption of youth in sustainable job opportunities. Our focus is on the green economy, as we are convinced that is it one of the sectors that has great potential for driving meaningful participation by youth.
“We are committed to initiatives that best serve to raise leaders who have the ability, wisdom, and personal will to address the greatest issues that will confront a generation in their time.”
What inspired you to start your company?
The saying, "charity begins at home". I wanted to make a difference in the rural community that i grew up in. Through time and having realised that there are more communities like my one, we extended our reach to the whole of South Africa. I love education and have always had plans to retire into lecturing so our focus had to be in education. Teaching our fellow humans how to fish is better than just giving them the fish.
Why should anyone use your service or product?
Our business is a Non profit-Public Benefit organisation founded and led by Engineers who are passionate about sustainable, inclusive, equitable and meaningful socio-economic development in grass-roots communities. Our special product is youth with skills in sustainable energy located in grass-root communities which leads to the galvanising of the renewable energy industry where the resource is and where the communities are. Our services are tailored to each sponsor, community and the needs of the industry and country which are rooted at driving sustainable, meaningful and equitable economic participation.
The ultimate goal is to alleviate poverty, create jobs for youth and drive access to alternative solutions for grass-root communities, and in turn build self sustaining township and rural communities that can afford basic services - education, health and related by driving small business development/entrepreneurship.
“Our focus is on the green economy, as we are convinced that is it one of the sectors that has great potential for driving meaningful participation by youth.”
“Teaching our fellow humans how to fish is better than just giving them the fish.”
Tell us a little about your team
We have a team of highly professional individuals who take their work seriously and are dedicated to providing the best possible service to our clients. Each team member comes with unique skills and expertise and we work collaboratively to ensure that our sponsors' and beneficiaries' needs are met and their expectations exceeded.
Our team comprises of individuals who are passionate about what they do and are committed to delivering exceptional results. I mostly appreciate their dedication to the work that we do. They understand the importance of adjusting to the different grass-roots community needs in all areas that we deliver our programmes at. I am proud of their work and growth. Their professionalism, commitment, and dedication set us apart and I am grateful to have them as part of the KP Cares family.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
My journey started in 2016 after i got retrenched. It was the third retrenchment i had gone through, and the third time was a charm because i survived the first two and the bug bite me on the third. Not having a full view of the company financials made me feel not in control of my own future so i decided to take control by making the jump from employment to entrepreneurship.
I used the skills that i already and founded a consulting company called KgabisoPalesa Consulting. Our focus is on project/programme development, delivery and management. I have over 15 years of professional experience in various fields, such as project management in the information technology, built environment and energy industries. I later, in 2019, founded the KgabisoPalesa Cares Foundation which is a non-profit company with a focus on education and skills development. I later, in 2021, joined forces as a director with a friend in a renewable energy company that she founded, called In Pursuit Renewable Energy. I am proud to lead a team of highly professional individuals dedicated to delivering exceptional service to our clients.
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
My greatest aspiration for the company is to register a technical skills development academy that incorporates 12 months internships as part of the candidate training and development. I would like to partner with the department of higher education to deliver the training programme at TVET colleges across the country.
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
Cliche as it may sound, I love seeing the difference we get to make as a company. From our team, beneficiaries, the service providers that we partner with who are SMMEs, to the communities that we deliver the programmes in. I love seeing the joy of learning in our candidates' faces. It is such a rush!
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
Hold the vision and trust the process. It is not an easy journey. It is definitely not without challenges. But it is worth it. The personal growth is immeasurable.
Contact or follow KgabisoPalesa Cares (KP Cares)
Email: kgabiso@kgabisopalesa.com
Website: http://www.kgabisopalesa.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/kpbykgabisopalesa?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Why LoA loves it…
There is a famous saying that goes, ‘those closest to the problem are also closest to the solution’. For Kgabiso Palesa Sephai, that meant the need to provide efficient, practical and affordable solutions for local communities to create jobs, drive economic development locally, and to create sustainable green energy solutions for local people. As a social impact entrepreneur, Kgabiso is using her impact driven businesses to find solutions and empower local communities to drive those solutions to make change happen. Kgabiso is an inspiration and her business vision is contributing to positive community development through entrepreneurship and support for a local Green Economy. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo, Lionesses of Africa