Meet the first woman to own an auto service in Alex
ALEXANDRA – 32-year-old Busisiwe Maluleke said her business is about excellence and women empowerment.
A 32-year-old Busisiwe Maluleke has engraved her name in the books of Alexandra’s history after she became the first young woman to own an auto service centre in the township.
Maluleke, who is a qualified auditor and a mother of two, launched her Mate-Auto-Mate, which is a car serving centre at Alex Mall. Addressing scores of business people and colleagues in the auto service industry during the ceremon1al opening, Maluleke said she was well aware of the challenges ahead and she ready to tackle them.
“I am aware that this is a male-dominated industry, but I am ready for the challenges that will come my way. One thing I know is that there’s nothing in the world a woman cannot do,” she said.
She continued that the idea of a service centre was born when she could not bear the high prices of her car service plan and realised that she was paying more for less. “The idea of starting this a car service centre came after I realised that, car dealers are reaping us of our money. Every time I took my car for the service after every quarter of the year I asked myself why I was paying tons of money, and I decided that one day I will open a service centre that will be affordable and accessible for everyone.”
More than 60 per cent of her staff are women, with a young branch manager in her late 20’s. “When we conducted interviews for people who will work here, we made it a point that we priorities women and local people.
“There were many male candidates in a position of branch manager but women proved during the interviews that they can lead this business.”
She concluded that people of Alexandra had to be preferred over others in certain positions, and said that they were also looking at the minimum requirements for the position.
