Province: KwaZulu Natal
District/Branch name: Downstream Aluminium Centre for Technology
Business Name: N Xul Trading
Business type: Welding
Background
Ntokozo Xulu of N Xul Trading is incubated at DACT Downstream Aluminium Centre for Technology, ZCBF Community Park, South Central Arterial, Alton, Richards Bay. He has now secured premises in a workshop where he rents.
N Xul Trading was established on the 20th of November 2007
Ntokozo manufactures gates, burglar guards, braai stands and other welding maintenance. When Ntokozo came in to DACT, he wanted to start a welding business but had no knowledge and proper skills to run a successful company. He had to undergo welding training with the Umfolozi college to improve on his skill, he then attended workshops that were designed to help him better understand how a business functions.
Ntokozo was new at the business game, he had no experience at all on running a business but he knew how to work with his hands, the little skills that he had gave him enough courage and confidence to want to open up and run a business of his own. N Xul Trading had no financial records and no administrative systems in place. N Xul didn’t have knowledge of who his target market is and did not know how to attract clients to his business
Intervention / Solution
Ntokozo was enrolled at ZCBF Umfolozi College Training Centre to better his skills and to learn new skills about the welding business. After the training he was able to concentrate on running his business. Costing and Pricing was the next training he was enrolled in where he learnt a great deal about the financial part of his business. He has been able to attain and maintain a loyal market for his business
N Xul has been showing exceptional improvement from the day it was established. Because of his steady income Ntokozo has moved outside of DACT premises and is now secured premises in Ngwelezane Small Business Centre (Ithala Mini Factories)
N Xul now has marketing material which shows how professional Ntokozo is and how much he takes himself and his business seriously
His creativity and commitment to his business has prompted him to broaden his product line to not just the “traditional” gates and burglar guards. He now appeals to a wider market with the innovative products he manufactures; he has made lots of sales in the local community with his braai stand on wheels known as Shisanyama braai on wheels.
Ntokozo has been exhibiting his products by displaying samples of his work on the local exhibition shows that have been designed to highlight emerging SMME’s. In the past 4 years, he has been exhibiting at the fun fair at the zcbf community park; he also exhibited at the Incubation day in 2011 in Durban.