“I decided taking photos would be a good business. I enjoyed it so much”.
Every kid has a dream.
All it took was a camera at his matric dance to get 18 year old Andile Gumbi to start dreaming. He had often told friends in the Kwadabeka community that he wanted to be a businessman one day, but was never quite sure of what he wanted to do. Then, on the night of his dance, as he was capturing memories with his friends, something clicked.
Eight years later and this determined young man is now running his own video production and photography company called Nyachengo’s, named after his hero, his grandfather.
This is Andile’s story.
The company was registered in 2011. “The process of registering the company wasn’t hard. I went to SEDA and they gave me instructions on how to register. They gave us one lecture on how to run a business and why it’s important to register your company”. But there was still a lot that Andile needed to learn about being an entrepreneur and running a business.
Through his community, he heard about Paradigm Shift, an organisation that is partnered with CAST. CAST has been involved in running Paradigm Shifts Business Growth Course since January 2012.
As part of the course, the entrepreneurs are given a mentor – a business professional who meets with the entrepreneur once a month to disciple, encourage and help that person to apply what he or she has learnt. Andile’s mentor was a man, from Westville Baptist Church, by the name of Andrew Jameson.
“Andrew taught me not to rush things, that building a business takes time”
Andile thrived during the business forum. One of the biggest lessons he took away from it is that you have to work hard and fight for your business because the road is not going to be easy. At the business forum he also was encouraged to connect more with God and to read his bible frequently.
Nyachengo’s deals with: photography, sound system hire and video filming. They specialise in social events and corporate functions. Their offices are found at Smart Xchange and the business is part of an incubation program there which helps them to develop further. They are able to attend seminars and short courses on business management as well as receive opportunities to network with other people and businesses.
This year the company has already signed two contracts with schools, to manage the capturing of their school photos, and Andile is hoping they can sign a third contract by the middle of the year. The biggest challenge they have had is getting contracts for government projects, but Andile still has faith that the business will eventually reach this achievement.
It all comes back to having dreams. As an 18 year old, he had a dream, a vision for his life. And he pursued that vision. Along the way he encountered Andrew Jameson, the rest of the business development team from CAST, and a real and active relationship with Jesus. Now he is living out that dream. But the dreaming doesn’t stop there.
He has big hopes for Nyachengos in the next five years; hopes which include new equipment, more staff, a company vehicle, contracts with private companies, and ultimately, a big studio in Durban in which he can hold professional photo shoots.
He was a kid with a dream. Now he is an adult that’s been empowered to believe in his dream.
