After working as a sandblasting technical operator for 15 years, Lazarus Magagula decided that he was going to start his own business. Honesty Trade was started in June 2011, in Witbank, Mpumlanaga, with three employees, one bakkie and a few essential tools and equipment.
The surrounding factories and plants required abrasive blasting, sandblasting or coating and Honesty Trade was able to grow at a slow rate. In 2014, a few international companies advertised that they were looking for new suppliers and while Magagula applied for the opportunity, he was told that he needed to get SABS/ISO 9001 certification in order to be loaded onto the supplier database. Honesty Trade began the process towards certification.
“I was running my business, earning a living, paying my employees, I did not think about having a business profile, having a filing system, record keeping and ensuring that my processes are documented. I would not have had the time or even know where to start to do all of this. Of course, I see the benefit and I know it is needed, but without help from the SABS, I would never have completed it,” said Magagula. Honesty Trade was the first SMME in the province to successfully achieve SANB/ISO 9001: 2015 certification, which happened in 2017.
Lazarus and his team of 8 employees have since moved premises, from downtown into bigger premises in Klipfontein, Witbank.
Achieving certification has had an immediate impact for Honesty Trade, as the company was added to the vendor/supplier lists of two international companies in the area and secured good contracts for their anti-corrosive work. As a result of SABS/ISO 9001: 2015 certification, Lazarus now regularly applies for tenders throughout the province and is being awarded the contracts. He has noticed the immediate difference with more successful contracts being landed and more interest in the work that the company does. The company currently has 6 vehicles, with equipment for each of the vehicles, 8 full time employees and many contract workers that work on various projects.
Without the help from the Mpumalanga Department of Economic Trade and Development and SABS, he believes he would not have been able to grow as quickly and as thoroughly as he has.
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