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BULELWA QUPE - TWIB 2002 Winner
If you'd asked Bulelwa about her owning a business three years ago she would have laughed at your face. A fishing business nogal!
Bulelwa was then a registered nursing administrator and a Community Health Nurse concerned with healing her fellow beings.
But now she's fighting a different struggle - that of economic liberation not only for herself but for
Eastern Cape women as well.
When an opportunity for women to apply for fishing rights arose she jumped at it and before long she was
passionate about an industry she never thought women should dabble at in the first place.
She started Aqua - Fish & Chips Shop in Motherwell Township in 1995 and is currently the
Managing Director of this business as well as a member for Ezabantu Fishing, a close corporation
owned by seven women . She was the first black woman in the Eastern Cape to obtain a fishing license
and quota.
But that's not enough for Bulelwa she's now started an exporting company Buntu Marketing and
Exporting which is responsible for selling their fresh fish to Spain. In this venture her
business associates are mentoring her, Pesca Fresca Latandi that exports her fish at the moment.
The new company is combination of Ezabantu cc and Mazidlekhaya Fishing while Bulelwa personally holds 50% shareholding and both companies have medium term rights in hake longline and inshore trawl and will be involved in buying and exporting abalone (perlemoen).
"The aim is to expose us to the export market and to steadily build up the Buntu brand overseas especially in Spain and Asia, the largest consumers of fresh fish. It was also a business move to ensure that we'll be an active empowered company and be hands on at all levels of the business," says Bulelwa.
Her immediate plans are to expand their product base by venturing in the highly competitive and exclusive abalone processing and export business. The building has been checked and complies with the standards set for abalone exports, an South African Revenue Services approval has been granted and a Sea Fisheries permit will be granted before July 2003, her deadline for the commencement of operations.
"We've already done market research and we'll be exporting our abalone to Hong Kong. As part of our community development activities we intend offering 10% shareholding to the black communities situated along the coast that have abalone trade permits in the new Gonubie export company. This will ensure that even after selling their abalone to us, they will receive long-term empowerment and rewards," says an upbeat Bulelwa.
Because she believes forearmed is forewarned she went about educating herself about the fishing industry.
She also completed various Certificate courses in business and done Module in Mariculture on an Honours level.
Bulelwa strongle believes in economic empowerment and community development and she believes networking goes a long way in ensuring that women as well as communities are informed about opportunities for empowerment. As a result she is involved in numerous community activities and serve on the task group for the development of Port Elizabeth Harbour. She is also a member of the Nelson Mandela Metropole Chamber of commerce, the secretary of the Hake Longline Association as well as serving in the national board, an executive member of the Eastern Cape fishing forum, and is an Eastern Cape representative of the South African Women Entrepreneurs Network (SAWEN). On top of that she juggles a marriage and is a doting mother to four children ages between 25 and 9.
Like almost all entrepreneurs of colour starting out presented enormous problems especially with access to finance.
"I approached the Eastern Cape Development Corporation in 1997 which offered a R50 000 loan and luckily business went well and I paid it off in two years. I used to have fish supply problems and when I heard on radio government offering fishing rights to women, it seemed like a God sent opportunity. I formed a cooperative with seven interested women and as Ezabantu applied and we eventually obtained a quota of 33 tons of fish, an equivalent of 3 boat trips per annum at 12 tons each. Each year our quota increased and we're now at 122 tons," she says triumphantly.
At the moment Bulelwa employs 24 people in the fishing boat that bring in her fresh fish and 10 more people at her Motherwell fish and chips shop.
Bulelwa has received a number of accolades for her work in economic stimulation and growth in the Eastern Cape. Her achievements are a far cry from hr humble beginnings as a township girl born in Port Elizabeth in 1959. Then Bulelwa Christina Ranuga, she matriculated from Phillip Mtywaku High School in Bisho and obtained a Diploma's for General (1984) and Psychiatric (1989) Nursing and a BA Curr Degree.
Her milestone was winning the data's 2002 Technology for Women in Business (TWIB) award. The prizes for the coveted award which recognizes women who incorporate the use of technology in their businesses included a commemorative plaque, a 4x4 Bakkie sponsored by Africa Harvest, travel luggage bag from dti marketing and a laptop, software and sponsored training - courtesy of Microsoft.
"the dti win helped me with immediate transport to run my business I'm now able to travel around the Province and do my business as a result. The laptop is a treasure as I can now do business wherever I am, as I'm connected. Personally, the winning empowered me, as a role model and TWIB ambassador I've enabled other women to access business development information. It also enhanced my lobbying and networking skills I'm at the moment involved at setting up Women In Fisheries organization, which will be an affiliate within SAWEN and will be championed by the Environment Affairs and tourism department," says an enthusiastic Bulelwa.
She's also been involved in mobilizing women in the Eastern Cape to attend the BEE Women Seminar aimed at informing women about the opportunities and the dti's BEE policy held in Sandton recently.
Her benefits from the dti include a Ntsika Enterprise Promotion Agency-sponsored trade and learning trip to Uganda where she shared experiences and learnt about the Ugandan fishing industry.
"I've discovered opportunities beyond the fishing industry as I discovered the market for commodities. I was also honoured to become part of the Deputy Minister's business delegation to the Women Global Summit in Morocco in June.
Bulelwa firmly believes that successful women have a responsibility to empower and lift up their less successful sisters.
"My involvement within the number of women empowerment initiatives of the dti has taught me that I have to do my bit in community development. Women should tackle the economic struggle with the same kind of enthusiasm and energy we fought the political struggle a few years back - its only way to achieve economic freedom," she concludes.
Bulelwa Qupe, Ezabantu Fishing, 44 Pine road, Overbaakens, 6070
P.O. Box 21190, Port Elizabeth, 6001
Tel/Fax: (041) 368 6016 and (041) 462 4338
Cell: 082 750 9339 Email: bulelwa@surething.co.za
Visit the TWIB website for more
information on this initiative http://www.twib.co.za
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