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NEWSLETTER | WOMEN IN MOTION
Construction for Effective Change
Any eight-year-old would be struggling to find their way in a volatile world. But Sizisa Ukhanyo Construction is a unique eight-year-old that is already leaving an indelible mark in the construction industry through offering innovative approaches and insights within the built and interior-decorating fields.
“Our vision is to become an even bigger player in the respective industries, while being a vital contributor to social upliftment programmes,” reveals Doris Neewat, the managing member of Sizisa Ukhanyo Construction. She elaborates that forging strategic partnerships will be the key to effecting change and making progressive decisions that result in initiatives designed to benefit female entrepreneurs.
How is this to be done? Doris says that her organisation offers a wide array of services that require the maintenance of high standards as well as the management of resources and skills in order to provide optimum results.
by Andrew Ngozo
Sizisa Ukhanyo offers residential, and private- and public-sector construction services, maintenance services, housing, and interior-decorating services. “We focus on small to medium-sized projects in the public and private sectors. However, we are keen to be part of joint ventures in respect of larger projects, which are vital in enabling us to gain the necessary experience,” she says.
The staff at Sizisa Ukhanyo have a broad and diverse range of business experience which allows them to service the unique clientele that they deal with. “Be it painting, plastering, roofing, the installation of blinds or curtains, tiling or flooring, the client can be assured of an excellent service from the first contact until the job at hand is finished,” states Doris, who adds that customer aftercare is not overlooked.
As an organisation located in the Western Cape, Sizisa Ukhanyo is mindful of the need to empower the communities in which it operates. Hence, says Doris, “we have devised a flexible work programme which can be applied to various aspects in the built-environment field which enables us to cater for the client’s requirements and standards.”
“We strive to use local labour on our projects, simultaneously offering skills training for those members of our society who need them. An apt example would be the construction of a brick-paved service road in an informal settlement,” she notes.
As a female-owned and run entity, Sizisa Ukhanyo also acknowledges the need to empower women in particular, in such a way that black women especially are seen to be playing a more active role in the property sector. This is possible through strategic partnerships, the fostering of which will allow for growth in the pool of intellectual capital, comprising black people in general and women, by attracting new entrants into the sector.
While it may have been a successful first decade for Sizisa Ukhanyo, the future is even brighter. With Doris at the helm, Sizisa Ukhanyo is constructing for effective change in South Africa, one brick at a time.