Durban — When you meet Edwaleni Hardware and Homeware store owner Busie Nxumalo, she is bubbly and full of life in a way that instantly disarms you. Her laughter belies the hardship she’s endured as a minority in the male-dominated construction environment. It may also be the reason why this qualified social worker has been able to rise above restrictive gender stereotypes and build a business to be proud of.
Building a legacy
Nxumalo’s foray into the world of hard hats and safety boots was inspired by her construction-entrepreneur mother who was progressing in age and simultaneously growing her empire. As a dutiful daughter, Busie decided to leave her young social services career behind and join the family business.
In 2018, Nxumalo opened a hardware and homeware store in Pietermaritzburg’s Lion Park, in rural KwaZulu-Natal. The idea had been on her mind for several years already, having noticed the lack of access to building materials for people in far-out locations. She had also experienced this first-hand as a construction site manager of projects in rural areas.
Nxumalo credits her construction experience with preparing her to open Edwaleni Hardware and Homeware. The long days on site were all the schooling she needed to know about what goes into building. With the knowledge she gathered over many years, she felt ready to open the shop.
“Emakhaya (rural areas), there are no places to buy building materials. The biggest problem is finding transport to go into town to buy what you need. That transport comes at a cost that many people can’t afford. I wanted to tackle these problems,” explains Nxumalo.
But it’s not just about convenience. For Nxumalo, it’s about helping people access what they need to build homes and legacies they can be proud of.
A firm foundation
Business at Edwaleni Hardware and Homeware was slow at first, and the pandemic years that followed shortly after didn’t help either. But as awareness of the store grew through word of mouth and putting up signage, so did its customer base. Ditto the store's product range, thanks to customers requesting and making suggestions about certain items. As a store for the community, Nxumalo values this collaborative approach and believes it has helped her business grow.
In 2022 Edwaleni Hardware and Homeware began manufacturing top-quality building blocks. Using locally sourced river sand and other typical materials (plaster sand, cement, crusher etc), this new product development enabled Nxumalo to grow her staff complement by 15.
So popular are the blocks that they have become the main source of business income and her now 25-strong team is not always able to keep up with the demand.
“Since we started, several other hardware stores have opened, and that has taken away some of our business. But being able to manufacture our quality blocks and sell them exclusively has helped us tremendously,” says Nxumalo.
Breaking barriers
As an advocate for the empowerment of women, Nxumalo aspires to build the business into a franchise model that will enable other women from disadvantaged backgrounds to be business owners. It’s an ambitious goal, but Nxumalo has already shown herself to be brave, determined, and creative.
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Daily News