Johnny Zwane

Johnny Zwane is a business mentor and quantity surveyor who has built a successful business empire which dabbles in construction, auto mobiles and small business development

Johnny Zwane was born and bred in Bloemfontein 38 years ago. He matriculated at Hodisa Technical School. In 1994, he was a police officer for a year and later went on to work for Mangaung Local Municipality.

Zwane has also worked for the Umsobomvu Youth Agency and Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) as a business development officer and business adviser respectively. He is now a quantity surveyor who runs Gold Mine Trading (GMT), whose operations range from construction to the automotive sector.

Tell us about GMT; what services does it offer?
GMT was established in 2005. It has various business divisions such as construction; an auto workshop and business development consulting. The company blossomed in 2012. We saw growth in all our business divisions.

What was the inspiration behind establishing GMT?
GMT was inspired by the passion I have for business and establishing the company has pushed me to make things happen, no matter what the circumstances. I have learned that to be in business, one needs to be consistent and always strive to make it against all odds. One of GMT’s mandates is to create jobs; there is nothing better than giving someone a job to provide for his family.

Would you say you are doing what you have always wanted to do?
I agree with that, without a shadow of doubt. My personal mantra: ‘you risk nothing, you get nothing’, is what got this company to where it is today. I started the company with nothing, and I have since not looked back. In this industry, it is quality service that guarantees your client coming back. If you say to people you will deliver, then you must live up to that promise.

The motivation to start my business came from an awkward moment of my personal life. When my wife became pregnant, I realised that it was time to make something that will make me proud. With an additional member of the family, I was motivated to start a business and leave a legacy for my family.

What do you like about your job?
The fact that I am in control and my word is final. Steering the ship requires a lot of commitment and responsibility, and obviously the profit the company makes goes to my pocket without any questions asked.

How do you deal with your staff?
I make them part of the business; they are hands-on. You see, as businessmen we tend to neglect our employees and forget that they help us steer the ship during difficult times. I let my staff know when things go wrong and when the business is actually doing well. I treat my employees like family. I value their opinion and never undermine them. I have a relationship of mutual respect with them.

What challenges do you normally encounter in your business?
It’s the finance. One of the biggest challenges faced by previously disadvantaged entrepreneurs is access to finance. When you approach the bank for a loan to start your business, you are taken from pillar to post. Another challenge for my business is expansion. Because the company is growing we require more space and it is very expensive to rent, let alone acquiring your own land.

What advice can you give to people who want to venture into business?
They must be prepared to sacrifice, because it is not every day that you get to start a business with a massive amount of money.

I started with a shoe string budget but passion drove me to make it. Skills play a major role as well. You need to start somewhere to establish a business and your ideas must be clear and realistic. Having an idea of a business is definitely not good enough; you must have the necessary skills and vision, the rest will follow.