Katlego Matshediso

Katlego Matshediso is the district manager of the FDC Motheo District who also owns a popular chesa nyama in Bloemfontein

Tell us about yourself.
I was born and bred in North West in the small town of Taung. I went to St Paul’s High School where I matriculated and soon after went to the University of Free State (UFS) where I graduated in B.com (Human Resource Management). I also hold an honours degree in Business Management.

I am an aspiring development worker whose interest is seeing woman grow. I am the Free State Development Corporation (FDC) district manager of Motheo District; acting district manager of Xhariep and Business Development Centre manager of the Mantsopa Local Municipality. I am also the owner of the Las Vegas chesa nyama in Bloemfontein’s Bochabela location. I have worked at South African Breweries (SAB), Land Bank as well as ABSA.

What exactly does FDC do?
We help small micro medium enterprises (SMME). We help people to establish businesses as well as mentor them. We go all out to help the SMMEs; as a result we have moved our offices from Bloemfontein to Thaba Nchu simply because we feel we must take our services to people.

You have worked at SAB, Land Bank and ABSA. What exactly were your responsibilities there?
I started out at SAB where I worked as a consumer development representative. My job was primarily around consumer conversions; it actually involved a lot of travelling, parties and entertainment. I became a sales representative for SAB. I dealt with emerging small business owners, primarily taverns. My role was to encourage people to register with the liquor board so that they can operate legally.
And then there was Land Bank; I worked as a salesperson where my responsibility was engaging with emerging farmers.

Where does your passion for farming come from?
We have livestock at home. My grandmother is a farmer. Farming is not new to me; I grew up in a farming environment.

What can you say about the SMME sector in the province?
It’s taking up. We normally engage in road shows or awareness campaigns in collaboration with municipalities, financial institutions and non-financial institutions, with a view to promoting entrepreneurship and educating the community about access to financial and non-financial support.

Besides being a district manager, what else do you?
I am an emerging farmer; I love goats and understand them and I also breed them. I enjoy the meat, it is endorsed with heart foundation. Yes people associate the goat with traditional rituals. The kind of goats that I keep is boerbok goats with a white body and maroon head. I also run the Las Vegas Butchery, but I do not sell goat meat there, just so we are clear about that.

How is your butchery business doing?
Economic conditions are tough, we live in tough times and people are conservative. I can safely say the business is average just like any other business that has its ups and downs.

What challenges do you encounter as a business woman?
Firstly, being a female is a challenge on its own. When it comes to business people don’t take us seriously. We are aware that males control the market; be it construction, farming. Women have limited access to opportunities.

For someone who wants to start a business, what advice can you give them?
If you have the passion, there is no doubt that you will make it. If you have passion it will carry you through tough times.

Where to from here?
I’m focused on co-operatives; my intention is to empower them. Issues like finance and training and link to the market. My aim is to have co-operatives that will be empowered enough to become a serious economic role players. At this moment I am currently developing a cooperatives database for women and youth empowerment especially in rural areas.

What can we expect from Katlego five years from now on?
I hope to be a serious economic player, in terms of my line of work; gender development as well as rural development. I am all about development. Women are scarce in entrepreneurship and we have so much potential.