Sibusiso (Busi) Raphekwane is a passionate entrepreneurship advocate and development enthusiast at heart – she talks and walks enterprise development. She’s driven by her vision to transform small businesses into sustainable enterprises that can transcend from generation to generation, leaving a lasting positive impact on the economy of our nation and continent at large.
Her passion was ignited by the frustration and the heartbreak she experienced when she witnessed the majority of the small businesses that she grew up admiring in her hometown, Hammanskraal, either struggling to survive or completely closing down; leaving the business owner and the families in a challenging financial position. It was this experience that led her to question the status quo of small businesses, particularly black-owned small businesses and the high failure rate that had almost become the norm. As an entrepreneur, she herself experienced the disappointment of having to close down her business that she had dedicated so much of her time and resources to.
This resulted in her establishing a daily mission to transform the nation by developing sustainable Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) that can contribute meaningfully to the economy. While entrepreneurship and socio-economic transformation have always been an interest and a passion for her, it was only after her experience of running her own business, that she started channelling this passion towards the sustainable development of SMMEs.
She saw that there was a great need to empower SMMEs and to give them a fighting chance to thrive by equipping them with the relevant skills and knowledge to start and operate successful businesses. In South Africa, a country riddled with high unemployment and poverty levels, the support of vibrant self-generating and self-reliant enterprises cannot be ignored.
This was the driving force behind her establishing The Transformation Legacy, an enterprise development company providing impact-driven enterprise and supplier development programmes that are geared towards empowering SMMEs to significantly grow their concerns. The organisation aims to transform the SMME landscape by creating a new narrative of successful, thriving, knowledgeable and well-equipped entrepreneurs.
The company also aims to improve the sustainability of corporate companies by improving their B-BBEE scorecard, through the effective implementation of enterprise and supplier development programmes, which lead to the successful integration of black-owned SMMEs into corporate companies’ supply chains. Busi’s passion and vast wealth of experience is anchored by a B.Com Degree in Accounting Sciences and a Master’s degree in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development from the University of Pretoria. With 13 years corporate experience and 9 years in the enterprise development sphere as a business mentor and enterprise development consultant, it is no surprise that she is leading an organisation that has achieved so much impact in the sustainable growth of small businesses.
She has been awarded numerous awards, including the Best Performer in the area of Business Mentorship. She is a Certified Business Advisor, qualified Life and Business Coach, and a member of the Institute of Directors and Business Women Association.
Busi says that some of the highlights of running The Transformation Legacy include the feedback received from the entrepreneurs that take part in the training and mentorship programmes. One of the recent comments from one such entrepreneur was: ‘Keep up the good work. Really inspiring. The passion was unbelievable.
You guys have made South Africa a better place. You guys have propelled and stamped change in our nation. Exponential value added to both me and my business’. For Busi, hearing this is what makes it all worthwhile.
