Durban — Tracey Mbuli is a self-motivated, energetic and smart hustler who has defied the odds from being the first family member in three generations to obtain a university degree to falling pregnant at age 21 and using her last allowance to buy second-hand clothes to sell at school to make ends meet.
Among all of this, the 28-year-old is also the first in her family to become a businesswoman, making her the family’s pioneer.
Mbuli owns a successful fast-food business specialising in loaded chips and burgers called DiChips. She is based in Lyndhurst, Joburg.
Not only is she a business owner, she is also a solutions analyst at a media company as she holds a Certificate in Business Analysis, BCom Business Management degree and BCom (Hons) in Business Management.
Mbuli said she had dreamt of becoming a businesswoman and pursuing studies in commerce. However, she did not achieve the results she needed to register at the university she wanted, so she moved to another province to take an extended programme that allowed her to enrol with the marks she had obtained so that she could study the course she had planned on.
“I was told to study something that I could qualify for, but my fighting spirit wouldn’t settle for just anything. My eye was focused on my goal, so I decided to travel to the University of Limpopo. With grace, luck and a few disheartening challenges, I was accepted into the BCom degree I wanted and furthermore, also awarded top student in my degree,” she said.
Mbuli said she was taught to live in an “adapt or die” environment and remembered having leadership skills and natural business skills from an early age.
“As early as primary school, I was everyone’s go-to person because of my networking skills. I knew almost everyone in the school. I was in Northern Academy in Polokwane back then and it was here that people started saying I was destined to be a businesswoman,” she said.
Mbuli said what kept her going was the mantra that “victory loves preparation” and she had to work hard to get where she is today. She said her work ethic had prepared her for her success; nothing was a walk in the park.
Mbuli described her varsity life as an awesome ride that was filled with lessons. She fell pregnant three years into her studies.
“My parents decided to revoke my monthly allowance which meant I had to act like a mom and not a girl any more. I decided to use the last allowance I had to buy second-hand clothes in the Joburg CBD and sell them at school. This gave me some financial freedom, and I quickly learnt to be independent and take care of myself,” she added.
She owes her success to Afrika Tikkun Services who gave her an opportunity to work under their small business incubation programme. She encouraged other young entrepreneurs to reach out to skills and youth development organisations such as Afrika Tikkun Services who help disadvantaged youths get skills and resources to become entrepreneurs and find employment opportunities.
Through all of this Mbuli said her success was rooted in tenacity, courage and resilience and she hoped to inspire other women to follow their dreams and not settle for second best.
Daily News