Business guru Odwa Duru felt blessed to at least have a job at a local funeral parlour, but little did he realise his journey would go beyond being a mere employee and morph into something bigger – becoming an experienced businessman running a funeral parlour.
Duru ,48, is the founder of Odwa Duru Funeral Services in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape. The business was launched in 2017.
Describing his journey towards becoming a businessman, Duru told Sunday World he kicked off his working career at a local funeral parlour as an attendant for 12 years.
“I was always happy to have a job,” he said.
He was then offered an opportunity to work at Ncedisizwe Funeral Parlour, where his skills were nurtured, and it was at that point that: “I was motivated to start my own business in the industry.
“The owner of the funeral parlour always applauded my work. He believed I had enough experience to run my own business, regardless of the competition at the time.
“He then told me that I would work under his tutelage for two years then should consider going on my own.
“I was ready for the task that lay ahead. It sounded easy to me because I already knew the ins and outs of the business. My mentors also made certain I got ready to start my own business, even though I was not prepared for the financial challenges that come with running my own business,” said Duru.
He said when the time for him to start his own business came, his mentors and former boss helped through the process and offered him an opportunity to use Ncedisizwe space to store bodies for nearly nine months.
With the knowledge he already had, he prioritised marketing the brand under his own name because he was already known in the sector.
“I initially wanted to name the business under my children’s name, but Odwa Duru was already a brand name. In my first year, I buried around 60 bodies. Presently I bury about 20 bodies a week and own a fleet of 22 cars.”
His funeral parlour offers two family cars and one hearse for the standard coffin funeral and five family cars plus a hearse for high-end dome caskets.
“I strive to provide first-rate service. I also engage in aggressive word-of-mouth marketing.”
The business employs 47 workers.
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