KARABO TLHOTLHALEMAJE

Youth in Business and Entrepreneurship

Nominee's Province:
Free State

Age:
30

Project Name/Description:
PROLIFIC Mobile Car Wash

More info:

Even though the odds were stacked against him, Karabo Vincent Tlhotlhalemaje rose above his circumstances to make a better life for himself and his daughter. He is the founder of PROLIFIC Mobile Car Wash, a fast-rising SMME in Bloemfontein. “I started this mobile car wash business with only R70 in my pocket. Lockdown was difficult for everyone. We had no money and no way of earning a living. My daughter had just been born a week before, and I needed to find a way to support her.” People thought he was crazy when he started a mobile car wash despite not having a car. “I did this with no transportation, only taxis, and sometimes by walking to clients with no proper equipment – just me and my bucket.” Tlhotlhalemaje and his team conducted research that revealed that about 60% of persons living in Bloemfontein's urban areas owned two or more cars, and that most people found it difficult to visit car washes because of hectic schedules and safety concerns. This sparked the idea of providing a full car wash experience to clients, whether they are at home or at work. Tlhotlhalemaje describes unemployment as a growing concern in this weakening economy that can only be solved by generating sustainable jobs through entrepreneurship and innovation.