Spotlight

Entrepreneur Spotlight: We are the ones we have been waiting for

August 8, 2020September 30, 2020By Candice Phiri
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Entrepreneur Spotlight: We are the ones we have been waiting for

Our first Entrepreneur spotlight on Tati Digital Connect is with Tryfina Kgokong, Founder and CEO of Triumphant Zoe Quantity Surveyors. As she walks in to the room, she grabs your attention. She is in full make up – and a black dress that comes just below her knees.

I thank her for the opportunity and she sits down, with a Starbucks coffee in one hand and an iPhone on another hand. We are ready to start the interview.

Tryfina Kgokong
Tryfina Kgokong

 

So tell us a little bit more about your company?

The name of my business is Triumphant Zoe which offers both Quantity Surveying and Coaching Services. As the founder and CEO my experience spans over 13 years in the industry. I studied a Bsc in Construction and Honours in Quantity Surveying at the University of Cape Town as well as an MBA from the University of Stellenbosch Business School.

After working in the United Arab Emirates for 5 years I returned home to make a difference in my country and launched Triumphant Zoe in February 2019. The business if 100% black, female and youth owned and makes 135% contribution to the B-BBEE scorecard at Level 1.

Some of the organisations that i’m a member of and affiliated with include:

1. SACQSP – South African Council of the Quantity Surveying Profession

2. ASAQS – Association of the South African Quantity Surveyors

3. RICS – Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors

4. SAPOA – South African Property Owners Association

5. GBCSA – Green Building Council of South Africa

6. WPN – Women Property Network

7. SAIBPP – South African Institute of Black Property Professionals

8. YIPA – Youth in Property Association

9.IoDSA – Institute of Directors South Africa

10. COMENSA – Coaches and Mentors South Africa

11. Graca Machel Trust Women Creating Wealth Programme

12. Black Umbrellas

 

As she talks, she certainly comes across as someone who is well organised and structured. In my mind, I am trying to fit her in to one of the four personality types – my initial guesses are “red – yellow”.

A leader by nature, who borders on influencing.

What are you passionate about in life?

The quote I live by is “Unleash Your Purpose To Triumph In Life With Passion” My passion in life is unleashing peoples purpose so that they triumph in life with passion. I believe that everyone is born with a unique gift and talent that they need to share with the world and it would be a tragedy to go to ones grave without unleashing that gift that’s within. My purpose is to unleash that gift that I see in people who sometimes don’t see the gift in themselves.

What drove you to become an Entrepreneur?

When I saw the needs in our society, the lack of affordable and clean housing. The lack of schools. The high rate of unemployment requires more people not to look for jobs but to become entrepreneurs where they are able to create employment.

 

At this point, the story sounds like so many other stories I come across. The perfect business idea, credentials and passion. I am curious to dig deeper and find out what are the challenges? If entrepreneurship was a predictable game, everyone would be doing it. We hear about this being a difficult journey, how difficult is it really and what kind of support are entrepreneurs getting? That is what I want to know.

How did you fund your start-up?

I used my savings to fund my start up. However since I offer services my start up costs are mostly business development costs such as attending conferences as well as membership fees to the various organisations that i’m affiliated with.

So what kind of support have you received from Government?

I haven’t received any assistance from the government.

What?

Tati Digital Connect

Like no support whatsoever from Government, as black as you are and as female as you are?

*beep*

 

What keeps you up at night?

I’m usually up at night working on proposals not worrying about anything because worry never helped anyone. I found that we often worry about things that are not even real. As one person once said, fear is false evidence appearing real.

 

What advice do you have for new entrepreneurs?

My advise is “we are the ones we have been waiting for, no one is coming” I wasted so much time waiting for someone to assist me here and there until I realised that I am the person that i’ve been waiting for. Nothing is going to happen unless I make it happen.

we are the ones we have been waiting for, no one is coming

 

What would you do differently now with all the knowledge you have accumulated?

I wish I had just hit the ground running and doing what I can with what I have instead of hoping for someone to come to save me with an opportunity. Opportunities are created by ourselves not by others.

 

If you received R1million for your business, what would you spend it on?

I would invest it in technology and ensuring that we are up to date with our google search optimisations because nowadays if you are not online it’s like you don’t exist. I would also use the funds to invest in some of the property developments that we are looking at.

 

I think I love the positivity I am getting from Tryfina. No one is coming to save us, certainly not the government of South Africa. I think many entrepreneurs get into business with delusions of “the government will help us small businesses” or perhaps just because you are a black woman in business, somehow doors might open? or that perhaps you can ride the BEE wave, like what BEE?

I get it now, no one is coming to save us, we are the ones we have been waiting for.

Anything else you would like to share?

I would like to encourage all entrepreneurs to never give up on their dreams and to believe in themselves. In the words of Nelson Mandela, it always seems impossible until its done.

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