Lisbeth Makgoro and Sonia Mashego, both 28, are well on their way to making a mark in the entertainment and events industry in their hometown of Groblersdal, Limpopo.
In 2018, the two entrepreneurs founded LSD Flexi, an events company that offers services such as party décor and jumping castles, and caters to community members, schools and church events.
Makgoro and Mashego started the business after being unemployed for more than a year.
“After more than a year of unsuccessful job hunting, we figured we needed to get ourselves busy. We saw a gap in entertainment facilities in our home town,”
says Mashego.
The initial plan was to open a games and entertainment centre at a local mall, but they soon realised that such a move would require too much money. So, they chose to start a small events company instead.
While searching the internet for funding opportunities from government institutions, they came across the National Youth Development Agency’s (NYDA) website.
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“Luckily, that same year an NYDA office was launching in Groblersdal, and that gave us easy access to information,”
says Mashego.
Through the NYDA funding, they bought two jumping castles and décor pieces for their events.
Like any other business, Makgoro and Mashego have faced a few challenges such as hosting fewer events in winter and in rainy season, difficult-to-fulfil briefs from clients and the slippery navigation of lockdown and post-lockdown regulations.
As a solution, Makgoro and Mashego decided to host events indoors and worked closely with clients to figure out the essential elements that can make an event successful without wasting resources. They also run special offers to compete against other event management companies. Social media is an important marketing tool for the business.
“Social media has given us the opportunity to connect with our fans and followers. We always keep our posts entertaining and informative,”
says Makgoro.
LSD Flexi has one full-time assistant and two part-time ones
For more information on the NYDA, visit their website at http://www.nyda.gov.za/ or contact them on 087 158 6345 / 5738. Alternatively you can send an email to [email protected]
Written by Ursula Graaff
This article was originally published in the GCIS Vuk’uzenzele.
By Khamisi
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