GEORGE NEWS - When a qualified security guide from Thembalethu, Mihlali Bhelemse (24), could not secure a job, he didn’t sit back feeling sorry for himself.

No, he started his own business.

Bhelemse says young people can’t afford to sit at home waiting for the government to provide work while they can’t put bread on the table. He said now is the time to stand up, walk tall and design your own future.

He wanted to do something unique, something that makes him stand out from the crowd instead of competing with an already saturated market. 

He saw the perfect opportunity and quickly filled it: cleaning sneakers. Bhelemse’s business, Sneaker Wash, offers various options such as standard or deep cleaning, as well as the cleaning of suede shoes. In addition, he offers a pick-up and deliver service.

Bhelemse tells George Herald that entrepreneurs are not born, they are made through passion and commitment to what they are doing. 

He has always been a bit of an entrepreneur, selling sweets and fruit to the other learners at his school.

The young man, an example for his peers, encouraged the unemployed youth to not wait for miracles to happen, but to make them happen. 

“There are so many opportunities out there,” he says.

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