Nestled within the Blue Crane Municipality of the Eastern Cape, KwaNojoli is a small town where a remarkable entrepreneurial journey is taking shape. At the heart of this transformation is Lindelwa Hlubikazi Mabila, the visionary founder of Hlubi M, who has grown her small business into a beacon of hope and resilience, empowered by the support of The Hope Factory’s Small Business Support Programme.
In partnership with Cennergi Services through the Amakhala Emoyeni Community Fund Trust, The Hope Factory launched an entrepreneurial initiative to spark economic growth in small towns surrounding local windfarms in the Eastern Cape. Centered on manufacturing in the chemical industry, the programme empowers micro and start-up businesses through comprehensive training, mentorship, and strategic guidance.
Year 1 of the programme was co-funded by CHIETA (The Education and Training Authority for the Chemical Industry), who together with Cennergi Services have established SMMEs, like Lindelwa with operational businesses to the benefit of their own income generation and local economic growth in the region.
The programme’s core goal is clear: to equip entrepreneurs with the knowledge and tools needed to build sustainable businesses, generate income, and create meaningful employment to ultimately enable their full participation in the broader economy.
Lindelwa’s Leap Forward:
For Lindelwa, joining the Small Business Support Programme proved to be a transformative milestone. Her enterprise, Hlubi M, focuses on the manufacturing of essential household cleaning products—including dishwashing liquid, ammoniated surface cleaner, bleach, washing powder, and pine gel. Operating in a region where economic opportunities are scarce, Lindelwa saw the programme as a lifeline for both her business and her community.
Through targeted training and mentorship, she acquired critical skills in business planning, operational management, and financial discipline. “I learnt to plan and manage operations to ensure sustainability and better management of my staff and finances,” she reflects. “This has been key to the growth of my business.”
When she started with the Small Business Support Programme, she had only two employees. Today, that number has grown to six, an inspiring indicator of both business growth and community impact. Hlubi M products are supplied in local spaza shops in Bedford and have now expanded reach in Cradock, and Middleburg.
Milestones and Motivation:
Amongst the defining moments of her journey, Lindelwa highlights the power of goal setting, sustained motivation, and disciplined financial management. These core principles—nurtured through expert coaching and the structured support of the Small Business Support Programme, have enabled her to face the challenges of entrepreneurship with renewed confidence and strategic clarity.
Now progressing through Year 2 of the programme, Lindelwa stands on the threshold of even greater success. She is on the verge of getting products sold to bigger retail outlets across the Eastern Cape.
Lindelwa’s journey with Hlubi M is more than a personal success story, it’s an example of how targeted support and community driven initiatives can ignite meaningful economic impact.
A Brighter Future:
Her journey isn’t just one of personal triumph, it’s a beacon for what community-driven, locally funded programmes can achieve. Thanks to The Hope Factory and its partners, businesses like Hlubi M are not only surviving, but they are also uplifting their communities.
Such tri-partied; public, private and the development sector collaborations have the potential to create lasting change within even remote South African communities and The Hope Factory look forward to continuing the wonderful work with Cennergi Services and CHIETA.