Family business a labour of mother's love
IN JUST a year and a half Thapelo Ramogae has muscled his way into the highly competitive event management space. Today, as MD of Ramogae Group, he hires out trendy stretch tents and furniture.
"It's a small family owned business that I started with my siblings - my older sister and little brother," said 25-year-old Ramogae from Mahikeng.
"The main reason was so that our mother Queen Ramogae's spirit could live on. Her hard work, dedication, humility and all-round service to people inspired us to start the company. When she was still around she used to say that 'you have to venture into business, that is the only way you're going to sustain the family's legacy'."
Queen, who died last year, was in Human Resources for the Department of Social Development in the North West. She worked in that capacity for a few other departments running their Persal system.
In the past six months Ramogae group has catered for the entertainment industry's big names such as Cassper Nyovest and the corporate climbers at Okapi Lifestyle in Randburg.
"I go to a lot of parties and festivals and I could see what was lacking in the VIP sections and now we're a one-stop shop for events companies, hiring out stretch tents and furniture or whatever a company needs."
Ramogae said organising the birthday bash of local rap's biggest star Nyovest was a challenge he relished. "The pressure levels were very high. He's the biggest artist in the country so you really want to be on the ball. We got to Mahikeng in the early hours of that Saturday morning and hit the ground running before Cassper's team came.
"And when they arrived they didn't like what we did, so imagine having to take down every single stretch tent we put up and every [item of] furniture. We did what he wanted and after so many attempts he was happy."
The other highlight was Okapi Lifestyle, a festival where young people who have recently joined the corporate world meet to celebrate and share each other's successes and failures and inspire others.
He also caters for smaller individual events such as weddings, Christenings, confirmations and birthday parties.
Ramogae described himself as a naughty child growing up until he was whipped into line by his high school teachers. "I owe a lot to my teachers Aneke Mulligan and Winnie Holele who groomed me and made sure I performed better academically. They drilled into me that I was far better than what I was showing." He turned out a straight A student, passing matric with five distinctions.
He also played provincial soccer from under-12 until under-17, but his academic inclination won the day when he went to University of Johannesburg to study BCom in accounting. He works in corporate and business banking at Nedbank in Sandton while running Ramogae Group.
"I keep telling people that if I don't do what I do now, I will look back when I'm older and regret not doing it," he said.
"Sometimes I wake up at 4am and hit the road and get back to my house at 10pm, and that's the kind of dedication I need to succeed. I don't even notice the hours going."
His sister Lebogang runs the admin from home in Mahikeng while he is based in Johannesburg.
Ramogae cherishes some business lessons he has picked up. "Humility is important. The fact that you're getting big gigs doesn't mean you have to change.
"People change their attitudes once they start succeeding and they are not the same dedicated, hard-working, diligent and humble guys they were when they started out. A lot of people who did not stay on that path ended up not succeeding."
Ramogae believes that his success should also help others in Mahikeng. He mentors a group called Heavy Empire, which makes music, arts, graffiti and jewellery designs, as well as a clothing and branding designer called Katlego "Skatla" Taunyane, who makes hoodies and T-shirts.
"My seniors at Nedbank told me not to be the one that says 'I owe, I owe and off to work I go'. Don't work because you have debts to pay. Do what you love and the money will follow."
mofokengl@sowetan.co.za