Makhetya finds gold in car-washing

When 38-year-old Feston Makhetya lost his job, all hope for a good life was lost. Little did he know that he could earn a living through other means, thanks to a colleague who introduced him to the world of business.
“Losing my job was a great disappointment. I did not have any source of income or expertise in any business. Out of desperation, I was forced to go into partnership with a friend who had some business skills and car washing equipment,” he narrates.

The Zingwagwa-based entrepreneur, who started operating his business in 2004 in Chitawira in Blantyre, says he was only trying to explore how business could sustain his life and thought he was risking the little money he had saved up to invest in the business.
“I started this business with just one hoover which my colleague gave me. I then used the money I received from previous job to buy some other equipment to boost the business,” he says.
Makhetya has now established himself in the car washing business, cleaning not only cars but carpets, windows, sofa sets and other items.
He claims he earns a reasonable income from the business: “I have established a good customer relationship and I am grateful to people who have trusted my services over the years. I get not less than five customers a day and in excess of 10 at month end.”

He says he has achieved more from his business than he could have imagined.
“I have built two houses — one in my home village and the other in my wife’s home village. My three children go to good schools. Through the same source, I have also made other investments,” he says.
But he decries blackouts and water outages as a hindrance to his business.
“The frequent electricity blackouts and water outages negatively affect the operations of this business. We are forced to go out searching for water which in the end makes us lose business,” he says.
“I have also had cases where people trick me to get their car washed and later leave without paying for the service,” he says.
Going forward, Makhetya dreams of buying new equipment and opening another car washing site.
He encourages people to make use of their skills and understand that it is not only white collar jobs that can earn one a better living.
“Most people have not opened up to change and look at other means of earning a living beside white collar jobs. We have talented people but they don’t want to use their abilities for a good cause,” he says.