TSHING TOWNSHIP GRADUATES DEFY AND DRY OUT UNEMPLOYMENT THROUGH LAUNDROMAT BUSINESS

By Lesego Ranchu
- MaRocks Laundry Services, founded by four unemployed graduates in Ventersdorp’s Tshing township, has expanded rapidly since its inception in 2021, thanks to a grant from the National Development Agency (NDA).
- The business now offers a range of services, including washing, folding, ironing, drying, and packaging, and has improved its operational capacity and service consistency with new equipment.
- With plans to target local hospitality providers and other businesses, MaRocks Laundry Services is poised for further growth and continues to create job opportunities within the community.
MaRocks Laundry Services, located in Tshing township, Ventersdorp, was established by four graduate youths unable to secure jobs after completing their studies. Not letting this deter them, they organised themselves in 2021 and started a community-owned enterprise providing basic laundry services, including washing, folding, and ironing, to create employment for themselves.
Today, the business is growing rapidly, offering additional services such as drying and packaging of laundry items, including linen, curtains, blankets, and sneakers, at affordable prices with extended hours from Monday to Saturday. This growth has been unlocked through a grant of R222,316.03 from the National Development Agency (NDA), a government agency dedicated to eradicating poverty by supporting youth and vulnerable groups with operational enterprises that create jobs, develop skills, and promote sustainable livelihoods.
Through the funding, MaRocks Laundry Services acquired an additional container to expand operational space, four commercial washing machines, a 2500-litre Jojo tank, a 7.5kVA generator, two industrial steam irons, a weighing scale, a steam press machine, a folding table, a square table, and office and administration equipment including a laptop, printer, and front desk furniture.
“We are now a fully-fledged, competent, and competitive laundromat since acquiring the machinery and equipment from the NDA funding. Even during load-shedding, we can offer our services because we have a generator. The consistent water supply through the tanks also makes business continuity a breeze for us. Our production capacity has doubled, and we are beginning to make a profit while still maintaining income for the four members. We have trained two other people who come in to assist when we have many big orders. Soon, we will offer delivery services, creating another job opportunity for someone,” says Tsholofelo Moeng, one of the Managing Directors.
Currently, MaRocks Laundry Services provides services to households within their immediate and surrounding locations. Moeng says that now they intend to target surrounding hospitality providers, local hospitals, and other businesses to offer their services. “The challenges of meeting demand have been resolved. Previously, our two machines could not cope with the workload, and our turnaround took longer. Our client base has grown substantially to include nurses, police officers, teachers, and other professionals residing here for work deployment purposes. We have a quicker turnaround time now and deliver same-day services to our clients.”
“We saw it fit to support this group of young people to expand their existing operations. They are centrally located within a business site offered by the Municipality in Tshing and have a unique offering, as no one else provides the service in that locality. Moreover, they have the business acumen to demonstrate growth and expansion. NDA has assisted in closing gaps that set back the business, including production capacity, constant power, and water supplies,” says Mr Potlako Ntlatleng, NDA Provincial Manager in North-West.
Maletsatsi Sebetlele, a regular client and resident of Tshing, says, “I bring my jackets here because I am happy with their friendly and efficient service. It helps that I just walk here to access their services.”