When Mzwayi Ndwandwe - who describes himself as a humble man, born and bred in Inanda - inherited a piece of land which had been in his family for many years, he knew that it was time to follow his dream. He wanted to serve his community by building them a petrol station with a convenience store.
His journey started in 2001, and after many hurdles and obstacles Mzwayi’s persistence finally paid off. Engen Mondlano Convenience Centre, located in Inanda 24 km north-west of Durban, officially opened its doors for business on 29 June, 2017.
The brand new site offers customers 24-hour facilities which include a QuickShop, Corner Bakery, and ATM machine.
As the new owner of Engen Mondlano Convenience, Mzwayi is extremely excited to be building a legacy for the Ndwandwe family.
“I remember as far back as the 1980’s when my grandfather used to speak about opening a shopping centre for our community. This new business is a way of freeing my heart and celebrating my grandfather’s legacy. We can now offer our community the best of both worlds with an Engen QuickShop, a Corner Bakery and quality Engen fuel,” he says.
Mzwayi, an entrepreneur with business interests in the taxi and trucking industry, is devoted to serving the Inanda community.
“I have been offered many business opportunities in other parts of the country which I always turned down as I am committed to, and truly love, this area. I want to focus on giving my customers exceptional personal service as I have always focused on building strong relationships with the people in the Inanda area. I’m very excited and believe that this new site will soon have many regular customers filling-up and shopping at Engen.”
Mzwayi is also happy to be able to provide employment.
“One of the greatest challenges was receiving 2 000 CV’s and only being able to employ 40 people. Although on the positive side, I do see this as a small way of giving back, as all my employees are from the neighbourhood in which I grew up.”
Seelan Naidoo, Engen General Manager: Retail says the company is very excited to partner with and see Mzwayi realise his dream. “His passion is exactly what we strive for at Engen. Customer service remains a key determinant of success in our industry as well as training our forecourt staff to provide fantastic service.”