Turning waste into wisdom: Meet Mpho Motatinyane

Despite life throwing many obstacles in her path Mpho Motatinyane has never given up on her passion for caring for others and educating her community’s youngsters. She has combined an unrelenting determination with an entrepreneurial spirit to set up a budding business that turns waste cardboard into teaching cards for children.

The mother of two has always been willing to go the extra mile to turn her dreams into reality. From working to support herself through college to setting up a creche when she was unable to find childcare. More recently, Mpho has turned her attention to the piles of discarded cardboard boxes and paper generated by her son’s school tuckshop. She realised that there could be an opportunity to recycle these and turn them into something useful rather than the waste being dumped or burned.

She decided to try turning them into spelling and educational cards for his fellow students.

“The schools have no resources. We have a crisis reading in this country. Our children don’t read because their parents don’t read. I decided we needed to cut out the excuses and create something that parents can afford,” says Mpho.

After reading a newspaper article about a WasteAid mentor, Mpho decided that the charity could be the key to getting her recycling business off to a flying start. She reached out to him and was encouraged to enter the charity’s Waste Entrepreneurial Fund Challenge.

“I found a mentor online and kept pestering him until he suggested getting involved with WasteAid’s challenge. The training they gave me has been life-changing for me. Almost like a paradigm shift in how you think about things – breaking down what you want to achieve into achievable goals. It’s been one of the best things that I’ve done,” she says.

Before I began working with WasteAid I had no opportunities. I had ideas but I didn’t know how to channel them. Now I have been able to start a business and I have people around me who are just a call away if I need help. I just needed the right people to help me and that’s what WasteAid has given me. The people I’ve met through this initiative are exceptional. With their help, I can now afford my family more opportunities like paying for extra lessons for my sons and buying food. There’s a lot of pressure to make it happen but it’s lifted me up and helped me see a future. I’m just very grateful for the opportunity,

Mpho Motatinyane

Mpho enrolled on the 12-week course where she learned about the circular economy and business basics such as budgeting and forecasting. At the end of the programme, she took part in a pitching competition to secure a grant to turn her business idea into reality.

In just the first month of trading alone, Mpho secured 80 orders for her word cards which she sells to local parents for R120. She has already been able to employ two part-time teenagers to support her and is already planning to expand and has partnered with a designer to create an activity book that educates the local community about recycling and the circular economy.

Mpho hasn’t stopped there. She is also working with a local outlet of a national grocery store to use damaged paper bags into phonics cards too.

Mpho hopes what she is doing will inspire other parents to follow in her footsteps and also turn waste into educational resources.

Turning waste into wisdom: Meet Mpho Motatinyane

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