Limpopo Mom of 3 Goes From Rocking Heels in Bank to Working With Trash at Recycling Biz: “I Have No Regrets”

• A loving mother from Limpopo gave up working at a financial institution as a banker to start a recycling company with her husband
• Lizar Maluleke said that the salaries that she and her hubby earned did not cut it anymore, and she wanted to create a better life for her kiddies
• The mom-of-three says that she is happy to be her own boss because she has more time for her youngest son, who is disabled

One mom from Limpopo is doing the absolute most as an entrepreneur in the recycling industry.

Lizar Maluleke gave up her job as a banker to start a company called Authentic Waste Management SA with her husband in March 2022.

Talking to Briefly News, the loving mother reflects on why she decided to go into this industry and how her family’s life has improved since she decided to become an entrepreneur.

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The Limpopo woman had a tough upbringing

Lizar notes that she grew up in a broken home, with her parents divorcing. But despite it all, her mother worked hard to mould her.

After matriculating in 2003, the woman studied for a Bachelor of Arts in Heath and Social Sciences at the University of South Africa (Unisa), but struggled to find a job in the field:

“I aspired to be in the allied health sciences, but unfortunately, I formed part of the unemployed graduate statistics and started applying for any job for the sake of survival.

“I landed a job as a healthcare assistant at a chemist where I worked for two years, then later, I got a job at a financial institution, where I was employed for 10 years.”

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After marrying, the perseverant woman and her husband worked hard for their family

Lizar notes that while she and her husband, Clarence Maluleke, were employed, they were still feeling the pinch, especially with the cost of living ever-increasing.

Initially, the pair were looking for side-hustles to supplement their salaries, but they quickly fell in love with waste management:

“I started researching businesses and what I would need, and then ultimately decided to go into waste management with my husband.”

The entrepreneur notes that she saw a need for proper recycling in her community of Bela-Bela in Limpopo and loved that her business would be contributing to environmental conservation:

“I am also passionate about recycling because it protects the environment. By recycling, we are involved in the process of energy conservation.”

Lizar notes that she and her husband are happy about living more comfortably and providing a better life for their three young kiddies, Khumo, 13, Bokang, 9, and Rirhandzu Maluleke, 6.

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Another reason the 34-year-old wanted to start something of her own was to have more time to care for her youngest son, who has Cerebral palsy.

Lizar explains that one of the biggest challenges she faces as a woman in the industry is the heavy-lifting and physical work involved, with the sector largely untapped by ladies:

“Women are not limited anymore. We need to get up and grab whatever we want.”

The self-proclaimed ‘trash queen’ notes that the company’s services include paper recycling, plastic recycling, and food and electronic waste management:

“We are waiting for our licencing for hazardous waste management.”

Lizar truly loves the work she does and the contribution she makes to her community and family unit:

“I used to rock up in heels, and there was an aircon in my work environment. I gave it all up for the trash, and I don’t regret it at all.”

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Exclusive: Meet the Sunnyside twin sisters who turned trash into cash

In a related story by Briefly News, Thandiwe and Thandeka Mzukwa found fortune in someone else's rubbish and turned their trash into their cash.

The twin sisters from Sunnyside moved from a small rural village in the Eastern Cape to look for jobs, but were unsuccessful. They decided to take matters into their own hands and now make a good living collecting waste.

Source: Briefly News