As an industry leader with over 50 years of experience in helping businesses become more successful, Tsebo recognises the need to develop SMMEs and bring them along on our journey of growth. One of the many small businesses we’ve been privileged to support over the years is Elevated Hygiene Services. Since our initial partnership in 2014, Elevated Hygiene Services has become Tsebo’s cleaning and hygiene solutions enterprise partner of choice.
Elevated Hygiene Services is run with passion and commitment by founder Brian Zulu and his business partner, Desmond Maswanganyi. Brian started the business after he identified a gap in the market regarding the proper technical know-how of cleaning services in the food industry. Today, thanks in part to Tsebo’s support, the business employs 125 people and provides services to 6 companies.
When asked about his partnership with Tsebo, Brian explained: “Tsebo is invested in developing small businesses and making sure that we come out of the process better than we were before. This is rare to see in such a big company. Thank you to Tsebo for being there for us.”
The journey to a great partnership
Before Brian established the business, he was a food safety systems auditor, and it was through this work that he noticed a need in the food industry for better cleaning services. This led to the establishment of Inspired Hygiene, which would later become Elevated Hygiene Services. When Tsebo first partnered with the business, Brian had only one client and 25 employees.
In 2016, Brian brought Desmond on as a business partner and changed the business’s name to Elevated Hygiene Services – and the rest, as they say, is history.
Now, the business offers services that include expert cleaning of food factories, food safety audits, factory inspections, and the implementation and maintenance of systems.
Giving SMMEs the tools to succeed
Tsebo has supported the company’s growth since 2014. From project management assistance to negotiating more affordable supplier contracts, we have leveraged our skills, experience, and market position to ensure that Elevated Hygiene Services has access to the tools needed to succeed.
Brian explains that being a small business owner in South Africa is no easy task. There are so many laws and regulations that need to be adhered to, and managing several aspects of business with a small team is tricky. Tsebo has helped Elevated Hygiene Services navigate complex regulations and laws, and offered human resources services, which were incredibly beneficial when the two businesses had a staff changeover. This included contract advice as well as managing administrative issues, such as UIF.
Through Tsebo’s dedication to enterprise development, Elevated Hygiene Services has been able to leverage a wealth of knowledge and experience to accelerate their growth. And we have benefitted from having a reliable, professional partner who will uphold our reputation. Brian admires the dedication that Tsebo has to enterprise development, stating: “It’s not just about the BEE points for them. This is a true partnership, and they are genuinely developing our business.”
Tsebo in action
Elevated Hygiene Services has recently taken over one of Tsebo’s contracts. This contract is Elevated Hygiene Services’ largest, allowing them to enter the general cleaning services sector and employ an additional 45 people.
Tsebo facilitated this partnership and even negotiated with suppliers to ensure that Elevated Hygiene Services could procure cleaning supplies at a good rate. This has been a major cost-saving and shows our dedication to assisting SMMEs.
Brian truly values the partnership with Tsebo, saying: “The relationship with Tsebo has benefitted us enormously, not just through training for specialised health cleaning, but also by allowing us buying power, normally only available to large corporations. We’re small now, but we hope to grow up to be a Tsebo one day.”
Brian’s wish for Tsebo is that we continue to thrive for another 50 years, because as we continue to grow, so will small businesses like Elevated Hygiene Services.
