Reabetswe Mabena Interview
The YOUNG TALENTED, AMBITIOUS, DRIVEN Miss Reabetswe Mabena interview takes an uncut, raw turn on the business league. Beauty with brains is what I call her. Her interview in commemoration with Youth Month gives you an insight on the young talent South Africa has to offer she might not be known but she’s sure to take your breath away. Youth take example. I’m humbled.
Who is Reabetswe Mabena?
Reabetswe is a self driven being, pursuing her passion turned purpose; she’s shy and very determined.
Where did you grow up?
I was born in Atteridgeville and was raised up in Mamelodi
What is your project about?
The name of the company is “Archi-Draught”, and it deals with Architectural Draughting. Our motive is to place the field on a platform and advertise the dimensions draughters have taken to translate what’s around us
What motivated you?
My own experiences. After Graduating I did some intern work, but felt the need to expose the youth to the untapped art of draughting.
What do you want to achieve with this project?
I aim to empower, influence and uplift young and creative minds to the field and to grow entrepreneurship focusing on high school students. Archi-Draught is about championing the youth through education and experience and rendering the services in Gauteng is what we aiming to achieve
As a young person do people take you seriously in regard to what you are doing?
Yes and No. when I talk to people in business, they become drawn to how driven and ambitious I am especially in a field that’s LABELLED AS A WHITE AND MALE DOMINATING FIELD ,then you get ignorant people that don’t know what Draughting is and are just not interested in hearing about it/or me in general.
How long has the project being running for?
The idea came up in October 2011, started in February 2012 and has been running for 4 months now
Are you working alone or do you have people who work with you?
I have a worker who handles the architectural draughting jobs we get, and I juggle the rest of the load.
How do you feel participating on the global scale for youth?
Empowered and motivated to give more of my services to those who need it
Did those big platforms change your life and direction you were taking?
I believe that what I’m doing is my Purpose therefore everything I do is part of me, so Change? NO, though the direction I was taking changed, because being a leader never crossed my mind though the Character was evident..I wanted to be a 9-5 and work in an office just draughting plans but GOD HAD OTHER PLANS FOR ME
Do you what volunteers?
At the moment NO…but you’ll be the first to know when we do…
Do you have a specific target market and location?
Yes. Our market is specifically for high school students, reason being we want to capture young, creative & driven minds. Our campaign will include going to schools and introducing while simultaneously selling the field. I think young minds act aggressively when they have enough information to do so and that’s what we are trying to achieve. We are looking at provincial schools starting in Tshwane Pretoria, from your wealthy private schools to your unprivileged schools… It’s about capturing young minds
How do you do your research?
I use the Internet. What’s an advantage to me is that there’s not much happening in the DRAUGHTING field so I’m doing everything first hand and to the greatest of my ability
What has been your biggest challenge?
My biggest challenge has been funds. You need money to make money. Getting funding is harder then I had expected but it hasn’t discouraged the growth of the company and what I plan to achieve.
Who is your inspiration?
No-one in particular, though I take in qualities from people who strive for greatness and aim for growth, be it old or young
Do you think young people are involved the future of this country?
No and it’s a sad way forward. Today’s youth is controlled by worldly things, the biggest and worst decision one can take at such an immature age and the government plays a huge role in that.
Do young people in South Africa recognize your work or its young people outside South Africa? Is it important to you to be appreciated at home?
I am just starting out, so I’m not yet well known. Though some appreciation at home would be encouraging and uplifting. I believe young people outside South Africa will appreciate me more because they value education more than the youth in S.A
Your biggest achievement yet?
It will have to be getting my company certificate and getting my first project, draughting of house plans and renovations.
Who or what motivated you to join Global Change makers?
The state Architectural Draughting was in. Being untapped and neglected .I felt the urge to do something about it and make a difference since I’m a graduate in the field
What do you want to achieve out of it?
I want to put Architectural Draughting on a platform and get people that want to pursue an architectural career not to be discouraged as architecture only take students that have strictly MATHEMATICS and not MATHEMATICAL LITERACY.I also want to achieve a high black empowerment rate in the architectural field, and it starts with the youth
If you were a President for one day what would you change? Why?
I would stop Grants that go towards pregnant Teenagers. Recently it was said that the rate of poverty has decreased due to grants…Now the rate of pregnant teenagers is increasing and the government is acting clueless and aggressive actions have to be taken…the government is there to assist people not fund our default logic lifestyles.
What do you think are challenges facing South African youth? And how can these challenges are addressed?
Our chaotic government and the challenge will only be addressed and met once our government changes…It’s never occurred to the government that it is the HOME and we, the CHARITY…it all starts at home and if our home doesn’t change I’m afraid threes no Hope for the South African youth.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
I’d love to be indeed Global with my company and project changing mind sets and having schools in different regions. Empowering entrepreneurs and encouraging them to grow the South African Economy.
What do you do to relax?
I listen to a lot of Deep House music, I visit Polokwane…it puts me to ease and I lastly I meditate and study Gods word
Your advice to young people?
Don’t be fearful of FAILURE, put yourself to the test with every obstacle you do, But always have in mind that every good comes with bad, so when disappointments attack ,you just let God fight his battle and watch him open a door that’s just for you and NOBODY ELSE..
