“Do you see a man skilful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.” — Proverbs 22:29

Kgothatso Moloto

Category

Entrepreneurship
 

Organisation / Company

Niche Parfums
   

Profile

Kgothatso Moloto, 32, is a chartered accountant and entrepreneur. He is the owner of Niche Parfums, which is based in Gauteng, and is involved in product development, managing the production team, as well as the sales and marketing team, and also developing the strategy for the brand. Kgothatso says more than anything he is motivated by the fact that he loves what he does and this pays off. Niche Parfums offers a range of products from reed diffusers and car air fresheners to a variety of perfumes for men, women and unisex. He is now in the process of streamlining and introducing a body care range. Additionally, Kgothatso is actively pursuing business expansion into other provinces, including the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. In his view, his greatest achievement was passing the chartered accounting board exams on his first attempt. Kgothatso says he has faced many challenges both as an audit trainee working to qualify as a chartered accountant and as an entrepreneur, but being solutions-oriented, he overcame these problems. Regarding the future, he says that given the high jobless rate among young people the prospect of his company being able to create employment opportunities for the youth is something that excites him.

Qualifications

Honours in Accounting (CTA Certificate in Theory of Accounting), University of Johannesburg.

Achievements

I always believed board exams were extremely difficult and doubted I could pass both on my first try. This experience taught me that even the most challenging obstacles can be overcome with positive thinking, hard work and dedication.

Mentors

My mentors at work reaffirmed my abilities, showing me how smart and capable I was. Their kind approach and words of affirmation helped me see qualities in myself that I hadn’t recognised before, and this has changed how I perceive myself to this day. I believe many people struggling in corporate environments or at school are not lacking intelligence but confidence, often due to constant disapproval from superiors. If managers and teachers were to support and guide their subordinates more effectively, we would see significant improvements in the quality of work and results produced, and the general wellbeing of people.