
Front row, left to right: Thula Shange and Kreshen Govender.
Going the extra (Golden) Mile
Not only has Kemtek had a regional office in Durban for almost 30 years, but it has been in the same Marianhill location for 25 years. This has helped make Kemtek a local technology solutions fixture. With characteristic modesty, current regional office manager Hendrik Booysens attributes much of the success of Kemtek in KZN to his long-serving predecessor, but it’s clear that the current team are more than continuing this good work.
We are family
There’s a genuine family ambience around the Kemtek Durban branch, with visiting suppliers and customers frequently commenting on the fact that they feel as though they’ve found a ‘family away from home’. This is reflected in the team’s emphasis on interpersonal relationships, and on not just meeting but exceeding the needs of their customers.
So strong are the bonds between team members that they were able to maintain this spirit throughout the various lockdowns, with WhatsApp groups helping to keep remote working colleagues in touch and in sync, with Microsoft Teams also proving to be a very useful piece of software.
Trouble in paradise
This habit of sharing information and regularly checking in proved invaluable during the unrest that ignited across much of KZN during July 2021. Delivery infrastructure was curtailed across the province, and food shortages in the few shops that remained open, impacted everyone.
The Kemtek team in Jo’burg rallied round to help their Durban colleagues, collecting non-perishable foodstuffs and organising transport to Durban. This was yet another example of how Kemtek is one family, with everyone looking out for everyone else.
As normality has returned, the Kemtek Durban team are allowing themselves to be cautiously optimistic about the future. There has been a surge in demand for equipment and solutions as local businesses build back stronger, and the Durban team has pulled together even more to make the impossible happen.
Service with a swoosh
If the Durban team has a motto, it’s one they’ve borrowed from Nike: ‘just do it’. This has inspired them to keep going through some difficult times, and to rise to the challenge of renewed demands on their time and energy as the KZN economy begins to grow again.
With some 19 colleagues in Durban, we unfortunately don’t have room here to profile them all. Instead, we want to focus on two people in particular, as their attitude to life really reflects the awesome ethos of the whole Kemtek Durban office.
Storeman Thula Shange has found the ideal way to give back to his community: when not ensuring the efficient running of our warehouse, he can be found on the touchline, coaching junior league football teams in his spare time.
Happy landings
Meanwhile John Bell is spending 4 hours a day, 6 days a week perfecting his technique on the floor, vault and high bars as he aims to be selected to represent South Africa at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, UK and the 13th Edition of the African Games in Accra, Ghana the following year.
John’s combination of commitment, passion and skill has helped him reach the highest levels in artistic gymnastics, and it’s the perfect metaphor for the way the entire Durban team approaches their work.
With similar agility, finesse and fearlessness, they are always ready to bend over backwards to serve our customers and help them have a happy landing, even after a year like 2021 when a combination of virus and violence has made doing business extremely challenging.
To interact with the Kemtek Durban team and see how they can help your business grow, please call +27 (0)31 700 9363, email kemtekdb@kemtek.co.za or visit https://kemtek.co.za/contact/
You can also read our blogs about the Kemtek PE team, the Kemtek Pretoria team and the Kemtek Cape Town team.