XIG looks to inspire and motivate the youth of South Africa

South Africa celebrates Youth Month in June, in commemoration of the 1976 uprising in Soweto, Johannesburg. It is a time to focus our attention on taking stock of the progress we have made and to rededicate our energy to tackling the challenge of promoting the development of our youth.It is also a time when we remember and pay tribute to the important role young people have played in the struggle for our democracy.

One such man is Khethi Mkonza, the group chief executive officer of Xuma Infrastructure Group (XIG). The group consists of five subsidiaries, namely Xuma Technologies, Waysys, Dzongi Civils, Snesa and Accountable Cost Recovery Solutions.

It is 100% black- and women-owned and was established in 2004 to specialise in Data, PBX, VoIP, Internet and Development, to bridge this gap in the marketplace.“It was initially started by my wife, Tumi, and my sister, Bongi. They then invited the boys, my brother and I, to join the club,” Mkonza explains. Together, the four youthful business leaders have made great strides.

On 16 June 1976, thousands of school children took to the streets in protest against Afrikaans being used as the medium of instruction in schools. The peaceful march turned violent when police attacked the students, firing teargas and live ammunition.

News of the senseless killing of the students sparked retaliatory action from residents in the township, and about 200 people died that day. The brave action of the students, which sparked the countrywide protests, marked the beginning of the end of instruction in Afrikaans.

“XIG wants to send a really strong message to the youth that they can become very successful if they want to be,” says Mkonza. “The four of us have made an enormous success of our business, despite our youth, and I really want the youngsters out there to know that they can do it too.”

With an impressive list of clients including Vodacom, MTN, the Johannesburg Roads Agency, the National Energy Regulator of South Africa, Waterberg Municipality, Jozi FM, the Department of Minerals and Energy, Mogale City and Sita, you would not believe that XIG was founded, and is still run by, such young and dynamic South Africa business leaders.

While the birth of the Internet has already revolutionised communication around world, information and communication technology (ICT) is constantly breaking the rules of traditional transacting. Its influence on competitiveness in the ICT marketplace will determine the future success or failure of many enterprises. That is why XIG is constantly at the forefront of innovation in this industry.

Today, the company offers numerous services, namely: hardware support and implementation; network installations and monitoring; voice installations and maintenance; security consulting and installations; wireless survey installations maintenance; and Cat 3, 5, 6 and fibre cabling installation.

Initially based in Northcliff and Newcastle, the group has now opened shop in Durban and Polokwane. “We have a very aggressive strategy to be able to offer services across the entire country,” says Mkonza.

The key ICT professionals, with over 14 years’ accumulated experience, design solutions for their clients. “We have a strong focus on VoIP design and maintenance, providing not just equipment but converged business solutions for our clients’ particular needs,” says the very proud husband and brother.

“We offer an extensive array of products that provide better ways for enterprises of all sizes to collect, manage, share, access and integrate vital information regardless of technological, geographical or organisational boundaries.”

Mkonza’s philosophy that “no one owes me” ensures the 32-year-old businessman continues to grow and develop. “We built this company from scratch – without bank loans or finance from any other source. While I do believe that broad-based black economic empowerment (BBBEE) is a very good policy that benefits many, the youth mustn’t miss out on the opportunities out there to do things on their own and become a true entrepreneur,” he says.

“We are hands-on with all our clients. We don’t involve a middle man and thereby ensure we make a difference in the market. That’s why we can assure our clients of our attention, quality and on-time delivery.”

Born in Soweto, Mkonza spent his growing years in both Soweto and Newcastle where his grandparents and parents lived. After Matric, he went on to obtain an ICT diploma and has successfully completed numerous specialised ICT courses since. He spent some time learning about sales and marketing and still contributes to these two important functions within the business.

The self-motivated business leader commenced his career at IBM before joining Business Connection and then Attachamate. “Attachamate is the place where everything fell into place for me,” he says. “I had a wonderful boss and mentor, Harry, and landed up being rated one of the top five in terms of performance within the international organisation.

“Harry was number one for years and was very happy to pass on his experience and expertise to me. He played a great part in building my life and my self-esteem. He gave me the ammunition I needed to go anywhere in the world.”

Born to a family from a long line of business owners, Mkonza was ready to take the reins when his sister challenged him to take the position. “We have since grown the company from five to 85 permanent employees and around 1 500 people on the payroll from different sites,” he says.

Of all the things he values, people are one of them. “Many of the people who work for us are dependent on us for their daily living. That’s why we like to grow and develop them and maintain existing relationships,” he says.

The team at XIG believes that excellent service is the key to establishing and maintaining happy and successful relationships with its clients. Its commitment to its clients extends beyond initial development, to full support and maintenance on all its projects.

The company is licensed by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) to connect, operate and maintain PABX on the Public Switched Telephone Network as well as the extension line cabling and telephone apparatus connected thereto (LMO licence). It has an Electronic Communications Network Service and Electronic Communications Services licence issued by Icasa, is a certified KRONE associated installer and can offer KRONE PremisNET warranties in accordance with the terms and conditions of the PremisNET warranty agreement.

Its vision is to be the leading BEE player with a competitive edge in the corporate world, offering a range of quality products and solutions; and to be a leading provider of highly skilled consultants with national and international partners.

Smart solutions

XIG identified the need for a specialised division, with highly trained staff and state-of-the-art equipment, to offer a complete fibre optic and telecommunication solution.

“In recent years, it has become apparent that fibre optics is steadily replacing copper wire as an appropriate means of communication signal transmission. Audio, data and video can be transmitted seamlessly along great distances and today fibre provides the backbone for many network systems,” Mkonza explains.

The division offers various services, including network consultation to ensure it delivers a viable and cost-effective solution; design and engineering services including strand mapping, network drafting and designing of fibre-optic and radio frequency backbones; quality construction, including aerial and underground for fibre; and complete fibre-optic and placement services.

In terms of engineering, the company provides complete services, including sweeping, ingress and egress testing and elimination, spectrum analysis and proof of performance of certification. Optical engineering ranges from splicing new fibre networks, full network configurations, emergency restoration, fault location, network performance analysis and documentation.

“Xuma Technologies provides complete turnkey solutions for network projects and has an extensive capability and a proven track record in delivering complex projects. Our managed services offering for fibre networks has set a new standard against which networks are built, commissioned, supported and maintained,” Mkonza says.

Employees are at the forefront of the company’s success; XIG recognises their experience, expertise and diversity. “We are performance-orientated and driven by the results we achieve in an ever changing landscape,” notes Mkonza. “We also value our long-standing customer relationships which are essential for our future growth and expansion.”

XIG has international partners that have been playing in the fibre space for more than 30 years, and it is confident that it can deliver a tailor-made solution for any client.

It is currently in the second phase of the City of Johannesburg’s ITS project in Gauteng, worth R260 million. Disciplines covered included project management; managing all nominated sub-contractors on behalf of the Johannesburg Roads Agency; design; supply and installation of a single mode, high-speed fibre-optic backbone and industrial Ethernet equipment across Johannesburg, the National Command Centre and the complete network infrastructure.

In addition to providing quality and appropriate solutions to the transportation industry, XIG delivers cutting-edge services and has the necessary infrastructure to implement a vast range of required fibre solutions.

Mkonza explains that when activities such as roadway or bridge work, utilities work, material testing and surveying are performed, the primary responsibilities are to ensure traffic accommodation is handled in a consistent, safe and effective manner to protect workmen and motorists. “We also offer a range of portable variable message signs to keep commuters informed of the changing road conditions and of the work being performed,” he adds.

The company offers a fast fibre-optic communication backbone for voice, data and video, and has the ability to integrate a vast range of equipment onto a single network. It is fully equipped with fibre-optic splicing machines and offers integration design, supply, installation and testing together with Optical Time Domain Reflectometer certification. It provides fully trained installation and servicing teams countrywide.

Its near future telecommunications solution, Fibre to the Home (FTTH), is able to handle even futuristic Internet uses. Technologies such as 3D holographic high-definition television and games will one day become everyday items in households around the world. “FTTH will be able to handle the estimated 30-gigabyte-per-second needs of such equipment, while current technologies don’t even come close,” says Mkonza.

Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) broadband is provided by XIG for far faster connection speeds and carrying capacity than twisted pair conductors, DSL or coaxial cable. For example, a single copper pair conductor can carry six phone calls. A single fibre pair can carry more than 2.5 million phone calls simultaneously.

“The FTTH broadband connection will spark the creation of products not yet dreamt of, as they open new possibilities for data transmission rates in South Africa. Using the past as a guide, think what items that now seem commonplace were not even on the drawing board five or 10 years ago,” Mkonza puts forward.

“FTTH broadband connections will inspire new products and services and could open entire new sectors in the business world.”

FTTH broadband connections will allow consumers to “bundle” their communications services. For instance, a consumer could receive telephone, video, audio, television and just about any other kind of digital data stream using a simple FTTH broadband connection. Such an arrangement would be more cost-effective and simpler than receiving those services via different lines, as is often the case today.

XIG is a member of the FTTH Council Africa, a non-profit organisation that was established in the latter half of 2010. The Council believes that the development and deployment of fibre-based broadband access networks will enhance the quality of life for South African citizens and Africa as a whole, and provide African countries with an infrastructure that will allow its companies to increase their effectiveness and competitiveness within the global marketplace.

“Fibre deployments are now a key economic indicator in many European countries,” explains Mkonza. “The Council’s charter is to educate Africa governments, policy-makers and political leaders on why and how high-speed fibre connectivity can be delivered to citizens within the next years.”

Members of the FTTH Council have a platform to apply creative thinking to FTTH technologies and applications best suited to the continent of Africa. “Using member’s contributions, it keeps the participants informed about industry trends, shares success stories, and provides support where it can,” notes Mkonza. “It also offers members an opportunity to network and collaborate and discuss best practice frameworks that are in the best interest of all.

“The Council also encourages dialogue between government and private sector from a podium that is independent and product agnostic. It does not subscribe to any set of products, and will often engage with its international counterparts for advice on policy and regulation and rely on international best practice. Its mission is to see the adoption of fibre deployments by all broadband stakeholders, thereby enhancing the lives of all people living on the continent of Africa,” he adds.

Developing skills

XIG boasts a multimillion-rand turnover, says Mkonza.

Together with its team of in-house engineers, employees for commissioning and maintenance, sales, marketing and finance teams, it is widely acknowledged as having the most outstanding expertise on the market.

In terms of networking and telecoms, the company provides the connectivity basis for any infrastructure to operate on.

“In conjunction with the products and solutions, we have a superior delivery capability from a resource perspective. This area also offers much specialised consulting services with regard to troubleshooting, network redesign and protocol analyses. This strategy has won numerous deployment contracts on behalf of other service providers and integration companies,” says Mkonza.

While telecoms is an expensive space in which to play, 90% of XIG’s clients come from the private sector, including MTN and Fibre Africa.

“One of our greatest challenges is attracting the necessary skills to our company. We can’t be masters of everything, but need to ensure we have those masters on board with us,” says the CEO. That is why the company places much importance on its ICT bursary scheme and its drive to increase the pool of people in the market.

“We started with one student who is currently completing his second year for an ICT diploma at a university in KwaZulu-Natal,” says Mkonza. “Since then, we took on 25 students from Johannesburg, who were part of the Youth Development Programme, to train. We hired some of them at XIG, others have been snapped up by our competitors and others have opened up their own Internet cafés.

“We soon realised that there were greater challenges than just training. Students from impoverished backgrounds would arrive hungry and therefore unable to concentrate on the training. So we fed them breakfast every morning and levels improved considerably,” he explains.

This year, the company has taken another 12 students under its wing at different ICT institutions.

XIG firmly believes in growing its own staff. One such employee, a 25-year-old woman who wanted to change her career, was prepared to start out at the company as a receptionist in order to get her foot in the door. She did not stay in that post for long, and now runs accounts worth millions.

“We never manage to keep receptionists for long! They all grow and develop to take on other duties within the company. We motivate people to do their best and they tend to grow quickly. I don’t like to see anyone stagnate,” says Mkonza.

Another project of which the company is extremely proud is a recent initiative with the City of Johannesburg to employ 100 unskilled youth and build a site where they can be trained and become accredited. “The project is in its final stages of negotiation and we are really looking forward to getting if off the ground,” says Mkonza. The project forms part of the Expanded Public Works Programme, one of government’s programmes aimed at providing poverty and income relief through temporary work for the unemployed to carry out socially useful activities.

“The programme promotes economic growth and aims to create sustainable development. Its immediate goal of Phase 1 was to help alleviate unemployment by creating at least one million work opportunities, of which at least 40% were women, 30% youth and 2% people with disabilities,” he explains.

As for his leadership style, Mkonza does not receive reports from his charges – he is part of the report. “I am very hands-on and believe in being flexible. We work overnight for our clients if we have to, and staff understand and share our working ethos,” he says. “We want our company to be an inspiration to young people, especially during Youth Month.”

When not behind his desk at XIG, he can be found in a field that holds his other passion – farming. “I already have cows and chickens and am now starting with sheep. Perhaps this year I will enrol for a farming course,” he says with a smile and a dreamy look in his eye.

The ICT industry is no doubt dynamic. To stay on top of the game, companies have to offer their clients a complete solution. “Whatever the challenges, Xuma Technologies will provide a strong system foundation that’s tailor-made for your company’s success. Our approach is one of long-term partnership with our clients and we work side by side all the time to ensure this,” Mkonza says.

“We devised a simple customer engagement model to facilitate the seamless delivery of our products and services. The model follows a full circle, encompassing sales, business development, business and technology consulting, product development, support and maintenance with the customer as the focal point throughout the cycle.”

Perhaps that is why the company scooped the Inaugural 2010 Gauteng Enterprise Propeller SMME excellence awards from a tough competing 10 finalists in December last year. Winners were announced by the independent auditor firm, Ranaka & Associates, and presented by the Gauteng MEC for Economic Development Qedani Mahlangu. XIG took home a cash prize of R100 000 and an international study trip specific to its industry.

The highlight of the evening, to the surprise of many, was an announcement made by Mkonza in his award acceptance speech that the company would invest the prize money into tertiary education for a total of 10 underprivileged pupils.

“Our focus for the future is to consolidate and grow all our subsidiaries into the success that Xuma Technologies is already enjoying,” he concludes.