by Thuli Zikalala

Why interpreters should embrace change

It’s hard to think of relevance when things are going well in our lives and businesses; we have systems in place and often know what to expect. This is usually the time when people and organisations slow down and take a break because they’ve established predictable processes that satisfy clients and yield financial return – it works. However, this controlled and sometimes relaxed approach has dire consequences for people who don’t see the need to evolve; leaving organisations at risk of becoming professionally obsolete.

Who Moved My Cheese by Dr Spencer Johnson is a good example. The book outlines key principles on why everyone should anticipate change in all areas of life; and what happens when we ignore the signs. It tells the story of four mice who live in a maze; and each mouse learns to respond to unexpected change in different ways. These are classic lessons not only limited to business but everyday decision making.

This book is my go-to reminder when I get too comfortable with my routine, work and surroundings. It’s my wake up call to smell the cheese when it’s getting old and start looking for new opportunities out there.

How should interpreters embrace change?

As an interpreter, I mostly use technology to access valuable information; and ultimately create exciting opportunities to offer my professional interpreting services where gaps are identified. This does not in any way undermine the trust, connection and re-assurance that human contact offers. However, it’s important to incorporate both face-to-face and virtual interaction to thrive in any industry.

During the past year; I started my own company Yellow Owl and now I work from home. I enjoy the freedom of controlling my time and choosing which clients to partner with. My social media awareness and online presence keeps growing daily; and I connect with like-minded people from all over the world.

None of this would be possible had I not made the bold decision to pivot my career, skills and creativity in favour of new online clients. I came across some useful tips that helped me change how I understood the interpreting industry and still remain relevant.

3 Tips for adapting and staying relevant as interpreters

1. Leverage digital platforms

The internet, technology and social media has made it incredibly easier, cheaper and faster to set up a business or brand; build a loyal following; and offer your product or services to a specific target market. Not only does it break geographic barriers, but it opens up new channels of networking and distribution that previously did not exist.

My social media accounts include Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube – and now blogging, for personal and business use. Why? Firstly, to tell people a little bit more about who I am and what I’m about. I also showcase my products and services through my collaborations, created content, videos and posts. It’s important to be active on social media by commenting on other people’s posts, joining the conversation, and plugging into like-minded online communities.

What works for me is setting time aside intentionally to check my social media, even if it’s 20 minutes at a time. You never know who may be visiting or just stalking your page. The process is interesting and often time consuming – but definitely worthwhile for building online confidence and credibility.

2. Think why, not what

Be clear about why you do something, and not so much what you actually do. If you have a business, why does it exist? If you are an interpreter, why do you offer your services? Then use your what to achieve your why.

My deep intrinsic purpose (my why) is to inspire people to be and do more with their lives; to push boundaries when tackling problems; and to share my life story. The skills that I use (my what) to achieve my purpose (my why) include unique and strategic collaborations through interpreting; public speaking; and using digital tools like blogging to tell my story.

An analogy I like to use is a car travelling on the road. The road is my pre-destined path that I need to follow in order to fulfil my purpose in life. I believe I’m called to inspire, lead; and drive change wherever I am. This path is often long with many twists and bends. 

To travel along my chosen path, I need a car to get me from point A to B and eventually my destination. I chose interpreting as my professional career; I invest in my public speaking skills; and I engage with organisations and people who share similar values. This is what I do daily to keep the car moving along the journey of who I am called to be.

3. Follow trends in the industry

Please allow me to make a disclaimer for this point: The SASL interpreting industry is relatively small and unknown in comparison to other more established industries. Although we play a vital role in bridging communication across different settings; a lot still needs to be done to spread awareness, regulate and develop the profession within the communities we serve.

Most interpreters start their journey interpreting current affairs on TV; or interpreting training, meetings and workshops for both public and private sectors. Some may even interpret at corporate functions or educational institutions. I am fortunate to have gained experience across all these areas; I cut my teeth here and learned to master specific interpreting techniques and strategies.

Unfortunately, these traditional settings are often saturated with already existing service providers – making it difficult to stand out from the crowd and propose new ways of channeling content digitally. This observation frustrated me and eventually inspired me to forge my own path – I had hit the ceiling and I felt unchallenged. Today, I consider myself to be a pioneer and a trendsetter within the interpreting industry. Yellow Owl’s mission is to continue pushing boundaries by strategically collaborating with content creators, creatives and like-minded industry leaders.

Conclusion

Adapt to newer ways of doing business and living; hybrid forms of work and life in the same space will continue for some time. Listening to feedback and explore innovative ways to keep you relevant as an interpreter, and any other industry.

by Nontobeko Mbuyane

As the very observant soul that I am, I have been observing so many things lately, especially the behavioral patterns of most people. I learnt so many lessons from just that this week. Do you know that what you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it?  Are you afraid of saying no in your professional life because you think you will miss out on a big opportunity? I have learned that a quick yes can sink a lot of ships. God only knows I have taken on too much at times because I feared I would miss out on something life changing. It is for that reason now that before I say yes to anything I have to consult, and my consultations are with God through prayer and fasting. I never say yes to anything that is life changing until God tells me so, be it business prospects, relationships, job opportunities and so many others. 

Golden Nuggets

We often view opportunities as golden nuggets that are few and far between, so we snatch them up before someone else does, even if they don’t really excite us. But the truth is many of them are nothing more than fool’s gold, they are just a superficial resemblance to what we actually want. I know it’s just so hard to pass on something that sounds promising like a new role at work, a chance to join an exciting new project, or an invitation to pitch your business idea. And we would be stupid to say anything but yes because we always think, it’s now or never, right?

Grace Bonney, an author of a book that I am currently reading which is titled, In the Company of Women, had this to share on the subject of saying No:

 “The biggest fear most of us have with learning to say no is that we will miss an opportunity. An opportunity that would have catapulted us to success or that will never come again. And most of the time, that simply isn’t true. I’ve found that the first part of learning to say no is learning to accept that offers and opportunities are merely an indication that you’re on the right path, not that you’ve arrived at a final destination you can never find again. If someone is choosing you, it means you’re doing something right. And that is the biggest opportunity you can receive, the chance to recognize that your hard work is paying off. And if you continue to do good work, those opportunities will continue and improve over time.” 

I know what she’s talking about because I once put myself in this situation where I accepted what back then seemed like a great opportunity but later it brought nothing but made my life miserable and left me burned out. The lesson taken from it was to learn to say No! Hence, I implore you to be very critical of any opportunity that comes your way. Ask yourself these three questions to help you filter possible opportunities in order to gain clarity. What does this opportunity mean to me? Why is this opportunity important to me? What does this opportunity give me? Answering these questions will help you put so much thought into your life in general and might help you get to the point of figuring out what “success” actually means to you. And more importantly get you to understand that success without fulfillment is the ultimate failure. Honestly answering these questions gives you a measuring stick you can reference before you take on any new opportunities.

Intentional

As for me, I am very intentional now. I’m not willing to accept an opportunity unless it truly excites me, and I take something else off my plate. I’m unwilling to sacrifice my values. I trust that bigger and better opportunities will continue to come my way. Bonney shifted my thinking of how I view opportunities. Rather than see an offer as a one-off that I need to jump on, it’s a sign that I’m on the right path. If someone wants to partner with me, it means I’m doing something right. As long as I continue to do what got me noticed in the first place, the opportunities will continue and improve in the future. Life is too short to be overcommitted, overloaded, and overwhelmed by a schedule of projects and people that bring you no joy. In the words of philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”

Don’t see saying no as letting people down. You’re actually letting people down when you say yes, but don’t have the capacity or the enthusiasm to knock it out of the park. If you won’t say no for yourself, say it for the rest of us, because the world is a better place when you’re working on things you love!

Eric Mauwane has had his fair share of setbacks. But thanks to the guidance of mentors and the kindness of neighbours, he has survived the tough times and is now exploring opportunities to supply fresh produce for the international market. Eric tells Peter Mashala how a detour from his original plan to farm pigs turned him into a pepper champ.

Eric Mauwane, owner of Oneo Farms in Tarlton, Gauteng, is gearing up to enter the lucrative export market with peppers and chillies after establishing a name for himself in the local market. He’s building a packhouse and getting through the audits for the necessary certification. “We’re going big this season, focusing on bell peppers and chillies as our specialties,” says Eric.

A market research analyst by training, Eric established Oneo Farms in 2012 after leaving a corporate career. But farming has always been in his blood: he is from a farming family based in Bapong outside Brits in North West. “My grandfather is from the chieftaincy family under the Bapo ba Mogale and has farmed all his life. He had a mixed operation of livestock, maize and sunflowers on communal farms in Bapong,” says Eric.

“I had a passion for pigs and was inspired by Ntate Kabelo Bogatsu of Bogatsu Boerdery and Annah Phosa of Dreamland Piggery and Abattoir.” Once he’d left his job, Eric spent six months researching pigs and visiting pig farmers to learn from them. Pinky Hlabeli introduced him to Annah. On Annah’s advice, Eric enrolled for a piggery management course at Baynesfield Training Academy in Pietermaritzburg.

A DIFFERENT PATH

Eric then negotiated to buy Anna h’s old piggery in De Deur near the Vaal. She wanted R400 000 for the 2ha plot, so to raise the funds he went back to research and started his own consultancy company. It took him three years to buy the land, and he spent another R300 000 renovating and rehabilitating it.

“By November 2015 I’d finished renovating the farm and my budget was spent. I didn’t have money to buy pigs,” he says. Eric thought of growing vegetables on the arable part of the plot. He planted cabbage, spinach, chillies and peppers that December.

“Multiplant donated chilli and pepper seedlings for their trials,” recalls Eric. He harvested in February 2016 and the returns from those crops changed his mind about the piggery. “I made good money, enough to convince me to focus on vegetables.

Eric commuted between De Deur and his home in Allen’s Neck near Krugersdorp, where his family was based, every week. “I drove past farms with tunnels in Tarlton but never paid much attention. One winter, as I was going to work, I just decided to drive around the area. There wasn’t much activity on my farm,” he recalls. That’s how he met Johan Thyssen, owner of Pinocchio Farms. “I just arrived at his gate by mistake.” The two had a long discussion and Eric asked Johan whether he could volunteer there. “I was fascinated by the sophistication of his operation,” recalls Eric.

Regular trips to Tarlton gave Eric the opportunity to buy a 10ha farm for R3.5 million through a bond. But the bond process took too long, so he put down a R1.2 million deposit to secure the farm. “I sold my house and car and moved to De Deur, where I renovated one of the pig houses into a temporary shelter for me and my family.”

The deal was done by end-December. “While other people were celebrating New Year’s Eve, I was here on an empty farm, broke and not knowing what I was going to do next,” he says. He managed to raise enough cash to plant one tunnel to green peppers.

Although his agreement stated he’d only start paying his bond in June, the first debit order came off his account on 15 January. By March, three debit orders had bounced and repossession threats started. “In April I was blacklisted,” says Eric.

Fortunately, a food distribution company came to his rescue by offering him a contract to grow jalapeños for one of their major clients. Through the offtake agreement, Eric managed to raise enough to plant jalapeño, broccoli and green, yellow and red peppers. The relationship was short-lived: he was not paid for his first delivery.

“They sent the truck for their second consignment, but I was so angry that I turned it away at my gate. I took the produce to the Joburg Market instead.” To his surprise, he got three times more than he’d been offered through the contract. Eric’s luck had turned, and things went well for him until October 2017 when the farm was hit by a tornado, followed by hail two months later.

STARTING OVER

Back at square one Eric knocked on several doors for help, but nothing materialised until the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD) bought him enough seedlings to plant 3ha. “I planted green beans, baby marrows and peppers, and managed to get back in the saddle,” says Eric.

GDARD also supplied the plastic he needed to repair his hail-damaged tunnels. In 2018 Eric asked his neighbour, legendary carrot producer Vincent Sequeira of Greenway Farms, to mentor him. By 2019, under Vincent’s mentorship, Eric was back on track. “I was working even on Sundays. Without a truck, I used a bakkie, doing three loads a day to the Joburg and Tshwane markets. I’d deliver my last load at about 10pm and be back home by 4am to catch a two-hour nap before the first delivery at 6am,” says Eric.

Although Tarlton is prone to hail, tornadoes, heavy rains and frost, the good climate, great soil and quality underground water make it ideal for planting vegetables – so according to him, it’s worth running the risks.

“Doing it under cover gives you an advantage.” He says he’s paid his school fees through mistakes and disasters over the years and now it’s time to raise the bar. “We are currently being audited for SA GAP and Global GAP so that we can start exporting our produce,” says Eric.

“The Department of Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Reform is registering my chillies and peppers for export.” He plans to sell 80% of his products to the export market and 20% to local markets. “I have a brand that took years of hard work to create, and I won’t just leave those markets,” he says. Eric is working with two international organisations helping to facilitate his entry into the international market.

“We have pre-signed contracts with companies in seven countries, including Germany and Russia; they’re waiting for my produce,” he says. On the local market he works with Harvest Fresh, which supplies Woolworths, Pick n Pay, Spar and Freshmark – mainly in Bloemfontein, as well as the Joburg, Tshwane and Klerksdorp fresh produce markets.

The focus of Eric’s operation is on the capsicum family: chillies, jalapeños and green, yellow and red peppers, but he plans to rotate these with green beans, which add value by fixing nitrogen in the soil. “The varieties specified by our export clients are habanero and bird’s eye chillies, whereas the jalapeño will be for the local market. They are all Hygrotech varieties,” explains Eric.

His peppers are the SVEN RZ F1 (35-220) and Massilia RZ F1 varieties from Rijk Zwaan, which he believes are the best in the market. He also plants the Diva sweet yellow pepper variety from Starke Ayres. Using these varieties means that Eric’s pepper plants have a lifespan of 13 months as opposed to the usual nine months.

“I get around one fruit per tree per week. Each tree should at least give me between 24 and 26 fruit in its lifespan,” he explains.

EXPERT ADVICE

The seed companies provide agronomist advice that Eric follows to the letter. “One of my agronomists, Anna van der Merwe, says even with the best cultivars and seedlings in the world, if the soil preparation is not right, the plant’s performance will be mediocre,” he says.

Even before preparation, Eric tests the soil to guide his fertilisation programme. “I go the extra mile. Every three months I do follow-up tests. I also do leaf analysis.” His plans for the future include setting up a small laboratory, where he’d do the tests himself to reduce costs. He also wants to hire a food technologist and a quality controller.

“Food safety and traceability are crucial in this business,” he emphasises. He’s also followed advice to reduce his plant population in the tunnels from 7 200 to 6 100 plants. This allows proper ventilation and provides sufficient passage space so that workers can move around with ease without damaging plants. “Proper ventilation and less damage mean the plants are generally healthier, which increases yields.” His contacts in Germany, Israel and Holland have confirmed the wisdom of population reduction. Eric consults widely – he also works with experts from Afgri and John Deere.

“They offer me training, business coaching and financial management, and advise me on other
important aspects of commercial farming.” Last year he was planning to switch to a hydroponic system, but he was advised to carry on planting in the ground. “Soil is cheaper than hydroponic growing mediums. The soil retains nutrients whereas the mediums need continuous feeding, which increases input costs,” he explains.

That doesn’t mean he’s ruled out hydroponics, though: in fact, he sees it as a good option for a vertical farming operation. “We’re in the process of buying the 9ha farm next door,” he says. “Land is expensive; we need to optimise the space we have, which is why I’m thinking of going vertical in the future.”