Stephen Maboka charges R55 to clean a per of shoes. Photo by Lesiba Dikhoba
WHAT started as a way to deal with smelly soccer boots at home has grown into a thriving business.
Stephen Maboka from Gauteng is the founder of MS Shoes, a shoe-cleaning and repair business that is now expanding into online shoe reselling.
The 25-year-old entrepreneur told Daily Sun the idea was born from his family’s love of sport.
“We are a sports family and everyone at home plays sports. My mother always complained about the smell of our soccer boots. That’s when I started washing the shoes and realised there was a business opportunity,” he said.
He noticed that many people were reluctant to clean their shoes and decided to turn the service into a business.
ALSO READ | JUST IN | Youth Day horror: Crash claims 8 lives
Today, MS Shoes offers shoe cleaning and repair services and is preparing to enter the online retail market.
But Stephen’s journey into entrepreneurship was not easy. After completing matric in 2019, he struggled to find employment for several years.
His breakthrough came in 2023 when he joined Afrika Tikkun’s work readiness programme.
He said:
“I was unemployed for years after matric. Afrika Tikkun prepared me for the world of work and helped me get a retail learnership.”
After completing a year-long learnership, Stephen enrolled at the MTN Skills Academy through Afrika Tikkun, where he gained computer and digital skills, including Microsoft Office and email training. The skills and confidence he gained inspired him to launch his own business.
Steven is one of thousands of young South Africans whose lives have been transformed through Afrika Tikkun’s youth development programmes.
According to Dr Nellie Zembe, head of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning at Afrika Tikkun, almost 6 500 pupils have passed matric through the organisation’s after-school programme.
“Of those pupils, about 4 000 are verifiably economically active. They are employed in learnerships, running businesses, studying or earning an income through side hustles,” she said.
Zembe said the organisation’s goal is to equip young people with the skills, confidence and opportunities needed to succeed despite South Africa’s high youth unemployment rate.
She added that Afrika Tikkun also provides sports, arts and cultural activities to help develop well-rounded young people.
Stephen Maboka’s MS Shoes offers shoe cleaning and repair services.
“We want children from disadvantaged communities to have access to the same opportunities that many children in private schools enjoy,” she said.
Over the years, 142 young people supported by the organisation have travelled overseas to countries including London and Germany, while thousands of families have benefited from food security and social support programmes.
Founded more than 30 years ago, Afrika Tikkun uses its Cradle-to-Career 360° model to support children and young people from early childhood development through education, skills training and employment placement.
For Stephen, the support he received helped him move from unemployment to entrepreneurship and he hopes his growing business will inspire other young people to create opportunities for themselves.