Kgati Khutjo Diaz, Rekopane Payroll Services founder
Please introduce yourself and your educational background?
My full name is Kgati Khutjo Diaz. In 1997 I did the 1st year of my Bcompt accounting degree, unfortunately had to drop out in 2000 due to financial constraints. I went up to level 3 (third year) and specialized in Accounting & Auditing. I plan to continue from next year.
What is your business all about and what inspired it?
In 2002 I was lucky to get a job at Pastel Payroll and was the 1st black person to work as a payroll consultant for the company. While working there I got a chance to interact with a lot of entrepreneurs and got to know what made them tick and what they would need from a payroll solution/support system. At that point I already had a few business initiatives running and also managing a mobile pizza business at Kippies Jazz Club in Newtown (JHB). After being at Pastel for about 3 years I realized there wasn’t much further beyond being a payroll consultant, plus having the urge of establishing a high-impact business, I resigned and registered Rekopane Payroll Services. One of my main reasons was to help address the lack of payroll expertise in the black business community and felt that it would be great to add value to the economic success of small and growing black businesses.
What were you doing before launching your business?
I was working for Pastel Payroll and managing my mobile pizza business in the evenings as well as over the weekends. I also have a passion for music and was also producing music with friends under my record label Liber8 Records. This is still a hobby of mine.
How did you know there is a market for your business?
While working for Pastel Payroll I got to travel around the country. I trained many individuals including CA’s, entrepreneurs, business managers and even accountants on payroll. I also engaged with businesses at many different levels and discovered that there is a market for my business. But what I did not realize at the time was that a big part of the market I would target (black businesses especially) were not aware themselves of the need/gap that I would fill in their business. I have therefore spent a lot of effort and time educating on basic principles of payroll, hence the development of our “Payroll with a Voice”.
What planning did you engage before launching?
Not much to be honest. One of the first things I did was to engage with my colleagues to see if they would be interested in establishing a business with me. They all disappeared before we could register it and at the time I was very much determined to start the business. I remember I formulated a business plan, which had many holes in it and have spent the last couple of years plugging those holes I guess. Many successful entrepreneurs started without a business plan and did not know what they were getting themselves into. I have to say that I was pretty much in the same boat when I started.
How many people do you employ?
I have employed 2 other ladies, Lebo and Charlotte.
Are there any major challenges that you had to overcome before launching your business?
- Getting funding for the infrastructure.
- Advertising and marketing the business.
- Signing on clients without a track record for my business.
I was lucky that many of the people who knew me through Pastel hunted me down and would prefer to only work with me. This helped me to gain the track record and the same people were only happy to be my references to any new client looking for proof of my service delivery, etc.
Is your business affiliated to any professional trade body?
None, except that in my personal capacity I’m certified by Pastel and I’m a registered tax practitioner with SARS.
Social media is the current buzz word, do you use it to market your business?
Not yet, I’m registered on Facebook and have not used it to market my business. We’ve only used it to promote our networking sessions. We are in the process of implementing strategies around social media marketing.
What three industry blogs do you read to keep abreast of your sector of the market?
Honestly none, except for being in contact and registered with SARS and Pastel who both keep us up to date. Otherwise the odd newspaper and business magazines also help. We also do a lot of networking which gives us a pretty much face to face contact with our market on an ongoing basis.
Given an opportunity to contribute content on an industry blog, would you welcome that offer?
Yes I would, with open arms.
How important is your website to the daily operations of the business and are you happy with its current state?
We have just finished our new website and have published it about a week ago. We are very happy with it and are just about to take its content and optimization to the next level.
Within your industry, who do you idolize and given an opportunity to work with, you wouldn’t think twice?
Grant Lloyd, the MD of Pastel Payroll is someone I look up to a lot. He has taken Pastel Payroll to new heights. He has great ideas and has implemented these, continuously. He is also very laid back and a relaxed individual and does look anything like the ordinary payroll administrator type.
What are your current business challenges that you still have to overcome?
- Formulating business systems and finding reliable and motivated sales and back-office personnel to work with.
- Accessing assistance and support from government’s business support agencies.
- Creating awareness of business and payroll compliance and the lack thereof, especially in the black business community. We have to educate first before we can sell.
What are your short and long-term business plans?
Short-term plans
- Launch our “Payroll with a Voice” as well as web-based Yamathomo Payroll System.
- Formulate business systems that will help establish Rekopane Payroll to run independently of me.
- To build relationships with big corporate companies who offer small business development services to SMMEs. This is so that we are listed as service providers for the SMMEs who are being supported\incubated.
Long-term Plans
- To open offices within each one of Raizcorp’s 4 branches around the country.
- To develop and launch a desktop based payroll application.
- To establish Rekopane Payroll as the preferred payroll solutions company for small to medium businesses in the black business community.
Please share with us your major business highlights since being in operation?
The 2 that come to mind are:
- The development of the “Payroll with a Voice”, our unique selling proposition which differentiates us from our competitors.
- The completion of the development of our web-based payroll application, Yamathomo Payroll. This has been a dream of mine for many years and achieving it now has been blissful and a major achievement.
In closing, how do potential clients reach your business?
Rekopane Payroll Services
4th Floor The Business Place
58 Marshall Street
Johannesburg 2000
Tel: 011 838 8267
Fax: 011 832 2489
Cell: 082 866 1187
Email: kk@rekopanepayroll.co.za
Email: info@rekopanepayroll.co.za
Website: www.rekopanepayroll.co.za
