Beefmaster Group, the largest private employer in the Kimberley area, has spent close to R400 000 on training its people in the last year. Between 2017 and 2020, 194 employees were promoted, with one such person being Alida Molusi, Offal Manager, who has also benefited from the Group’s promote-from-within strategy. Read more about how she managed to climb the ranks at the Group despite starting as a labourer in 2007.
Tell us a bit about yourself?
Originally from Taung Village and after a tough upbringing that saw me and my eight siblings raised by my grandmother, and only armed with a matric qualification, I started at Beefmaster Group. After achieving four promotions, I today manage 100 people across four departments.
I am the breadwinner in my family and have managed to put all four of my children through school and tertiary education while employed at Beefmaster Group, with each becoming qualified professionals in civil engineering, electrical engineering, medicine and speech therapy.
What does your job entail?
My job entails managing people and procedures to ensure that the meat products that we produce conform to the highest quality and safety standards possible.
Why do you love your job?
Everyone has the same vision and is dedicated to the mission of producing beef, best. We have a shared value that we are working towards and this creates a family-type environment.
We do this by connecting with one another in a group setting each day before the work begins. We talk about the previous day, what we could have done better, what we did right, and then we motivate one another to always give of our best. This makes me proud to work with the people that I do.
Do you have any formal training?
I am not formally qualified, but received training in production technology and management from Beefmaster Group.
What skills do you need to be in your position?
To communicate effectively, maintain relationships at all levels, and prioritise tasks effectively. But, the most important, softer skill needed, is to recognise, and grab hold of opportunity.
Although everyone must start somewhere, you won’t go anywhere unless you realise that the ball is in your court, and what you do with it is up to you. I am grateful that I had people around me at the Group that supported me, recognised potential, and trusted me with big responsibilities, even though I had limited experience or qualifications.
I encourage everyone, no matter whether they are starting their career journey, whether or not they have qualifications and experience, to persevere and never give up.
