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PRACTICES
Tell me why you became a plumbing contractor – Philani
By
David Smith
This month we chatted to Philani of Gaabai Holdings about the value of science in plumbing and how a deeper understanding goes a long way .
David : Hi there Philani , please tell us how you became a plumber .
Philani : Hi David . Well , you see , it all started several years ago when I got a job with a construction company in Pinetown which was looking for a plumber for a construction site ; they were busy with revamping a community centre . The underground water mains had been damaged during the process of paving the road for the community hall and so they asked me to come in to work on the pipes . I went in to help them out , not knowing I was paving my own way back to them . They gave an interview back in 2017 for a plumber position with the company and I was confident enough to take on the job . My employer asked me if I would be working on the plumbing inside the building or in the parking lot – but there was no plumbing in the parking lot , he was just checking to see if I felt up to the task ! We went over the drawings together and I gave him my opinion and just like that the rest all came together and I ended up working with them for a while until I completed my trade test in 2019 . After getting qualified I got registered with PIRB and then with IOPSA as well , and I must say having memberships with these official bodies gives me great confidence in my work as a plumber . And that ’ s how I became the plumber that I am today .
David : I can imagine that must have been quite the boost to your self-esteem getting qualified . It almost sounds like they threw you into the deep end there a little , but you seem to have managed quite well . And now you run your own business ?
Philani : Yes , that ’ s correct . I resigned and in recent times I ’ ve been running my own company , Gaabai Holdings . We are working on two