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PERSONALITY PROFILE
Building the bridge to
overcome the challenge
Winner of the IOPSA Plumber of the Year award, Deon Nel
sat down with Plumbing Africa to tell us a bit about himself.
By Benjamin Brits
Growing up in the Roodepoort, Gauteng, when Nel left school
he had already been working for his father, who had his own
plumbing business at the time. This is where he learnt the
plumbing trade. “I love water and pipes always fascinate me. I
qualified as a plumber at my father’s business, and then in 2007 I
started my own company, Rapid Plumbing,” says Nel.
He recalls that while working and qualifying with his father, he was
given all of the difficult jobs to do: digging, laying pipes, installing
drain pipes, and so on. He never had it easy, he says, which is often
the case when kids work for their parents. “My father showed me the
right way and I learned a lot. I learned so much and loved it from day
one. So, I thought to myself, if I could make a living out of it, then why
not give it a try?”
STARTING A NEW CHAPTER
When Nel started his own business, he recalls, “it was very difficult
because one doesn’t have a lot of money when you start a business.
I started out with a little Toyota Tazz and I would put the drain rods
through the window. I initially worked alone and as I got busier I
started with bigger jobs like geyser installations where I would get
someone to help me on a casual basis.”
What landed Rapid Plumbing on the map, and the start of the
company’s success, was the interest from insurance companies.
“I was approached by an insurance company and I went in for an
interview. They were happy with my work, but also with my efficiency
and the great manner that I have in dealing with my clients. This is
the point where we really became recognised,” says Nel.
From that point, the company grew to where it is today, with its own
offices, employing its own administration staff and with four teams
out on the road. Nel makes up the fifth team as he still handles
jobs himself, and also does a lot of geyser inspections for insurance
companies, specifically to check that installations have been done
correctly by other contract plumbers.
NOT ALL SMOOTH WATER
“From the beginning it was difficult, and there were stages where I
wanted to just throw in the towel. In one instance, I did a lot of work
for a developer, and I did real quality work, but the owner of that
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company landed up running away — with the money I was owed.
These sorts of situations create a very stressful life. A point will come
where you want to just give up,” says Nel.
“If it wasn’t for my father and mother, I don’t think I would have got
to this point. They really supported me and helped me a lot. I can
seriously attribute where I find myself today to their support. They
pushed me to keep going and they supported me in every way.
“At the end of the day I built the bridge I needed and I got over the
challenges by pushing on, but it’s important to know that once you are
a ‘qualified plumber’, you don’t know everything — it’s not only about
learning plumbing. I had to also learn to be a qualified solar and heat
pump installer. There are a lot of things you have to learn because the
plumbing field is vast, and you also can’t do every installation, because
there is work that requires a specialist,” he explains.
Nel adds: “When the Institute of Plumbing South Africa (IOPSA) and the
Plumbing Industry Registration Board (PIRB) started I joined immediately.
Had it not been for these two bodies, we would not have been able to
make the plumbing industry better, and plumbers would just do what
they want, which is obviously not right. Both IOPSA and the PIRB are
making life better for us on the ground, which we never had before.”
OUTSIDE OF WORK
“I like hunting, so I try and go hunting once a year and I like to go out
with the boats, skiing and so on. Like I said, I love water! I like fishing
a lot as well, but this is all really when I get time, of course, because I
am always very busy with work. I am fortunate to be able to say that I
have accomplished most of my goals, so I am happy with where I am
in my life,” Nel shares.
THE MEANING OF BEING RECOGNISED
Winning the Plumber of the Year was a surprise for Nel because he
saw the other plumbing companies there as well, so he thought he
was just there to fill the seat. “When I was announced as the winner I
really couldn’t believe it,” he laughs.
“I’m very glad there are people acknowledging that there are
plumbers doing excellent work,” he says. “It’s a great feeling to get
the credit. Plumbers in the public eye are generally the ‘bad guys’
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