Personality Profile
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MALUSI NDEBELE –
PROVIDING ENGINEERED SOLUTIONS
By Ntsako Khosa
“My favourite part of the job is the design phase, where a problem statement is
converted into an engineering solution.”
M
alusi S. Ndebele is the founder and Technical Services
director of VM Refrigeration and Airconditioning Projects in
Johannesburg. “My role in the company is to formulate the business
growth strategy for the company in both revenue and human
capital. Furthermore, I look to forge and maintain old and new
relationships with clients.”
GETTING STARTED
FOR THE LOVE OF THE JOB
He gets an adrenaline rush from the ever-changing landscape of
the HVAC&R field and the various technologies in the industry.
“One has to be constantly on their toes to keep abreast with the
industry changes and trends. The realisation of a system design
into a finished product or solution for a client is fulfilling,” he says.
“Once implemented the final walkabout of the site to handover the
solution to a client is the cherry on top,” he says.
www.hvacronline.co.za
Malusi S.
Ndebele of VM
Refrigeration.
In 2009, he was intrigued by the refrigeration and air conditioning
industry while working for the South African National Blood
Services (SANBS). “I was employed on an acting capacity as a
refrigeration and air conditioning supervisor. My original role in the
company was an Instrumentation supervisor,” he says.
This opened his eyes to the world of HVAC which was further
inspired by Bruce Scallan who at the time used to build and
maintain the company’s refrigeration equipment. “His ethics and in-
depth knowledge of the industry sparked the knowledge. This led
to me registering for the refrigeration and air conditioning courses
at ACRA and OTTC.” He is currently busy with his mechanical
engineering studies through UNISA.
“Upon completion of the courses and working experience, I
then started the company. It has grown from a one-man entity to
a company with 10 full time employees, four company bakkies and
fixed contract staff.”
PROJECTS
Some of the projects under his wing, past and current, are the
DLM Longmeadow Offices aircon systems upgrade, VML SA
offices aircon upgrades, Jacaranda Shopping Centre Trane chiller
refurbishment, Vodacom Lesotho close control system supply and
installation and Festo chiller replacement.
FUTURE PLANS
“There is still a great potential to grow the company further and
empower the country’s youth,” Ndebele says. He is also actively
seeking strategic relationships with industry peers. “We seem to
operate in silos as the SMMEs and creating winning partnerships
with our industry colleagues would be beneficial for the growth of
our industry.”
He is motivated by the desire to excel in what the company does
by further creating long lasting relationships. “The industry has been
given a bad name by the bakkie brigades. With the backing and
affiliation to professional bodies we aim to assure our clients that we
are not a fly by night institution but uphold all the values and ethics
of our industry associations,” he concludes. RACA
RACA Journal I April 2020
47