INVESTOR INTELLIGENCE
Saskia Hill , owner of MCS Debt Recovery and founder of Connect BPS
Hill ’ s business was completely destroyed during the July 2021 unrest in KZN . “ How do you react when you are told that your entire business has been burnt down ? Not through negligence but by political unrest , something which is totally out of your control ? This is something that you never expect to happen . It was an emotional , stressful time ,” she recalls .
MCS Debt Recovery counts leading banks , financial service providers , insurance companies and retailers as clients . Connect BPS ’ clients are American based . It was these clients , together with staff , suppliers and her network of business associates who helped her begin to rebuild her business and , quite literally ‘ rise from the ashes ’.
“ Every challenge you face in business allows you to build resilience and endurance which ultimately makes you stronger . When tragedy struck with the burning of the MCS / Connect building , I had to tap into that resilience to move forward . My inner strength and courage was supported by an amazing group of people .
Members from around the world reached out to me to offer assistance . The members were there to encourage , support and motivate me through the journey of rebuilding ,” she says . One year later , the building is still not rebuilt . However , she has been able to re-establish her business and continue her entrepreneurial journey despite the turbulent economic times in which she finds herself .
“ As entrepreneurs , we need to have a good understanding of the operations from the shop floor to the disaster recovery procedures ( and this cannot be a mere tick-box exercise ). It is imperative that you understand
126 OCT 2022 SA Real Estate Investor Magazine