SMME FEATURE
Portio Dlamini is the Founder and Managing Director of Emakheni Group, a Cleaning and Hygiene business based in Durban, that she started 9 years ago. She is a Chemical Process Engineer by trade and spent about 10 years working for blue chip companies in the manufacturing industry before venturing into becoming an entrepreneur and business owner.
Starting and running her own business has allowed Portio to not only follow her dream of becoming a successful business owner, but it has allowed her to live her passion of empowering people. She is a Leader and Change Agent in her community and constantly seek to transform, elevate, and improve the lives of marginalised people.
Seeking change for her people is one of the main reasons why she started her business in the cleaning and hygiene industry. The business motto Transforming Lives Whilst Cleaning Excellently! represents a set of beliefs, ideals, and ethical values that Emakheni Cleaning and Industrial Cleaning takes as a business entity.
Portio has won numerous awards over the past 6 years that include the following:
- Winner of the Most Resilient Entrepreneur 2015 (through the Raizcorp program funded by Engen) Winner of the Business Accelerator Award 2018 (awarded by the Durban Chemical Cluster)
- Winner of the Firm Commitment Award 2020 for a business most supportive of cluster aims & objectives (by the Durban Chemical Cluster)
- Winner of the Sekela Passion Award, Patience Award & Professionalism Award (through the Sekela program funded by SA Homeloans Foundation)
- Winner of the Regional Positive Role Model Award (KZN) - by Gender Mainstream Awards 2021, This award recognizes women who are making a difference in their industries.
- Finalist in the Standard Bank KZN Top Businesswomen 2021
- Finalist in the Standard Bank KZN Top Business Awards 2022 – under the Most Resilient Entrepreneur category
- Finalist in the Positive Role Model Award (KZN Region) – Gender Mainstream Awards (GMA)
- Finalist in the General Sector - Southern Africa in the same Gender Mainstream Awards (GMA) 2022
One of Portio’s business growth objectives is to seek strategic investments and partnerships that will enable her business to expand her current client portfolio and also offer other services in the Manufacturing, Waste Management and Fuel and Chemical Transportation space.
As a devoted leader, clearly loved by her staff, Portio’s dream of empowering her staff through Personal, Career Guidance and Leadership Development is what has made Emakheni the success it is today. We have no doubt that it will also set the scene for future success, growth and excellence.