Whether it’s attending to electrical faults, safeguarding vehicles or making sure the toilets and floors are clean, the ‘back of house’ team at Ballito Lifestyle Centre are vital to ensuring both tenants and customers have the best possible experience at the centre. This Worker’s Day we are honouring and getting to know some of our valuable team members a little better.
Friendly, approachable and reliable. These five hardworking men head up each of their relevant departments at the Ballito Lifestyle Centre and ensure things run smoothly behind-the-scenes!
PATRICK NGOBHOZI
Operations Supervisor
Patrick’s background
A quiet, humble fifty-two-year-old father of three, Patrick grew up in Hambanathi near Tongaat. He attended Nkosibomvu Secondary School and started his career in retail (as a merchandiser and shelf-packer) at Spar in Tongaat at age 18. A few years later, Patrick started working as a cleaner in a bar in Shakashead, where he worked his way up to barman and eventually manager. Wanting a new challenge, Patrick decided to complete a security officer training course. He got a job with Coast Guard Security and was deployed at the Ballito Lifestyle Centre. Patrick’s journey ended up with him being employed by the Ballito Lifestyle Centre as a cleaning supervisor and, eventually, operations supervisor in 2022.
What does a day at work entail for you?
“My job is being the Operations Supervisor for the Centre. This entails being the ‘eyes and ears’ on the ground at the centre where I supervise and put into practice the procedures from a general operating perspective, assist and guide our various teams and reporting to our management team daily. I I work specifically with the cleaning, waste management and security teams, which is great because I have hands-on experience in these departments. I also interact with and work closely with the tenants and tenant staff.”
What do you enjoy about your job?
“I really enjoy working with the people. The management and staff at Ballito Lifestyle Centre are all great to work with. We all work as a team, and everyone is friendly, happy and helpful.”
Tell us about your family life.
“I have four children (three daughters and a son) and a 3-year-old granddaughter. When I’m not working, I enjoy spending time at my home in Shakaskraal with my family. I love watching soccer (supporting the Orlando Pirates) and enjoy working in my garden.”
What are you looking forward to in the future? I’m looking forward to retiring one day … and maybe going back to live and work on our family farm in Ndwedwe.
NKANYISO DLAMINI
Security Supervisor
Nkanyiso’s background:
Nkanyiso (36) was born in a rural town called Maphumulo. He finished matric at Hlonono High School and moved to Durban in 2007. After working as a plumber’s assistant, Nkanyiso started his own business which he ran for three years before getting a job at the King Shaka Airport. Having always dreamt of being a police officer, Nkanyiso decided to do a security officer course, with the dream of one day starting his own security company. He was employed by Excellerate Security and was stationed at the Ballito Lifestyle Centre in 2021.
What does a day at work entail for you?
“As a supervisor, I oversee the security teams and check that everyone is doing their job. I take my job very seriously, because it’s up to me to ensure that all our customers (including their vehicles and personal belongings) are safe.”
What do you enjoy about your job?
“I am passionate about fighting and stopping crime from taking place and I get to do that with this job.”
Tell us about your family life.
“My home is in Maphumulo, but I live in Shakashead to be close to work. I have a five-year-old daughter (and hope to have more kids one day!). On my off days, I go to church, play with my daughter and spend time with my wife. I used to play soccer, but don’t have much time for that these days. I also like going back to the farm and helping my dad look after his cattle.”
What are you looking forward to in the future?
“I have always dreamt of owning a security company one day. I would love to have something that is my own.”
HILTON SHERIFF
Landscaping Manager for Lifestyle & Virgin Active
Hilton’s background:
Quiet father of two, Hilton grew up with his three siblings in Shakashead. After finishing school at ML Sultan Secondary in Stanger, Hilton worked for various security companies in and around Ballito before ending up at the Simbithi Eco Estate. He spent eight years there, working his way up to assistant maintenance manager. Hilton’s wife, Stephanie, was already working at the Ballito Lifestyle Centre and Hilton was offered the job of Landscaping Manager by centre owner, Bruce Rencken nine years ago. Other than a short landscaping course, Hilton says almost everything he has learned about plants and landscaping has been ‘on the job’.”
What does a day at work entail for you?
“There are 10 staff members on the landscaping team and our job is to maintain all the existing gardens and plant new gardens in and around the centre as well as the McDonalds & Virgin Active precinct. I work closely with the design team who decide which plants should go where and which pots should be used, etc. Every day we clean litter out of the gardens and plants and water and fertilise where necessary. We also maintain all of the ponds and water features on site, as well as various areas outside the centre, including the verge lawn and traffic circle.”
What do you enjoy about your job?
“The fact that every day is different, and I am not ‘tied down’ to a desk. I enjoy going around to different sites, as well as seeing plants that we have planted grow and flourish. It’s very rewarding.”
Tell us about your family life.
“My wife and I have two sons aged 7 and 9 years old. Both attend Umhlali Preparatory School and they keep us very busy! We enjoy rock and surf fishing and are very involved in our church, the Tinley Manor Baptist Church and the Baptist Association of South Africa. Family is very important to us, so we always try and make time to be with our kids.”
What are you looking forward to in the future?
“I’m very happy where I am. I love working at the Ballito Lifestyle Centre, because things are always changing and evolving and I’m excited to see what’s next. I really enjoy working with the design team and executing their vision.”
SENZO KHUZWAYO
Electrical Supervisor
Senzo’s background:
Bubbly, friendly and ambitious, 39-year-old Senzo grew up in Mandeni and attended Woodhurst Secondary School in Chatsworth before getting his first job as a gardener in Umbilo. Noticing his potential and work ethic, his boss (an electrician) took Senzo under his wing as his apprentice. Senzo fell in love with electrical and worked hard to qualify and refine his skills. When he was offered a job at KZN Electrical, Senzo’s career really took off and he worked his way up to foreman, leading massive commercial and industrial electrical installations around KZN. After more than 12 years with the company, Senzo moved to the Ballito Lifestyle Centre as the on-site electrician in 2021.
What does a day at work entail for you?
“My job is to oversee all existing and new electrical installations around the centre. I work closely with my great team. The work can be hectic, ensuring everyone has the materials they need and that everything is under control and the tenants and customers are all happy – but I love what I do.”
What do you enjoy about your job?
“I am passionate about electrical work and especially enjoy identifying and rectifying faults. Installations are quite easy for me, but I really enjoy the challenges that come with fault finding. I like the fact that I can design circuits from scratch, and I always make sure that I teach my team. I believe that they need to know how to do everything that I can do.”
Tell us about your family life.
“I live in Amanzimtoti with my wife and three children (12, 9 and 7 years old). We are a very close and, even though it costs a lot to travel every day, being with them is the most important thing to me. I love them very much and we do everything together. On weekends I read my bible and am a big Kaizer Chiefs fan.”
What are you looking forward to in the future?
“I am continually studying and upskilling myself and would love to one day become an electrical engineer. I also love uplifting youth – both with skills and spiritually – and I hope to one day write a book (which I’m already working on!).”
WONDERBOY DLAMINI
Cleaning Supervisor
Wonderboy’s background:
Always smiling and happy, Wonderboy (40) grew up part of a big family (with three sisters and four brothers) in Empangeni. He finished school at Shayamoya Secondary School before moving to KwaMashu in Durban. Wonderboy did a plumbing course at Elangeni TVET College before landing his first cleaning job with Service Royale as a cleaning supervisor in Mount Edgecombe in 2011. He has since moved to Bidvest Prestige Cleaning and still continues to thrive in his role as the Cleaning Supervisor for the Centre.
What does a day at work entail for you?
“My job is about making sure that everything in the centre is always clean – from the toilets and floors right up to the windows. I follow up on our cleaning procedures, ensuring that the team are all doing their job correctly, and communicate with management, tenants and customers to make sure everyone is satisfied with the level of cleanliness.”
What do you enjoy about your job?
“The Ballito Lifestyle Centre is like home to me. The customers are extremely considerate and really appreciate the work that we do, often complimenting us on the clean toilets. I don’t just feel like a ‘cleaner’; I feel valued here.”
Tell us about your family life.
“I have three kids. My eldest son is 21 and completing an IT course, and my daughters are 15 and 5 years old. My wife is a receptionist working in finance. We spend a lot of time together as a family and we go to church twice a week. I am a Liverpool fan and I enjoy spending time with my kids, who I love very much.
What are you looking forward to in the future?
“I would love to own my own cleaning company one day.”
