From Youth Enterprise to Industry Impact: Siyalungisa OHS Welcomes the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature

2 September 2026 marked a significant moment in the journey of Siyalungisa Occupational Hygiene Services.

As part of the Taking Legislature to the People (TLP) programme, Siyalungisa Occupational Hygiene Services welcomed the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature Portfolio Committee on Economic Development and Tourism, together with representatives from the Mpumalanga Department of Economic Development and Tourism and the Mpumalanga Economic Growth Agency (MEGA), to our Middelburg operations.

The oversight visit created an opportunity to reflect on an extraordinary journey — from a young enterprise established in 2020 to a growing, specialised occupational hygiene company serving clients across mining, utilities, manufacturing and other industrial sectors.

For our team, however, this visit represented much more than a review of funding.

It represented growth, accountability, resilience and possibility.

Government support that became a platform for growth

Siyalungisa was previously supported through the Premier’s Youth Development Fund, receiving grant funding that enabled the acquisition of specialised equipment and machinery required to expand the business.

That initial investment became a catalyst.

Since receiving the support, the company has continued investing in additional specialised equipment through internally generated revenue, expanded its technical capability and strengthened its ability to service increasingly complex occupational hygiene requirements.

Today, Siyalungisa is a Level 1 B-BBEE, youth female-owned business and SANAS-accredited Approved Inspection Authority, delivering scientifically rigorous occupational hygiene solutions focused on protecting worker health.

Our work encompasses occupational hygiene surveys, hazardous chemical exposure assessments, noise, ventilation, ergonomics, vibration, asbestos-related services, environmental sampling and other workplace health risk assessments across both mining and non-mining industries.

Growth brings a different kind of challenge

During the engagement, our Founder and Director, Evelyn Raesetja Zulu, shared both the achievements and realities of building a highly specialised technical business.

Some of the challenges highlighted included:

• the high capital cost of specialised occupational hygiene equipment;

• delayed client payments and the resulting pressure on working capital;

• the limited availability of specialised occupational hygiene skills;

• maintaining accreditation and quality systems while expanding operations;

• strengthening financial and tax-management systems;

• accessing suitable infrastructure as the organisation grows; and

• reducing dependence on individual large contracts through client diversification.

  
  

These are not simply obstacles. They are some of the realities that accompany the transition from a small founder-led enterprise into a sustainable technical organisation.

In response, Siyalungisa has deliberately invested in people, systems, quality management, financial controls, project tracking and diversification.

Building people as we build the company

One of the areas particularly close to our hearts is skills development.

Occupational hygiene remains a highly specialised profession, and growing the industry requires businesses to create opportunities for the next generation of practitioners.

Siyalungisa continues to recruit, mentor and develop young occupational hygiene professionals, with a strong commitment to creating employment opportunities within the communities in which we operate wherever suitable skills are available.

Our ambition is not merely to grow our own organisation. It is to help strengthen the occupational hygiene profession itself.

Seeing the operation first-hand

Following the formal engagement, members of the delegation conducted an in loco inspection of our premises.

This allowed the delegation to see our operational environment, specialised equipment and team first-hand — and to better understand what is required behind the scenes to deliver credible occupational hygiene services.

For us, this was particularly meaningful.

Occupational hygiene often happens quietly in the background, yet the work directly influences whether employees can spend years in their occupations without sacrificing their long-term health.

That remains at the heart of Siyalungisa’s mission: delivering scientifically rigorous, practical occupational hygiene solutions while helping organisations protect the health, dignity and wellbeing of their workforce.

The next chapter

We are deeply proud of what has been built — but we also recognise that Siyalungisa is still at the beginning of what it can become.

Our focus now is on building a more resilient organisation, expanding our client base, developing scarce occupational hygiene skills, strengthening our infrastructure and continuing to invest in the specialised technology required to serve South African industry.

Our vision remains clear:

To be a leading force in occupational hygiene across Africa and beyond — transforming workplace health and safety through innovation, integrity and a relentless commitment to humanity.

We extend our appreciation to the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature, Mpumalanga Department of Economic Development and Tourism, MEGA and all stakeholders involved in the TLP programme for taking the time to engage directly with growing enterprises.

Support is most powerful when it does not end with funding, but becomes a platform for market access, infrastructure development, skills development, sustainable employment and long-term business growth.

From a youth enterprise founded in Middelburg in 2020 to a growing Approved Inspection Authority serving industry today, our journey continues.

And we are excited about what comes next.

About Siyalungisa Occupational Hygiene Services

Siyalungisa Occupational Hygiene Services is a Level 1 B-BBEE youth female-owned Approved Inspection Authority headquartered in Middelburg, Mpumalanga. Founded in 2020, the company provides occupational hygiene, environmental sampling, asbestos, hygiene and sanitation, and related workplace health services to mining and non-mining industries.

"Making Your Occupation As Comfortable As Home"