Dr Hajira Mashego - Fitness Junction

The majority of people living in peri-urban and rural areas do not have access to gyms, forcing them to travel long distances to access these facilities and, ultimately, live a healthier lifestyle.

Social entrepreneur, Dr. Hajira Mashego, is the CEO and founder of Fitness Junction. She was inspired to start up her business by her late father, one of the first black physiotherapists in South Africa, and her mother, a retired occupational therapist. After completing her PhD, Hajira saw a gap in the fitness market and established a gym in West View in Pretoria West. This enabled the local residents to begin to realise their wellness and fitness objectives.

“In 2017 I resigned from my job as a physiotherapist at the National Department of Health and used my pension fund savings to establish my business. I have never looked back,” she says. “We currently employ 14 staff members at our West View facility, and are planning to expand by franchising to other townships across South Africa.”

The gym offers services such as cardio equipment area, aerobics and spinning studios, a circuit, a weight building area, boxing area, a personal or functional training zone and a juice bar, at affordable rates. The facility also provides access to in-house physiotherapists, biokinetists and dieticians. As an added value offering for its clients, the gym also houses a free childcare facility where their children are minded while they are exercising.

“After spending a year at the Gordon Institute of Business Science, I still needed guidance with the operational and financial aspects of running my business,” said Hajira. “It was then that I came across the SAB Foundation Tholoana Enterprise Programme and shortly after applying, I was accepted.”

This 18 month programme provides critical training and mentorship for entrepreneurs, so that they are able to assess their systems and procedures to operate a sustainable and profitable business. Mentors are assigned to assist the entrepreneurs identify challenges and blockages that hamper the growth of their business.

“During my time spent on the programme, my mentor provided a practical guiding hand and was always there to listen. This support is much needed in the life of a start-up entrepreneur,” she explains.

Upon graduating from the SAB Foundation Tholoana Enterprise Programme in February, Mashego was awarded the prestigious SAB Foundation Tholoana Award, as well as the Collaboration Award for actively taking risks, unlocking new opportunities and exploring unchartered territories. She received R10 000 in funding to invest in her business.

“I was thrilled with my achievement,” she says. “The funding will enable me to realise my future plans to scale the business nationally to many more townships and rural towns, and in the process, create jobs in the communities we serve,” she continues. “I will achieve this by establishing a franchise network, which will allow us to expand the business at scale.”

The future growth plan for Fitness Junction is to tap into 232 townships nationally, with branches in major townships, and offer franchising opportunities for the smaller and more remote areas. This can potentially employ 16 people in each facility, creating over 3 712 jobs for unemployed youth.

“My message to other entrepreneurs is to go for it! The pie is very big and every challenge creates an opportunity to find a solution,” concludes Hajira.