Staff Reporter
COMPLETING secondary education and then finding oneself unable to access tertiary education due to a lack of money is considered by some as the end of the road.
It shouldn’t be.
The 28-year-old Max Mavulu has clearly proven that point.
He completed Grade 12 nine years ago and wanted to further his studies at a tertiary institution, but the lack of funds was a formidable hurdle. Instead, he took a detour by starting a printing shop using his sister’s small printer and an old desktop computer.
By 2019, he had saved enough money to register at the International University of Management (IUM), all while continuing his informal printing business, with fellow students as his main customers.
In 2022, he formalized his business, Maxi Printing Shop, based in Ondangwa.
From making copies, printing, and scanning documents, he diversified into T-shirt printing and design.
His breakthrough finally came last year when Maxi Printing Shop was chosen to print Swapo Party campaign T-shirts. This exposure also attracted the attention of the Ondangwa Town Council, which awarded Maxi Printing a tender for signboards in town.
“At first, I merely made copies and scanned documents. The good results encouraged me to put in more effort to grow the business,” said Mavulu.
He currently employs five permanent and seven casual workers.
Mavulu, who encourages young people not to give up on their dreams, said he wants to help those facing the same struggles he once did.
He also revealed his business’s plan to sponsor stationery, uniforms, and sanitary pads for vulnerable learners attending schools around Ondangwa.
