Construction grew for a second straight quarter while the wider economy shrank, and the industry added 39 000 jobs in the second quarter of 2026. One of the contractors in that recovery is a Benoni company that builds and maintains sites for mines and manufacturers, and its founder, Noko Ramasenya, has been named South Africa’s Small Business Entrepreneur of the Year®.

Ramasenya founded Noleo Projects in 2016 and is its managing director and sole owner. She received the title at the 38th annual Business Partners Limited Entrepreneur of the Year® awards, in the category for entrepreneurs whose businesses turned over between R10 million and R50 million in the previous tax year, regardless of how long they have been trading.

Noleo’s work covers civil engineering and construction, and extends to building maintenance, renovations, facilities management and project management, as well as electrical and plumbing work and engineering, design and architectural services. Most of it is for private sector clients, mainly manufacturers, mines and industrial companies. Its current major clients include Ardagh Glass Packaging, Tharisa Minerals and Mpact Plastics.

Ramasenya wins that work through tenders, direct approaches to clients, partnerships and referrals, and much of it now comes from clients who have used Noleo before. She oversees the company’s planning, finances, contracts, procurement and project delivery, and says she wants to develop more sustainable methods for rehabilitating existing structures.

Four in five of Noleo’s 18 staff are under 35, at a time when youth unemployment stands at 47,4%. Ramasenya mentors young people entering the industry, and the company trains its employees on the job. Where it can, it also hires local labour and small local subcontractors on its projects.

“Construction has been adding jobs, and small contractors like Noleo are often where young people get their first experience of the trade,” says Gugu Mjadu of Business Partners Limited. “Noko owns her business outright in an industry where few women do, and she has grown it on repeat work from industrial clients with demanding standards.”

For more information, go to https://www.eoy.co.za.