Gabriel Thomas is a 23 years old young man who went into business not by choice, but by fate.

In 2007, at the tender age of 17 in Grade 8, Gabriel found out that he had just impregnated a fellow Grade 8 learner, as his father insisted that he must take full responsibility of catering for the wellbeing of his young Family. “It was not easy to survive without any job as no employer was ready to employ someone without any qualification”, he told New Era News Paper.

Having approached his uncle who later enlisted him as an apprentice at his welding business in 2008, Gabriel saw the need to move on so as to meet up with the growing demands of his family, and after a year with his uncle, he ventured into his own welding business, started at Outapi. However, his determination to forge ahead in every difficulty helped him to overcome the initial problems being encountered by infant business establishments by moving to a better location much closer to his customers.

“I moved to Opuwo where my business is now situated and it is doing quite well. I can afford anything and can reach anywhere I wish to market my business,” he said.

Gabriel is building trailers of all sizes depending on the demands of his clients. CEOAFRICA News desk discovered from New Era that the prices of his trailers range from N$14,500 to N$60,000 depending on the sizes. He usually receives orders of three to four in a month and it takes him one to two weeks to complete a big trailer and one week for a small to medium size trailer.

He employs three young people and intends to employ more as soon as the business expands. His employees are provided with safety clothing, such as overalls and boots.