Dentico has given Michael Vilankulu’s maths and science tutoring school an exciting platform to make a positive impact in the Kuils River community.
Any property rental space in the Kuils River CBD can cost any business owner a pretty penny. Especially when you consider the road and foot traffic in the area, making it a prime location.
This was the harsh reality for Michael Vilankulu, the founder of The Science Community, who was searching for an exciting home for his maths and science tutoring school.
After an unsuccessful conversation with the local library, a dejected Michael walked towards the Kuils River main road, until he came across a vacant building with huge promise… one sharing the land with another thriving business in Dentico.
And the space was available!
“I remember a very shy yet distinguished man coming into our office, enquiring about the rental on our property,” explains Dr Nichole Hendricks. “We had quite a few applicants for the space, but when we read through Michael’s profile, we thought his tutoring school was a great initiative to support. We wanted a tenant who could add value to our community.”
Dentico decided to make the space available to The Science Community at a discounted rate, giving the small business a great opportunity to start its new chapter in Kuils River.
“I saw the rental space at Dentico was near the library, and close to a taxi rank and the main road. There are so much conveniences for my students at this location. The fact that the building was so accessible was a major plus, because I had struggles with my previous venues before because students struggled to travel to me,” explained Michael.
“I was delighted when Dentico gave me the offer to rent the space. They offered the building at discounted rate, which is exactly the support I needed as an up-and-coming tutoring business. In education, it can take some time to build momentum. It’s all about building trust with parents and the community.
“So far, I love the space. It is safe and the people in the community are friendly. Dr Hendricks and Dentico really helped me to proceed with my career and business aspirations.”
Hailing from Nelspruit in Mpumalanga, Michael is enjoying life in Kuils River. He made the move to Cape Town after high school and is happy to call it home as he strives to build his business in the Mother City.
“When I finished high school in 2009, I decided to continue my studies here in Cape Town to study Mechanical Engineering at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. I have always been a hard-working academic, so I completed my course in record time and worked for various companies from 2012 to 2017,” said Michael.
“In 2019, I moved to the University of Pretoria to study Accounting Science, but that dream was cut short because of COVID. It was a very stressful year for me as I started to see my dreams fading away.
“I then decided to start my own tutoring school. After many ups and downs, mainly due to social issues, I have found a home at my new office on the Dentico premises. These offices have given me a push in the right direction.”
Michael strives to make a positive impact on his students when it comes to maths and science. His tutoring school is already yielding positives results, and he hopes to share many more success stories in the near future.
“Students face lots of difficulties, but through my school The Science Community, we aim to help every student one step at the time. We are putting in the work to improve and increase their chances of succeeding in class, and at the same time, become better adults and professionals,” said Michael.
You can contact The Science Community on +27 79 935 3146 or michael.vilankulu@gmail.com. You can also find them on Facebook – The Science Community.
