Thusanyo Funeral Undertakers on the rise
Established in 1999 in Francistown, Thusanyo Funeral Undertakers prides itself on providing the personal touch, helping mourning families say goodbye to their loved ones with dignity and respect.
Boasting branches in Palapye, Bobonong and Tonota on top of its second city base, with plans for further expansion on the horizon, Thusanyo, which is now wholly owned by BOFUS, is truly an enterprise on the rise.
This week we meet the company’s charismatic Regional Manager, 37-year-old Junior Mfana Masuku.
Closing in on a decade’s worth of service with the funeral parlour, the qualified accountant has played an important part in Thusanyo’s success.
Tell us a bit about the services Thusanyo offers?
• Funeral, Memorial and Cremation services
• Affordable Burial policies
• Tombstones of Genuine Granite
• Embalming performed by professionals
• Professional Repatriation Services
How long have you been with the company and what did you do before you joined?
Almost 10 years and I was fresh from college.
I studied Accountancy and Business Studies at BIAC.
At a later stage I did Business Management at Baisago University.
Anyway, I applied for any job available and was hired as a Burial Administrator then later promoted to Human Resources Manager, then promoted again to be a Branch Manager and later on Regional Manager.
10 years of my journey in Thusanyo has been a rollercoaster.
Hard work and dedication pays!
So what do your day-to-day duties as a Regional Manager involve?
My day-to-day duties include making sure that I coordinate the entire operations side of the business and ensuring all other Branches are in order through Branch Supervisors.
The business was set-up 22 years ago – how has it grown since then?
It has maintained its reputation of a household brand as its membership booksize continues to increase.
Do you cover the whole country or are your services limited to central Botswana?
We cover the whole country, we have associate companies we work with in places where we are not located.
Any plans for expansion?
Yes, we have plans to increase our footprint in the very near future.
We are looking into South and Chobe region soon.
So what sets Thusanyo apart from other funeral parlours?
At Thusanyo Funeral Undertakers, we prefer to personalize our customer service experience as opposed to the monopoly that commercialize theirs.
We are very flexible in meeting what families need because we are able to understand the situation and not cloud their needs with corporate red tape.
Can anyone join or do you have to be a member of BOSETU?
Everyone is free to join our policies, they are open to the public – but we also have policies specifically for BOSETU members.
And what exactly is Thusanyo’s relationship with BOSETU?
Thusanyo is a subsidiary of BOFUS which is BOSETU Funeral Scheme.
While Covid-19 has been a tough time for most businesses, is it fair to assume that as a funeral parlour the opposite has been true for you?
In any business, the prudent management of cash flow determines its successfulness, and the rest is ‘Business 101’.
It is a tragedy and a sad reality what this pandemic has caused on our nation.
In the mist of it all, we strive to ensure that we assist the bereaved in the celebrations of lives lived.
Dealing with death on a daily occurrence must be difficult, how do you cope?
I believe people who have passed are at peace, it’s all in one’s mind.
All in all you have to approach the bereaved families with respect and try to put yourself in their shoes; in that way, you will manage to cope on a daily basis.
And away from the office, how do you relax?
Spending quality time at home with family.
PERSONAL PROFILE
FULL NAMES: Junior Mfana Masuku
DATE OF BIRTH: 10 July 1984
PLACE OF BIRTH: Francistown
MARITAL STATUS: Married
MENTORS: Anthony Soma and Richard Cox
CAR DRIVING: A 170 Elegance Mercedes Benz
DREAM HOLIDAY DESTINATION: Caribbean island
HOBBIES: Attending business seminars and listening to motivational speakers
FAVOURITE FOOD: Pap and Seswaa
FAVOURITE DRINK: Something chill and smooth
WHAT MAKES YOU ANGRY: Ungrateful people
