Kokkie Bothma
Internal Sales and Buyer
AESPUMP, Secunda
Kokkie Bothma, known as the rose amongst the thorns at the AESPUMP Secunda branch, joined the team in early 2014, taking the position of Internal Sales and Buyer. She is responsible for a number of critical activities which include checking Sasol orders on Quadrem, Sasol and Sundyne expediting, national AESPUMP invoicing, debtors/creditors queries and compiling forecasts for the month per sales representative.
Previously, Kokkie worked as a Technical Representative for Eagle Burgmann, where she was responsible for selling packing, fabric compensators, metal bellows and rubber bellows. Not only does Kokkie have technical knowledge, but is also very proficient in finance, where she worked as a paymaster and head of accounting for Aurachron/Recostarz, handling all debtors, creditors and payroll.
Every job has its challenges, and it is no different to Kokkie’s position. Kokkie says that in order for her to ensure she tackles the challenges head on, her first priority is to keep the customer happy, and for her to ensure quality work, creates her own system within the system, for every person works differently. She further says that it is important to always be truthful to your customer, keeping them in the loop all the time, especially on any late deliveries. The ideal situation is to ensure pleasantness between all the parties, without any anger.
When asking Kokkie about being the “only rose” and advice to others, she says that being the only lady at the AESPUMP branch is only making her stronger and her advice to the other “lonely roses” is that they should always be firm, tactful and have self-respect then you will be respected. Always admit to a mistake and rectify immediately, do not try to cover it up, for it takes a true WOMAN to admit when something has been done wrong, and this will help for fewer complications, for anything is rectifiable, and try to avoid future mistakes.
When Kokkie is not at the office she spends her time making jewellery, baking and building of puzzles for other people. However more notably, Kokkie says she spends most of her time thinking of new creative ways of keeping her 4 year old boy out of mischief.
And on a lighter note, Kokkie says she always ends her day with a song in her heart: “It’s raining men, Hallelujah, it’s raining men…..”