For Lusanda Meje and Sesethu Dingaan, entrepreneurship is about more than building an income. It is about independence, creating opportunities and proving to themselves – and to others – what is possible when determination meets opportunity.
The two Cape Town women are among the young people who completed Engen’s New Venture Creation Learnership, an 18-month programme that equipped young people living with disabilities with practical business skills and helped them turn their ideas into businesses. Both women have had to navigate personal and financial challenges while pursuing their entrepreneurial goals, but share a common ambition: to build businesses that can create a more secure future for themselves and their families.
Today, they are putting the skills and confidence they gained into practice as they grow their respective businesses.
For Lusanda, who originally hails from Mthatha in the Eastern Cape and now lives in Delft, every sale through her business is another step towards the future she wants to create for her young child.
She founded M-Scent Perfumes, selling affordable fragrances for men and women, and has since expanded into personal shopping services, gym wear, and hair and skincare products.
Living with epilepsy has brought its own challenges, but Lusanda says she has learned not to allow it to define what she can achieve.
“Sometimes it can be challenging, but it has made me stronger, taught me to never give up and motivated me to work hard and keep growing my business.”
Like many small business owners, access to finance remains one of the biggest obstacles to growth.
“One of my biggest challenges is not always having enough money to grow my business,” she says. Her response has been to focus on what she can control: continuing to promote her products, working hard and believing in herself.
“I never give up.”
That determination is also central to Sesethu’s journey.
Originally from Cradock in the Eastern Cape, Sesethu completed high school in Queenstown before moving to Cape Town. Today, she runs Mamzondi Collection from Nyanga Crossroads, selling gym wear, hair and skincare products and offering personal shopping services.
For Sesethu, one of the biggest lessons has been learning to keep moving forward despite personal challenges. She lives with depression and anxiety, but says her diagnosis has not stopped her from pursuing her ambitions.
“I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety, but it has never stopped me because I take my medication and remain focused on my goals.”
Finding customers and building awareness of her business are among her biggest challenges. Her answer has been consistency, particularly when it comes to using social media to promote her products.
For both women, developing the confidence and practical knowledge to run a business has been an important part of their journey.
Lusanda says the skills she gained through Engen’s New Venture Creation Learnership helped her better understand how to manage and grow her business, while also giving her greater confidence in her abilities.
Sesethu says the experience taught her how to develop business ideas, manage finances and understand the market she wants her business to reach.
Those skills are now helping both women turn their entrepreneurial ambitions into longer-term plans. Lusanda hopes to grow M-Scent Perfumes into a thriving business that can provide greater security for her family, while Sesethu has her sights set on eventually opening her own beauty parlour.
But perhaps the most valuable lessons from their journeys are the ones they would pass on to other aspiring entrepreneurs.
For Lusanda, it starts with believing in yourself.
“Believe in yourself. Keep working hard, stay strong and never give up on your dreams.”
Sesethu’s advice is equally direct: don’t wait for the perfect moment to start.
“To the women out there, that business idea you wake up with every day – don’t be afraid to start. It may be your breakthrough.”
Their experiences are a reminder that entrepreneurship rarely follows a straight path. Access to capital, finding customers and overcoming personal obstacles can make the journey difficult, particularly for entrepreneurs starting with limited resources. But both women are demonstrating that progress can begin with a single idea – and the willingness to keep working at it.
As Women’s Month celebrates the achievements and resilience of women, their stories offer a particularly relevant message for aspiring entrepreneurs: you do not have to have everything figured out before you begin.
Sometimes, taking that first step is where the opportunity starts.
