Behind Diamond Sparkle Detergents is founder Aqeebah Taliep, whose business journey has been shaped by a deep desire to create opportunities, not just for herself, but for other women as well.
As a mother of three, she developed a deep understanding of the everyday challenges faced by households and women in underserved communities. This insight, paired with a determination to change her family’s trajectory, laid the foundation for a business built on impact, innovation and empowerment.
Aqeebah’s purpose has always been bigger than profit. She wanted to build something that not only solved a real problem but also opened doors for women who, like her, simply needed an opportunity to thrive.
The Spark Behind Diamond Sparkle Detergents
Diamond Sparkle Detergents was born from a simple but powerful observation: the average South African household uses 10 to 15 different cleaning products, an expensive and unsustainable norm for families already stretched by rising living costs. Aqeebah saw an opportunity to simplify cleaning and save money, without compromising on cleanliness.
Her solution: a single, affordable, eco-friendly multipurpose liquid gel that handles everything from laundry, dishes and floors, to general home cleaning.
But the real innovation is the model behind the product. Instead of traditional retail, Diamond Sparkle uses a community-based agent network that empowers women to earn an income by selling the product locally. Agents receive training, support, and the chance to build a business within their own communities.
This turned Diamond Sparkle into more than a product. It has become a become a vehicle for opportunity and upliftment.
A Social Enterprise With a Clear Vision
At its core, Diamond Sparkle Detergents is a proudly local social enterprise striving for two outcomes:
- Cleaner, more cost-efficient households. One multipurpose product that replaces a shelf full of detergents.
- Stronger, more economically empowered communities. A simple and scalable network of trained women agents who can sell locally, earn an income and gain financial independence.
With increasing demand and a clear value proposition, the business is steadily expanding across the Western Cape — already active in 13 areas and counting.
Growing Through Challenges and Continuous Learning
Aqeebah says her biggest learning curve learning has been navigating the dual mission of creating a commercially sustainable product while driving social impact. Balancing production costs, distribution realities, and the support needs of women selling in underserved areas, has required constant adaptation.
Yet, these challenges have strengthened her belief in learning, improving and staying resilient. If she could change anything from her early days, she says she would have invested earlier in building stronger systems to accelerate growth and make scaling across different communities more seamless — especially in operations, digital marketing, and agent support.
A Vision for the Next Chapter of Diamond Sparkle Detergents
Over the next 12–24 months, Diamond Sparkle Detergents is gearing up for significant growth. Aqeebah’s plans include:
- Expanding the agent network in Gauteng, Western Cape, and moving into new provinces.
- Strengthening operations for enhanced production capacity and improving logistics to support a wider agent footprint.
- Building on their already proven digital marketing efforts to further increase brand credibility, reach and household penetration.
- Accessing funding to support manufacturing, training and large-scale community rollouts.
- Introducing complementary product expansion while keeping affordability at the core of their innovation.
The goal is not just business expansion. It is building a sustainable platform that uplifts women and reshapes household spending patterns.
Defining the Entrepreneurial Mindset
For Aqeebah, entrepreneurship is less about having the perfect resources and more about maintaining the right mindset:
- Seeing challenges as opportunities
- Being brave enough to start
- Staying adaptable and resilient through setbacks
- Keeping purpose at the centre of decision-making
- Building solutions that create real impact
Her story is a reminder that innovation can come from the simplest observations, and that meaningful change often starts with one person choosing to act.
Moments That Affirm the Journey
Some of the standout milestones for Aqeebah include seeing her business expanding into multiple communities, receiving heartfelt feedback from households who now save money every month, and witnessing the transformation of women who find independence through the agent model. These wins reaffirm that Diamond Sparkle is not just cleaning homes. It is changing lives.
Advice for Entrepreneurs Walking a Similar Path
Aqeebah’s guidance to fellow founders reflects the clarity and compassion that drive her business:
- Start with what you have, and start now. Courage and consistency matter more than perfect circumstances.
- Build around real community and customer needs. Your business must solve genuine problems.
- Stay resilient and keep learning. Entrepreneurship will test you, but growth comes from persistence, adaptability, and surrounding yourself with a supportive network.
A Standout in the Bellville Connect Level Up Programme
Aqeebah recently participated in the Bellville Connect Level Up Business Programme, an eight-week hybrid initiative that offered expert-led workshops, mentorship and strategic coaching, and culminated in a final live pitch event.
Among many talented entrepreneurs, she was selected as one of the five standout businesses recognised and promoted at the Bellville Business Expo — a testament to her commitment, progress, and impact-driven business model.
