For many business owners and entrepreneurs in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, July 2021 will remain etched in their memories, albeit for very unpleasant reasons.
Many of them saw their businesses literally go up in smoke during the riots and mayhem when businesses and shops were looted in frenzy by uncontrollable crowds. While some were forced to close shop, others are still battling to recover.
Sugeshni Naidoo, owner and director of Enermous Foam Tapes and Pressure Sensitive Adhesives(corr), was one such business owner who watched in horror when her dream was reduced to ashes. But she found enough resolve to resume her operations after the destruction.
Naidoo regards herself as an adventurous soul, who can handle tasks that some find difficult. When she embarked on a business venture of manufacturing value-added polyurethane and pressure sensitive adhesive products many years ago, she was confident that while it would not be easy, the venture was bound to succeed.
She explained how she had identified the need in the automotive, building and construction, white goods industries and others. “I realised that I had the skills and potential to take advantage of this opportunity and wanted to make a positive change in the employment status in the industry.”
Naidoo described herself as an individual with a strong desire for challenges who was open to taking risks. But while she had managed to navigate her way around difficult negotiations with employees, customers and suppliers, even she was shell shocked by the July 2021 events.
“In 2021 we were impacted (badly) by the riots that occurred in KZN, resulting in my factory being completely destroyed, which represented 15 years of hard work and progress,” she recalled.
As if that was not enough, following the rebuilding from the fire, Naidoo faced another setback as her business which is located in the industrial area of Mkondeni, was affected by the floods that swept over many parts of the province in April 2022.
Naidoo admitted that the manufacturing industry remains tough after all these years. “Securing access to the market as a Black woman entrepreneur is a challenging endeavour”, she said explaining that it was important to stay strong in order to survive in the field.
Aside from a clear business plan, Naidoo said it was equally important for an entrepreneur to find something that would keep them going even under the toughest circumstances.
“My passion and love for what I do, and my staff, knowing I can make a positive difference in people’s lives are what drives me,” she said.
Naidoo’s resilience in the business world has seen her getting accolades, including the Pietermaritzburg and Midlands Chamber of Business’ Champion Entrepreneur of the year in 2022, an award which she said owed to the teamwork by everyone in the company.