No soft soaping for sales here

2026-03-16 - 05:13

More than two decades ago, as an eight-year-old girl, Dr Imaan Essop entered a business competition without formal training or mentorship and was a featured entrepreneur in the Sunday Times. She is not only a bachelor of medicine and surgery graduate from Shandong University in China, she also the founder of Queen Mojadji’s Handcrafted Luxuries. The company of Johannesburg produces handcrafted products rooted in quality, originality and South African identity. Being the youngest contestant, the victory came as a surprise but also planted the seeds of confidence that would shape her future. “Winning gave me a huge confidence boost. “It confirmed that I naturally understand certain business concepts and how to turn ideas into something real. “It felt almost like a gift, being able to see what works and act on it quickly,” she said. Essop said that experience shaped how she views business today and showed her early on that age or formal education is not what determines whether someone can succeed in entrepreneurship. Building a proudly South African brand Today, her instinct continues to guide her entrepreneurial journey. The brand name is inspired by the legendary Rain Queen Modjadji, a historic symbol of leadership and abundance. For Essop, the name reflects her desire to keep the brand proudly South African while building something that can grow beyond national borders. “I am proudly South African and I believe our country has an incredible entrepreneurial spirit. “You see it everywhere, from people running small businesses on street corners to large international companies,” she said. Milestones and missed opportunities Her entrepreneurial journey has not been without challenges though. Over the years, she has experienced both the excitement of major business milestones and the frustration of missed opportunities. One highlight was supplying big clients such as the Four Seasons Westcliff and Nedbank. These were moments she describes as powerful validation of her work. But the road to the top has not been without setbacks. While studying overseas, she once received a large order in South Africa for more than 3 000 items but was unable to fill it because she was not physically present. Experiences like that taught her that entrepreneurship is not only about finances, but also about managing expectations, emotions and setbacks. ALSO READ: Fraud blamed for Tongaat Hulett collapse Creative ventures and mentorship Beyond her main business, Essop has launched other creative ventures. These include Tortured Treats, a playful “therapy in a box” concept that allows people to decorate and humorously destroy cookies representing someone they “love to hate”. She also owns If Designs, a personalised apparel brand producing locally made streetwear. Across all her ventures, Essop says the core philosophy remains the same: celebrating creativity, individuality and SA craftsmanship. She also mentors aspiring entrepreneurs through the National Mentorship Movement, sharing practical lessons learned through what she calls the “school of hard knocks”. Looking ahead to global expansion For young South Africans hoping to start businesses, her advice is simple: start now with what you have. “Your idea does not have to be perfect. Just begin. “Trust your instincts, take the risk, and keep going, even when people say no,” Essop said. She confessed that entrepreneurship can be demanding, unpredictable and there are moments when giving up appears to be the only option. There were moments, Essop said, when she seriously wondered if this was going to work. “During those times I would ask myself a very simple question. “Would I rather be doing something else? “I had to answer that honestly instead of assuming that something else would automatically be easier. “There is a difference between going to bed exhausted and dreading the next day, and going to bed exhausted but still feeling excited about what you are building. “That distinction told me a lot,” she said. However, even during the hardest periods, she still believed deeply in what she was creating. Essop stressed the importance of support, saying over time she found friends who, even if they did not fully understand entrepreneurship, could hold space for her during the difficult moments, especially when she was being difficult or in a foul mood. With three employees and a growing network of suppliers and partners, her ambition is to expand Queen Mojadji’s Handcrafted Luxuries internationally. The dream is to one day see her products on store shelves in major cities like New York, London and Shanghai. READ NEXT: Mpumalanga women lead small-scale farming revolution