The Female Founder Effect with Siba Mtongana

Female Founder

Siba Mtongana

Business Name

The Siba Co - Food Solutions and Innovation Holdings Company

Industry

Food and Hospitality

Instagram Handle

@sibamtongana

What inspired you to start your business?

I've always been an entrepreneur at heart, from growing up and right through my university days supplying muffins at cost price to the tuckshop at res to working in a restaurant at weekends, being a tutor while studying and more. I think it's the freedom of independence to pursue what I was truly passionate about, which is food and people and the independence of making my own money. But not only that but being able to work at a speed because working for myself meant I had no reporting line and I could act on opportunities as I saw fit without needing permission to do so. After many years of being in the industry, I also identified a gap in the market for an elevated approach to our African food which was always treated or portrayed as 'poverty food' and I wanted to contribute to a greater good of elevating it on an international market. Last but not least, giving back to society by giving families solutions on easy and nutritious recipes to make at home, and also being a great contributor to the food industry with training, mentoring and creating jobs in the industry. The vision is bigger than me.

When did you start?

Careerwise, it started with choosing food as a career of choice and enrolling for a four year bachelor’s degree in Food and Consumer Sciences with majors in Food Science and Nutrition back in 2003-2006. The Siba Co was founded in 2015, however I've been working in the food industry for over 13 years now.

Why this specific industry.

I've always been passionate about food and very curious from a young age, especially with science. Growing up I used to create my own spice combinations without knowing I was creating food products and innovating in my mother's kitchen. I was also fascinated by the relationship we had with food and how it brings families, friends and strangers together and the science behind food. That's when I felt I didn't want to just make it a passion but rather be a professional and build a solid foundation through education to acquire knowledge, skills and experience in order to be a credible voice in the industry hence my bachelor's degree. I decided that this is the industry I want to be in and even before I started at university, I told myself that I was going to be a contributor and a giver to play an active part in elevating and transforming the industry.

What obstacles did you face starting up, and how did you overcome them?

I was a first time entrepreneur in my family, so I didn't have anyone I could lean on for business advice and I didn't necessarily come from a well to do family. I had to build everything from scratch and learn as you go and rely on books, online material, business partners etc. On my first venture in business I was swindled by my 'business partners' which was so hurtful. When the money started flowing, problems and greed started. I lost money and lost even more money through lawyer’s fees trying to fight for my money. It was so bad that year I went into depression a few times from this experience as they were people I thought I knew and trusted. Mind you I was being celebrated for all my accolades in industry, but deep inside I was sad and at war. That was a baptism of fire for me in business. I learnt so much in that process and learnt not to be too trusting. In hindsight, that experience made me wise and taught me to be more vigilant and shrewd. I am grateful that the incident happened back then while I was starting rather than later on as the loss would have been much greater and too much school fees to pay.

What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned since starting your business?

Hard to pin down one as there are so many. But the more recent one is: Don't just build to last but rather build to adapt to change in order to last. Covid-19 taught us that.

Why work for yourself when there’s stability in working for others?

I'm more of a freethinker and someone who's very agile and nimble. I worked in corporate for over 5 years and it was a great foundation for me for what I'm doing now, but even when I was there I knew my calling was to build a business. I am a creator and love to pioneer and I often got very frustrated with not being able to exercise my full potential because of corporate red tape. I saw being independent as a way of fully expressing my creativity into life with more ease. As well as an avenue I could create an income stream I envisioned I could make and just as a point for growth. It was scary and exciting at the same time. So, I jumped and I've never looked back.

What is the one characteristic that you possess that has helped make you so successful?

Clarity and consistency.

I'm very clear on what I do, where I'm going, how I'm getting there, with whom I will get there. Food and people are at the very core it all. How I know that strategy has been so successful, you can ask anyone who Siba is and what she does and the answer may be different but point to the same thing!

What’s your guiding business philosophy?

There's no substitute for hard work, however, it's not only about hard work but also working smart. Overtime I've learnt that there are things I wasted so much time on which were time consuming but we're not necessary. I've discovered smarter ways of tackling them which has been so helpful in maximising the use of my time and getting enough time to rest too.

At what moment did this venture become real for you?

I think when we published my debut cookbook which was published by The Siba Co it was our first product in the market as a business. It became a bestseller in a short space of time and even bagged a prestigious Special Award Of The Jury at the Gourmand Awards in China in 2017. That's when I knew the market was appreciative of my work beyond the successes of my cooking shows, Cooking With Siba and Siba's Table which all have won awards locally and internationally.

What is the most challenging part about being an entrepreneur?

Everything is on you, especially financially. The responsibility of having employees can be very daunting and stressful at times when the business is hard hit as it was with COVID-19. Also you constantly have to grow which is very beneficial for your business pivoting often comes with some challenges to navigate through. So one has to be very resilient in order to survive and thrive.

What makes it all worth it?

Realising your dreams at a faster rate than you ever thought or imagined and seeing how it benefits society and the industry at large. I think for me it goes beyond my personal ambitions but rather how everything we do helps other people and this varies from making their lives better from when we get feedback on how unforgettable their experience has been at SIBA - The Restaurant, how the cookbooks have improved people lives at home and even saved their marriages or how the cooking shows have made them better cooks and influenced their kids eat better, better yet when others look up to you as their inspiration and for inspiration and know that if Siba can achieve this, they can too. That's fulfilling!

What advice do you have for someone just starting out?

Always start by asking yourself why you want to do it. Have a written plan, begin with the end in mind and work backwards because that will help you stay in the game in hard times.

How do you define success?

Success is being able to offer something phenomenon and meaningful to the world while doing what you love and getting paid for it! It's also about being able to be agile to the different business climate and surviving storms, growing and eventually thriving and having a sustainable business.

What did you do differently from the rest of us?

I believed in myself in times when others were very skeptical. In fact from Christian perspective we would say, I yielded to the gentle promptings and nudges of the Holy Ghost (what most call, the gut feel). In different points of my career, I took the road less travelled. Early on I got into food before it became a trend, in fact I added so much charisma and charm to this industry that made food trendy when it was previously seen as not to an extent that many had the will to pursue it as a formidable career, especially in black families after me. Later on, I left formal employment to pave a way for myself in business which was seen as a careless move at the time more so that I was pregnant with my first child but look which in the end was a great move. Then in business, I decided to self-publish my first cookbook rather than going with a publisher for various reasons and even though it was hard in the beginning, it paid off very well in the end. I opened a restaurant in Cape Town’s prime spot in a five star hotel during a pandemic and many thought I was crazy but it was so successful that we are now renovating to create bigger space to seat more guests. So, what I am saying is the path less travelled has tremendous benefits when it yield results and don't be afraid to be the awkward, crazy one at first when others don't get your vision then. They will - in due time.

Which woman has positively impacted you in your career/business? And what is the one lesson she taught you?

I have had so many women who have played a very positive role over my life. Starting with my very precious mother. I have ‘intsebenzo yakhe’ directly translated I have my mother’s productivity, resourcefulness and strength. Then there are the likes of Dorah Sitole, who passed away early this year and mentors like Nigella Lawson and Martha Steward that I enjoyed watching from afar.

What is your superpower?

Courage and resilience to take the roads less travelled which lends itself to new discoveries and being a pioneer! That is what caught the attention of Harvard Business School which led to them conducting a case study on my career and business journey.

What centres you?

Those who know me will know the answer to this question. Haha. The answer is God. He centres me and is my all-time anchor and the one who gives me strength when I am tired and weary. He is my everything! I love Him so much.

What is your next adventure?

Expanding, growing the business and implementing our strategy for the next three years is my next thrill, which includes the official launch of our fine dining hospitality offering, SIBA - The Restaurant at The Table Bay Hotel, V&A Waterfront, once the renovations are completed! So much more instore in the near future which we will reveal soon.

Best advice for female founders

Yes , you can have a successful thriving career and a family! It can be done, I am doing it.

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