Female Founder Name: Thembiso Magajana

Business Name: Social Coding SA

Industry: Technology

Instagram Handle: @thembiso_m

What inspired you to start your business?

My six-year-old niece. On her birthday we’d asked her what she wanted and she said she’d like to be Steve Jobs. After we had interrogated her on why  she wanted to be an “old white man”, she explained that what she really wanted was to be an innovator in the technology space. It saddened me that she only had Jobs  as a reference, and I decided that if I couldn’t find her a strong, black female to look up to, I’d create a space where she could become one.

When did you start?

Well unofficially, I started Social Coding in my sister’s garage in 2015, but only officially registered the business in 2017.

Why this specific industry?

Technology is an exciting space that is constantly growing and unfortunately not many young black women are given the platform to not only engage, but be supported to thrive in it. It was important for me to use my company as a vehicle to not only take up space as a young black founder, but to MAKE SPACE for more young black founders in tech.

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

Social media will deceive you into thinking you always have to show the world you’re “winning”. Constant need to show people that your business is thriving and you’re flushed with cash. II have learned not to eat my seed just to show people a pretend harvest.

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

God called me to entrepreneurship, so my definition of stability is rooted in His promise of provision, not in the security of permanent employment.

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

Pretending to be deaf when people tell me “no”. 

What’s your guiding business philosophy?

1. Serve your customers' needs and not your wants. 2. Do things better than anyone else. 3. Don’t be an asshole.

At what moment did this venture become real for you?

Our first million.

What is the most challenging part about being an entrepreneur?

Taming the ego. Always have to walk a fine line between believing in my God given brilliance and not believing that I am brilliant outside of God.

What makes it all worth it?

Being witness to our beneficiaries achieving their academic dreams – Social Coding serves rural communities in a way that no other non-profit we have come across does. Our mission is to help these marginalised communities leverage technology in order for a better future and when our students either matriculate with a full scholarship towards university or our older youth get full time employment due to our training programs, it is only then do I really feel a sense of accomplishment.

What advice do you have for someone just starting out?

1. Work harder than expected

2. Stay teachable

3. Give unselfishly

4. Read and write more

5. Show up on time

6. Quit complaining

7. Develop good manners

8. Be humble and show gratitude

9. Be kind and generous

10. Surround yourself with smarter people

How do you define success?

Our ability to generate revenue as a non- profit-  Many charities survive on individual donations as well as grants and sponsorship, however from the beginning of this business I have thrived to create a business that is not seen as a “dependant” of society, but as a VALUABLE contributor to social change and I am proud to say that Social Coding has been able to prove its value in such a way that companies are willing to pay for our digital training services and not just donate money.

What did you do differently from the rest of us?

Lol. I don’t know. I don’t focus enough on other people to know what they do right or wrong. Own lane, own pace, own focus.

What do you believe is the female founder effect?

The desire to impact, influence and make the lives of other people better through business.

What do you believe is the most impactful and immediate action society needs to move closer to Generation Equality goals?

It’s imperative that we create an active and collaborative platform between government, corporates and individuals, where we share strategies and outcomes that will encourage one another, learn from one another and hold one another accountable in pursuit of our equality goals. We have to show people that it is not enough to have ONE woman sit at a decision-making table. Equal gender engagement at management level is important and must go beyond tokenism.

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

Probably a cliche but definitely my mom. If I have seen that women conquer mountains, how could I not?

What is your superpower?

Having Jesus on my side.

What centres you?

God, my friends and family and travel

What is your next adventure?

We launched a new aspect of our training that encompasses virtual reality (VR), which I am extremely excited about and hopefully, you’ll allow me to touch a bit on it during the presentation. Several disciplines have investigated the interconnected empathic abilities behind the proverb “to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes'', to determine how the presence, and absence, of empathy-related phenomena affects prosocial behaviour. Empathy enables us to learn from others’ pain and to know when to offer support, which some could argue is crucial in problem solving as an entrepreneur. We’re looking at how similarly, virtual reality (VR) could allow individuals to step into someone else’s shoes, - through a perceptual illusion called embodiment - ,  and how considering these perspectives, the next generation of youth could look at technological upskilling as a non-traditional means of empathic practices that could help solve complex problems in the workplace and in business.