Lebogang Sadiki may only be 26-years-old, but she has her feet firmly planted on the ground and her head in the game.

The owner of S'Africa Lamp Designs, Sadiki was born and raised in Winterveldt, North of Tshwane. In 2019, she launched S’Africa Lamp Designs, which has an online store.

“I am deeply passionate about S’Africa Lamp Designs. It’s a fresh concept looking at modern African contemporary lamp designs. My lamps and lamp shades are made to represent different African tribes, especially South African tribes,” she says.

Her inspiration came from Africans, who she describes as ‘colourful, bold and beautiful’. “This is exactly what my brand celebrates. It was a profound moment for me when I conceptualised my idea of using different African colours and the cultures they represent, to decorate homes,” she says.

Sadiki, who completed her basic education in Tshwane before studying accounting at the University of Johannesburg, says S'Africa Lamp Designs is about more than just designing lamps. “It's also a way for me to celebrate my ancestors through art. I saw a gap in the market and I created a unique product that is practical and a beautiful representation of our diverse cultures,” she says.

While launching a new business is always challenging, Sadiki had the added impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) to contend with. “COVID-19 has made it harder to grow the business, but I am working tirelessly to make a success of it. It has been received well, people love the concept and the support has been great,” she says.

As for the future, Sadiki is looking forward to expanding her company into the commercial market and introducing S'Africa Home Decor.

“I am still writing the success story of my life. I still see myself as an ambitious entrepreneur and a game changer. The potential to grow it into something bigger has been my motivation since the inception of the business,” she says.

Her message to women is that there’s no dream too big to follow. “Women are the epitome of hard work and everything beautiful, and we should strive to follow our dreams,” she says

-This article was originally published in the GCIS Vuk'uzenzele.