Reintroducing Foji Sports, a sportswear brand created from ultra-seamless, extra-shaping material with love by yours truly, Asanda Foji Mandindi.
Asanda came back home this year in January after relocating to the Netherlands for four years. This incredible mom, actor, and entrepreneur was looking forward to opening her store this December for her brand but that is on hold for now, as the brand has to go under re-establishment, re-launch, and be re-introduced to the SA market all over again – with plans to open the first store in Melville 2023. To keep that fire burning, and remind Mzansi of Asanda’s brand we were fortunate enough to have had an amazing engagement with her.
Please tell us about your journey as a businesswoman and where it all started.
“My entrepreneurial journey began literally on the first of January in 2017. I had thought a lot about establishing my Activewear line in 2016 because I’m a gym fanatic, and sportswear has always been my first love. So, it was my New Year’s resolution on the 31st of December 2016 that I started my Activewear line and I was to let nothing stop me from fulfilling that goal, knowing perfectly well that I had been given the strength and the means by our Lord to do it. I took a sketchbook and I designed my sportswear line having no background in designing sketches whatsoever, but because I had a vision of how they’d look and feel on the body, my hand just kept moving until I had about 5 designs sketched down by the end of the day”.
“Also, I come from a bloodline of successful business people, from my maternal grandfather who was not well educated but a very successful and powerful businessman - to my aunts and etcetera. So, I guess my bloodline made me want to start my own company, the desire to be my boss, the passion that wakes me up at night and my need to do all I can for my son drove me miles into business, and besides, if it’s in your blood, you can never outrun your destiny”.
In starting your sports brand what challenges did you come across and how did you tackle those? “Main challenge was catching myself spending too much money paying tailors around Johannesburg - who charged me an arm and a leg to make one gym set a time because I had no business background. I must admit I had not done my research well and was quite impulsive from the start driven by passion and no thorough thinking about the proper logistics of the business, like the ins and outs, and tackling setbacks”.
“So, I started doing the necessary research on standard operating business procedures, how to learn my target market, knowing where they are and how to reach them. I also started making practical funds allocations on the business and also making certain that I made my money back first (money used to establish the business) before even thinking I have any profit. I also found reputable, yet cost-effective shipping companies to partner with and ensured that my clients receive their shipments on time and in perfect condition, and that massively dropped the number of customers who wanted to get refunds."
What would you say it’s the most interesting thing about running a business of your own? “The most interesting thing about running a business has been realizing how limitless a future as an entrepreneur is, as there’s so much one can do in business and such endless possibilities. Also, having unrestricted control of the business, managing my business’s day-to-day operations and also having the freedom to make any long-term decisions on my own and having to deal with the outcome of making those decisions, whether good nor bad”.
What are other businesses under your sleeves and the services/products they offer?
“Other than Foji Sports, the sportswear brand for women I also launched a swimwear line this year called ‘Millionaire-Queen Swimwear ‘which is a sub-brand of Foji Sports. There’s also ‘Foji Kids’ that was also launched under Foji Sports, another sub-brand that focuses on kid’s sportswear from the age of 3 years to 14 years”.
“I co-own Busanda Home Decor together with my husband - our main focus on Busanda is strictly Home ‘Lounge’ Decor and we have stalls all over Johannesburg. Also, I am a partner of ‘Devine Interventions’ - an NPO that we started together with my husband to help our communities back home where we grew up with food parcels, created annual soccer and netball cups to get teenagers off the streets, away from the temptation of using drugs and making babies while young, keeping them busy after school, also keeping them fit physically and mentally which has increased their school results drastically and etcetera”.
What brand is your favorite brand in Mzansi, other than your own and why? “My favorite South African brand is undoubted ‘Bathu’. It’s simple why I love the brand really because Theo had a vision, a goal, and a plan and he executed it with passion and gracefully so. Though his journey looks painless and easy, I as a fellow entrepreneur clearly understand the sleepless nights he has had, and still has to get his brand where it is today. He is more than a hard worker - he is a mover and a shaker and that wins over any hard-working person. Besides, South Africa is filled with hard workers but our economy is still going down because before working hard you need to spot opportunities granted to you or not even granted most times (because things will hardly just be given to you), identify them, grab them with both feet and hands and run with them. Smart workers with a vision and a goal always win and hard workers not always, and that’s why the brand Bathu inspires my brand and me to date”.
What role are your businesses playing in fighting unemployment in Mzansi? “My business has been employing women since its launch as our suppliers, we use only female suppliers - women marketers - collaborators - and distributors to do our bit to fight unemployment in SA. And I believe even if it’s only women we’ve been working with thus far, we’re doing our part as best as we can”, she added.
Lastly, when not busy with your business – what do you do to keep sane? “When home and not busy, I’m driving around enjoying the fresh air as my car is my second home, I even work in my car for hours at times. Or else I’m lying on my couch reading old scripts, putting myself in check and ready for what comes next in my career, and if not that, then I’m watching a reality show on TV and learning a lot more about our stories as black people in South Africa”.