What’s your name and designation?

My name is Suharni and I’m the Brand Manager at Tsukuru (Pty) Ltd.

Tell us about your journey. How did you get started with your business and what inspired you to do so?

I joined the company in an effort to grow my marketing skills. I tackled these tasks in a previous role with little guidance or growth (outside of the control of my employer) and realised I was passionate about connecting, communicating and representing.

Joining Tsukuru, I am now surrounded by growth-focused individuals who value authenticity, integrity, quality & discipline in achieving our diverse and common goals. While we all work to grow our team, we are free to explore our individual growth paths, values, and desires through our professional engagements and products.

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced when starting your business, and how did you overcome them?

I was naive.

I had no idea such a vast amount of knowledge existed when it came to strategising your growth, aligning your personal and professional goals and making your most unrealistic and far-fetched dreams a reality.

With my team, I am learning not only how to build my confidence with clients and partners, but I am also learning what fundamentally drives me to aspire and dream of what I will one day achieve.

What unique aspects of doing business in South Africa would you highlight (good or bad)?

Rooted in South Africa, Tsukuru aims to bridge a global outlook with internal growth.

Like all great South Africans – we listen. And you may laugh at this, but South Africans truly do listen, and we do so with great spirit and good humour.

While we humbly started as a reseller of rugged devices we believe encompass features built for African living, we started listing to what other issues our fellow businesses were encountering, and we started working on ways/systems/software that would help them with this.

In that, we have been able to find people and businesses, big and small that see the power of what a strong network of South African growth-focused organisations can do for our unique landscape – populated and wild.

How do you differentiate your business from competitors?

We’re client first. Always have been.

We are a collective team from diverse backgrounds across South Africa and the globe that love being South African. Experiencing South Africa. Supporting South Africa. Choosing to grow in South Africa.

What strategies have you found to be most effective in growing your customer base?

Listening. There is no shortcut to this.

We hear them out, we talk through what it is they want, we give them the best advice we can built on over 15+ years of industry and more than 30+ years of life experience.

We bring every horse to the water.

What’s one mistake you made early on that you wish you could go back and fix?

I wish we listened sooner.

What’s the most rewarding part of being a business owner?

Well, my CEO and COO said that “It’s seeing how the chance we took has created opportunities for our clients, our partners and our team.”

How do you approach innovation and staying relevant in your industry?

We love feedback! We love every bit of praise as much as we adore criticism.

We believe that even when receiving the worst, we are actually being gifted with the best possible tools to get better, more efficient and stay innovative and relevant.

How has your business adapted to the digital age, and what advice would you give to others looking to do the same?

Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

You won’t know everything, and neither will the next person, but together you can learn from each other and grow together.

What advice do you have for someone just starting a business in South Africa?

Think about your strategy! How does this align with your values? Where is your compass leading you?

For more information, visit Tsukuru’s listing.

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