Tshepiso Branding Solutions

“My late husband and I founded Tshepiso Branding Solutions in 2018. Our business exists on the premise of living our purpose and it goes beyond just making a profit. If we were in it just for the profit we would have gone back to corporate. “Our loyal customers that keep coming back to us appreciate the personal touches we add. We understand their challenges and visions as start ups because we are one too. They are not just customers but brands that we hope to grow with. Our “WHY” is co-creation of brand equity, because we know as our customers brands grow, so do we,” said Sarah. As previous owners of a reputable signage franchise, she and her husband were able to use their intelligence, resources and their complimentary skills to ensure that their customers received excellence on all fronts. Their services ranges from Indoor and outdoor signage, vehicle branding, printing services, graphic design, street pole adverts as well as digital strategy and implementation. Sarah also mentioned that Tshepiso Branding Solutions is committed to improving its customer base in South Africa and across the African continent and to growing the business into an asset of value that will have an impact locally and globally. “We also want to play an active role in the digital branding space while adding value to our customers’ brand exposure. To be an employer of choice by putting people first, to uplift and empower the youth and women with skills but lack knowledge on how to start and grow their own businesses,” she said, while adding that Tshepiso Branding Solutions is committed to addressing the early childhood development issues prevalent in our communities. How did your interest in business come about? “I was entrepreneurial from my early years but most out of necessity as opposed to passion. I can say that I had a clearer sense of what it means to run and own a business when I worked in a friend’s business as a Business Development and Marketing Manager. But essentially the decision came late in 2019 when my late husband shared the business vision of Tshepiso Branding Solutions with me and I was sold. I knew I was still employable but I wanted to be part of something more purposeful, something bigger than the average goals I had at the time,” she explained. When asked about people who inspire her she said; ”My late husband was my inspiration, he was just an amazing man who rebuild his life against all odds. He helped me to be a better me in all aspects and saw the best in me even when I didn’t. He taught me a lot about business hence I am still steering this ship. Vusi Thembekwayo is another person who inspires me. He is a realist; I love how he’s unapologetic about his convictions and how he made a success of himself. I am also inspired by a lot of my peers and business owners waking up daily to build their legacies while impacting lives positively. To me their efforts truly inspire and fire me up.” Both your mother and grandmother contributed towards your upbring... “Indeed. From birth until 1997 I was raised by my maternal grandmother in Ramokokastad, a rural town in North West. In 1998 I moved to Johannesburg to stay with my mom and two of my siblings in Sandringham where my mom was a live-in domestic worker. We had the opportunity to go to Model C schools and enjoyed the suburban life until my mother remarried and we moved to Meadowlands, Soweto in 2010,” said Sarah.