A Life-Changing Opportunity Through Momentum’s Budget Speech Small Business, Big Success Initiative

Written By Sizwe Shabalala

This year, Lesedi Scientific Services, owned by Nompumelelo Ngcobo and Jabulile Morobi, was among the trio of winners of the Momentum Budget Speech ‘Small Business, Big Success’ Competition, and now have a life-changing opportunity to turn their small business into a big success.

The two women met in 2005 and have gone on to do impactful work over the years. Lesedi Scientific Services focus on the testing of food, water, detergent, disinfectant, and sanitizers. This service ensures the safety of products used and consumed by South Africans – from food to cosmetics.

When Momentum announced the return of the initiative, Jabu and Mpume jumped at the opportunity. They knew just how much it would mean for their company if they won a share of the prize.

*Jabulile Morobi and Nompumelelo Ngcobo, Owners of Lesedi Scientific Services*

“The prize money alone will make such a huge difference, enabling us to afford the right equipment needed for our lab to carry out laboratory tests. It has been so difficult to get funding. Running a business that relies so much on capital is a challenge. This competition by Momentum could not have come at a better time,” explains Mpume.

Testing is done to assist manufacturers and entrepreneurs to ensure their products are within the promulgated regulations and standards in their respective industries.

“One of the main barriers of entry in our industry is the capital required to get everything going. The equipment is very expensive, not only because of how sophisticated it is but also almost all the equipment is imported from overseas. In addition, we also face the challenge of securing funds for accreditation of our operations and that has delayed access to the market” says Jabu.

To get the business up and running in 2018, Lesedi Scientific Services started providing consulting services, which included assisting entrepreneurs with their product formulation, ISO standards and food safety auditing. The money generated from these services enabled the company to buy equipment and chemicals for their microbiology testing laboratory. The laboratory setup started in January 2021 and for the lab to be fully operational, they needed funds to buy testing instruments and chemicals.

*Jabulile Morobi, Co-Owner of Lesedi Scientific Services*

The company is currently in the process of securing their accreditation from the South African National Accreditation System (SANAS). So far, everything they have managed to accomplish has been without substantial funding support.

“The fact that the entrepreneurs we assisted have products in the market has been fulfilling. Manufacturers and producers make use of our services to ensure their products are market ready. To see those products on shelves in some of the biggest supermarket chains in South Africa is such a blessing,” says Mpume.

Lesedi Scientific Services also had their first group of students graduate with a respectable qualification and they have gone on to start their own careers. Inclusion is a big part of their business ethos and that is why they want to expand when it is possible to do so.

Having access to laboratories in urban areas is not unusual, but these services are still very scarce in rural communities. One of the main goals for Lesedi Scientific Services is to offer reliable and affordable access to these services for entrepreneurs operating in townships and rural areas.

*Nompumelelo Ngcobo, Co-Owner of Lesedi Scientific Services*

“One of our key successes is to see our company grow and establish itself in other parts of the country, especially in the rural areas,” explains Jabu. “This is important because people in townships and rural areas do not have access to such information and services on their doorstep and that is when you find people manufacturing products in their homes and going straight to market without verified product safety clearance. This poses a safety risk to communities that rely on these products. We need to make sure that we are playing our part in ensuring the safety of consumers and manufacturers,” she adds.

The company currently has a total of four employees made up of two directors and two students from Vaal University of Technology (VUT). The decision to bring students on board is a result of a partnership between Lesedi Scientific Services and VUT stemming from the reality of students not having enough opportunities at their disposal to get Work Integrated Learning (WIL) in their fields of scientific studies. The company plays a crucial role in providing opportunities to students who can later go on to make a real impact in society.

One of their proudest achievements in the few years they have been operating is having the ability to purchase their own equipment after knocking on many doors to try and secure funding with no luck.

“It really has been so fulfilling to be able to say we have managed to set up an operational lab that we worked hard to establish from scratch – with nothing. One of the driving factors to our small success so far on this journey is our unwavering commitment,” Mpume reflects. “It has not been an easy journey, but we have remained committed and disciplined. From producing ideas to raise funds for equipment, to setting up the lab, it has definitely pushed us, but we have risen to the occasion every single time.”

As many startup entrepreneurs would agree, it is difficult to work without any real income stream. That is why Lesedi Scientific Services acknowledges the importance of the support they have received from their friends and families during this time. They were well taken care of and motivated to keep moving forward.

Jabu and Mpume also give huge credit and gratitude to Refractory & Metallurgical Solutions (RMS) in Vereeniging for the generosity they showed when they offered Lesedi Scientific Services a space to set up their lab at a time when it was proving to be more and more difficult to find the appropriate location for their operations.

Jabu admits that being in this industry as two black women, essentially doing it by themselves, comes with many hurdles. The recognition from Momentum is going to relieve the pressure as they look to steer the business to the next level.

“This has been such a long journey for the both of us. Back in the early 2000s we both decided we wanted to start a business of this nature, some day. Looking around now and seeing our dream come to fruition is a blessing we do not take for granted. I believe in God’s perfect timing.”

Lesedi Scientific Services prides itself in its empowering of young people, especially from rural communities and this is something they hope to continue at an even larger scale as the business grows.

“The struggles we had to endure just to get to where we are, really opened our eyes and made us realise that our experience is not unique. There are many other people out there who come from the same backgrounds, and they also face these struggles. This is why, for us and our business, inclusion is so important. We must lift others as we rise. It is not just about us and our success.”

You often hear people saying, not to mix friendship and business, but for Jabu and Mpume it feels like the perfect pairing.

“Jabu and I complement each other and that’s one of our biggest strengths in our relationship as friends and as business partners,” reflects Mpume. “Where I am weak, she is strong and what I lack, she has in abundance – and vice-versa. When I do not have the will to get up in the morning, she is always there ready to motivate me to show up as the best version of myself. That is special.”

“I do not believe it was a coincidence that Nompumelelo and I crossed paths when we did. Nompumelelo has such a big heart and I have grown so much as a person because of her. Every day we show up for each other in ways I cannot even begin to put in words. Our business is where it is today because of how strong our bond is as business partners and friends,” says Jabu.

*Head of Brand at Momentum, Charlotte Nsubuga-Mukasa with 2022 winners, My Online Therapist and Lesedi Scientific Services*

Head of Brand at Momentum, Charlotte Nsubuga-Mukasa says she is most looking forward to seeing small business plans taking big steps to realise audacious and unmet dreams. “I am excited for new ideas of how we can take this property to entrench its authenticity and purpose in more lives, post the campaign,” says Charlotte. “Watching the winners rise as we partner with them in our #SheOwnsHerSuccess Women’s Month campaign in August is going to be very exciting.”