Afripreneur
Prudence Ramotso: The South African entrepreneur who turned her love for shoes into a brand
Prudence Ramotso, Founder and CEO of PRUDENT (Source: Prudence Ramotso)
Prudence Ramotso is a South African young lady who is passionate about fashion and envisioned a different kind of a brand that cares about customers and offer high quality products services. She decided to follow her dreams by creating the brand PRUDENT. A brand with designs inspired by African names, Prudent Shoes is a South African Shoe Brand established in 2019 and manufactured by one of the best and finest stylish shoe makers in Italy. In this exclusive interview with Alaba Ayinuola, Prudence shares her entrepreneurship journey, the gap her brand is filling in the industry and the future. Excerpt.
Alaba: Could you briefly tell me about yourself and your brand?
Prudence: My name is Prudence Ramotso, I was born and raised in the Vaal (Sebokeng). I love shoes and fashion , I am ambitious and goal driven. I realized there was a gap in the South African female footwear when I was shopping around for shoes back in 2016, my entrepreneurial spirit couldn’t let this to rest. After my research in 2019 PRUDENT shoes was born, we offer what was missing in the market which is good quality shoes at affordable prices and shoes that have characters from the African names that are engraved on the outsoles.
Alaba: What inspired you to go into entrepreneurship and start Prudent?
Prudence: The rate of unemployment in South Africa increases daily and knowing that I have the ability to make a difference and create jobs in the future inspires me everyday. I took my love and passion for shoes and turned it into a brand that fills the gap in the female footwear industry. It started in my bedroom on my cell phone. I left my full time job as a financial advisor for an insurance company and gave birth to PRUDENT shoes in 2019 and I never looked back again.
Alaba: What makes your brand USP stand out and how has the market responded to your products?
Prudence: Our shoes are made of high quality material and attention to details (better workmanship). Our insoles are glued and stitched on, with our unique style names engraved on the outsoles. Like the brand name says PRUDENT, you take prudent steps when walking in our shoes, which means taking careful and calculated steps you think for the future.
The market response is very good, customers are happy with the quality and saying the shoes make them comfortable. Most customers say the shoes speak to them laughing.
Alaba: Any challenges so far since you launched early this year?
Prudence: The challenges we have is reaching a big scale of the market and getting the brand out there.
Alaba: In what way do you think the South African government can support entrepreneurs?
Prudence: Government must encourage localism, encouraging customers to “buy local” is a pillar of regional development strategies. There are products that are not manufactured in South Africa due to lack of suppliers, however they are South African brands and they make us a competitive country. Also, the government should give small businesses a real advantage in procurement policies and the process must be clear, protective and accessible to all small businesses.
Alaba: Where do you see your brand in 5 years?
Prudence: I see my brand growing and being the trusted female footwear brand in South Africa and in 10 year recognized globally. Also, as a brand helping fight the high rate of unemployment.
Alaba: How do you feel as an African entrepreneur?
Prudence: Being an African entrepreneur feels amazing at the same time is hard and exciting. We are 6 of the 10 fastest growing economies as Africa and the ease of doing business in Africa is improving to an extent that a good number of countries including South Africa, Ghana, Mauritius and Tunisia now outperform China, India, Brazil and Russia, we can say our future is bright as AFRICAN entrepreneurs.
Alaba: A little piece of advice to young and budding entrepreneurs out there?
Prudence: Believe in yourself and your dreams, it is true your network is your networth. Be persistent and never give up, start where you are with what you have and go for it. If you can imagine it , you can do it!
As part of Veuve Clicquot’s ongoing commitment to supporting and celebrating women in business, the Maison has created the Bold International Barometer in 2019 to shed light on and provide meaningful insights into the evolution of female entrepreneurship. Now in its 3rd year, the Barometer continues to lead the conversation around women and their presence in business, offering a deep dive into the data on female entrepreneurship in South Africa.
In 2023, over 49,000 women and men from 25 countries were surveyed. Encouragingly, South Africa’s data results speak to a robust female-led industry. The survey, which was self-administered online, asked respondents to give their views on several statements relating to the nuances of being a business owner and entrepreneur. Taking a global look first, the survey suggests that the rate of female entrepreneurship has slowed and is even diminishing in some countries. In some cases, this is due to both external—such as ongoing geopolitical crises—and internal factors, like striking a fair work-life balance.
This, however, is not the case in South Africa, where the data suggests a dynamic environment for women, fueled by a contagious desire among them to become entrepreneurs. Amanda Dambuza, Founder and CEO of Uyandiswa and the 2017 winner of the International Businesswoman Award by Veuve Clicquot says, “I am forever impressed by the spirit of South African female entrepreneurs. Despite the many challenges they face, they get up and back themselves to ‘bring home the bacon’. Next to Nigeria, we stand shoulders above the rest with high numbers of females identifying as entrepreneurs.”
In short, female entrepreneurship in South Africa is flourishing. South Africa stood out as one of the global leaders in female entrepreneurship where, currently, 61% of women self-identify as entrepreneurs (primarily aged between 20 to 29). According to the survey, they tend to be better educated and have higher incomes than their male counterparts. Yet they remain concentrated in lower-income sectors like beauty, food, retail, and fashion, while men dominate tech. However, in industries such as transportation, finance, and real estate, there is relatively equal representation, suggesting there could be potential for more women to succeed in these fields, should they want to diversify.
WHAT’S MOTIVATING WOMEN TO BECOME ENTREPRENEURS?
According to the data, 39% of female respondents said ‘that being your own boss’ was the biggest driver for becoming an entrepreneur. Despite this, most women and half of men agree that it is more difficult for women to become entrepreneurs. Further to this, most women concur that securing business funding is easier for men, a view that remains consistent with previous years.
“This finding resonates deeply with me,” says Morongwe Mokone, the 2024 Bold Woman Award by Veuve Clicquot winner and Co-Founder of Mo’s Crib.
“It highlights the persistent gender and structural barriers that women face.” She continues by commenting on the need for strong role models among respondents, with most women and men agreeing on their importance. This emphasizes the need for female visibility and representation,” Morongwe adds. 72% of aspiring South African female entrepreneurs can name a successful woman they admire, surpassing the global average.
Refilwe Sebothoma, 2024 Bold Future Award winner and Founder of Hakem Energies adds, “It remains our responsibility to keep forging a way for those who come after us. In this way, success doesn’t become a too far-fetched idea but a reality which can be attained by fellow women entrepreneurs.”
However, as glowing as some of these statistics may be, women still face challenges that, in many cases, their male counterparts don’t experience. In addition to difficulties accessing funding, women also must navigate balancing work and family, with 63% of women and 56% of men agreeing this is harder for female entrepreneurs. Further to that, since the conversation about working women can’t happen without mentioning their families, half of the female respondents believe that female entrepreneurship disrupts family life, compared to only 25% who feel the same about male entrepreneurship.
“Women must know without a shadow of a doubt that despite cultural and family pressures, they deserve to pursue their dreams of entrepreneurship,” says Amanda.
Further to this, two-thirds of women say that managing entrepreneurship with family life is harder for women, and about half say that working full-time affects family life. This indicates that while entrepreneurship is thriving amongst women in South Africa, there is still much work to be done to support women getting into business, as well as helping them stay there. “It is encouraging to see the growth and resilience of women in this field despite economic challenges,” says Morongwe. “However, it is essential to focus on breaking down the barriers that limit women’s participation in higher-revenue sectors and ensure equal access to funding opportunities. By addressing these issues and promoting diverse role models, we can further empower women and drive sustainable economic growth.”
“Authenticity, resilience, and just being ourselves is very important. As women, we need to keep making a difference, no matter how insignificant we think it is because when that impact is replicated, women will change the world,” concludes Refilwe.
Balladjigui FOFANA, a young Franco-Malian entrepreneur based in France. Passionate about law for several years, he is a lawyer and founder of MYJOBHELP.FR, a platform specializing in international recruitment, international mobility and the completion of administrative formalities for the employment of foreign employees.
Balladjigui has always believed that talent has no borders, and that it should be within everyone’s reach, no matter where they are in the world. In terms of training, he holds a Master 2 in Corporate Law and another in Management and Human Resources Management. He has had several experiences including at the Mutualité Française, then at Couleurs de Tollens and TGS France.
Driven by an entrepreneurial soul and a desire to impact his community, he decided to launch his own company: “MyJobHelp” in October 2022. Convinced that he had found his way, he decided 2 years later (in July 2024) to focus 100% on his career as an entrepreneur.
MyJobHelp makes it possible to secure the recruitment of foreign workers to offer French and international companies access to competent profiles from all walks of life. Work permits, changes of status, visas, residence permits, recruitment, expatriation… MyJobHelp takes care of everything! From now on, don’t worry about paperwork. By trusting MyJobHelp, you are choosing to work in complete serenity and security.
Brown T is a family business launched by two women, sisters, Soraya and Melissa Saidi, and afro-feminists. Born and raised in France in an environment where black/mixed-race women were underrepresented. Having both had the same educational background, they progressed in the world of nursing in order to help and safeguard the health of their neighbors.
However, Soraya and Melissa have always known that they had a mission within their community. To participate in its elevation, particularly with the emancipation of women in all its forms. Their background has allowed them to acquire skills in terms of listening and analyzing the needs of the population and they have therefore decided to use them in the world of marketing to meet the needs of Afro-descendant women.
Brown T wants to encourage the upliftment of black women from an economic, social and cultural perspective. To do this, Brown T is committed to exclusively highlighting Afro-descendant women designers. By giving them exclusive visibility, Brown T wants to be a pillar in the circular economy within the Afro community.
In addition, Brown T is socially engaged by focusing on creating a caring Afro-centered and feminine community that aims to help women on a daily basis feel better about themselves, accept themselves and embrace their differences and their history. Brown T aims to become the benchmark marketplace that offers a solution adapted to the specific needs of Afro women while favoring healthier products that are respectful of the environment and promote overall well-being and self-confidence.
Brown T marketplace offers more than just hair and body products; it provides a holistic experience that values health, natural beauty, Afro entrepreneurship, and sustainability. The brand provides opportunities for Afro women to care for themselves holistically, with a focus on their health, well-being and cultural identity.
