It was Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first elected female president, who said if your dreams do not scare you, then they are simply not big enough. Speak to Durban businesswoman Nelly Shezi and she will tell you about scary dreams that take you places. In just seven years she has not only realised her dream of running her own business, but she has managed to expand the footprint of the company to such an extent that she is exporting across Africa. And just as importantly, she is sharing that dream with hopeful young men and women through several skills transfer programmes. “It was not easy. Not by a long shot,” she says when asked about her decision to start Elegant Line Chemicals which manufactures and distributes a variety of chemical products, from domestic and industrial commodity chemicals to lubricants, personal care products and water treatment solutions. Born and bred in Durban, with a chemical background, she had been working for several years when she decided to take the plunge in 2007 and venture out on her own. “It was just time. I needed to do something for myself and I wanted to see if I could make a go of it.” With just herself, her dreams and a receptionist, Elegant Line Chemicals was born. With the head office, factory and laboratory in Durban, the company also has branches in Gauteng, Eastern Cape, Angola and Zimbabwe. “It has taken a lot of hard work and determination. Starting a small, medium and micro enterprise (SMME) is difficult enough, making a success of it even more so,” says Shezi. And she did it during a recession no less. Having been awarded the 2013 Africa SMME Award and more recently the Frost & Sullivan’s South African Entrepreneurial Company of the Year Award in the commodity chemicals space, the business has also been recognised as one of the country’s top emerging exporters. There is no stopping Shezi who has proven one does not have to be based in the economic hub that is Johannesburg to be successful. In fact, she believes there are some major advantages for manufacturers and shippers to be situated close to the ports. “The cost of logistics in Africa is high enough without adding extra cost to transportation by increasing a leg to the port. For me it makes sense to be based in my home town of Durban,” she says. But being Durban-based is just part of the secret to her success. She has rapidly grown Elegant Line Chemicals both within and outside South Africa on the strength of a robust business model that focuses on high product quality with innovative solutions, excellent customer service and imparting training to an industry with an acute skills shortage. “I import skills from Europe and America as much as I can and impart that to young people. We have to improve our skills base in Africa if we are going to increase our manufacturing sector – the lack of skills remains a major impediment.” With her first export shipment having arrived in Mozambique in 2010, she has gradually been growing her market and currently exports to some eight other countries including the DRC, Angola and the islands of Reunion. “We have been very clear in the strategy we have set out. We are not going out to conquer the world. We want to export from our Durban base where we manufacture most of our products to Africa. Next on the cards is Nigeria,” she said. But in true Shezi style it is not being rushed. She says it is important to have a very clear understanding of the market you are operating in. “We tailor-make solutions and have systematically expanded our footprint in southern Africa by partnering with local companies on the ground to benefit from their expertise, but also to make sure we get to understand the heart of the market.” She has also made sure that her business does not become the target of the big players in the chemical industry. “We cannot take on the big companies and therefore we have marketed our product directly to end-users and have developed a network of local distributors within the markets we serve.” Research and development are important aspects of the business. “As an entrepreneur one has to remain innovative and continuously work at extending one’s product line, keeping it viable and making sure it is meeting the needs of the market. At the same time we have kept it very simple – we don’t do fancy packaging and we use suppliers that are able to move our goods efficiently and effectively adhering to the strict ISO guidelines.” INSERT & CAPTION We are not going out to conquer the world. We want to export from our Durban base, where we manufacture most of our products, to Africa. – Nelly Shezi CAPTION 1 Product is loaded ahead of export at the premises of Elegant Line Chemicals in Durban. CAPTION 2 Hand sanitiser is one of the many products manufactured and distributed in Africa by Elegant Line Chemicals.
