Ronewa Creations
Dinah Kgeledi & Lesego Seloane
START-UP COSTS: ‘Early on, I funded the business and covered the basic costs,’ Dinah says. ‘We then got some funding for the necessary equipment, which was a great help, and within the next two years we purchased a vehicle. All in all, our start-up costs came to between R150 000 and R200 000.’
TURNOVER: ‘From 2019 to 2020, we turned over just below the R800 000 mark; now we are close to R1 million if not slightly above,’ Lesego says. ‘We started with a team of five, and now there are 25 employees on our books.’
With a background in botany and a passion for beautiful green spaces, auntand-niece team Dinah Kgeledi and Lesego Seloane decided to break into the male-dominated space of landscaping together.
What was the inspiration behind Ronewa Creations?
LESEGO: We were inspired by my grandmother (Dinah’s mother), who is an avid gardener. She’ll be 83 this year and she still tends to her garden in Soweto. I have an educational background in landscaping and botany, which is why she suggested that I look into developing a small landscaping business. In 2015, Dinah decided to go on this entrepreneurial journey with me.
DINAH: Being a business owner had always been something that I wanted to pursue, but I didn’t have the courage to leave the corporate world and step into it wholeheartedly. But with Lesego’s education and passion for this concept, I took the leap.
How were you received in this male-dominated industry?
DINAH: As we’ve grown with our team and clients, they’ve come to realise that we know our trade well and we aren’t afraid to jump right in and do the work, from mixing cement to digging holes for plants. Six years on, it’s nice to see how perceptions have changed.
LESEGO: We have to be strong both mentally and physically. From knowing the names of plants to leading a team of mainly men, you need a clear vision and the right talent on board, because it’s a tough job. You work in the rain, under the scorching sun… But our homeowner clients are so appreciative of their gardens, particularly since many of them are now working from home.
Tell us about your plant knowledge.
DINAH: We really wanted to provide more than just an average landscaping service: a service that is backed up by extensive knowledge of plants as well as what would work within a specific garden. We’ve done a lot of work to acquire the necessary knowledge regarding various types of plants and how to place them. LESEGO: We spend a lot of time on 3D designs to present to our clients.
What were some of your biggest challenges?
LESEGO: We went into this business as two women with a passion and a dream. We didn’t have any prior