To succeed, doors must be pushed open – Swana
Starting a business requires mental, spiritual and body balance
Imani Business Advisory Services is a female-owned accounting firm that was established 15 years ago.
The Braamfontein-based company offers management consulting, accounting, VAT recovery and review, debt collection, training and development services.
The entity was founded by Nonyaniso Swana, 51. She says her biggest flex since the beginning of the business is that no one ever missed payment on their payday – not even during the pandemic days. This regardless of clients that would delay payments, or even avoid paying even when services were rendered with success.
Swana was completing her MBA from the University of Witwatersrand when she started the business in 2007. A year later, she bagged a contract from the government to offer financial advice.
“Second to having always paid the employees on time throughout the years,
I really appreciate that the National Treasury saw potential in my business and gave us a contract when we were new in that business space.
“However, I had a firm background in accounting because I am qualified and worked in the acounting and financial advisory space.
“We pride ourselves on being financial advisers for our government.
“It does not mean there are no challenges in this industry. When you start, you expect doors to be opened because people preach supporting black businesses and black success, but the reality is that you need to push some doors to open by yourself because no one is here to spoon-feed anyone,” says Swana.
She says starting a business requires mental, spiritual and body balance, stating this has been her recipe for success.
Swana says the accounting firm survived on three employees in the beginning to promote economic development of South Africa and the continent through streamlined business processes.
She now employs 23 people, a team that is ready to assist clients in all nine provinces.