Startup Story
For some women entrepreneurs, one business leads to another, and in the case of South African entrepreneur, Inga Sebata, her business success has led to the creation of not one but three businesses. She is the founder of two clothing businesses, StitchedByInga and StitchedbyInga_Kids, and also co-owns a hair studio.
LoA chatted to the enterprising Inga Sebata to find out how she successfully juggles the challenges of building several businesses and managing her family life too.
Tell us more about yourself
My name is Inga Sebata, I am a businesswoman and the founder of a clothing line, StitchedByInga and StitchedByInga_Kids, I also co-own Lathitha Hair Studio, a luxurious but affordable hair salon based in Welkom, Free State in South Africa. I harness the power of social media for my businesses, and between my three Instagram pages, including my personal one, I have almost 8000 followers, and on Twitter I have over 900. I am passionate about fashion, family, client service and societal issues. I believe I am the kind of woman and individual that one can relate to, learn from, and share life’s moments with. I will not sugar coat anything, but I will speak the truth with a deep sense of compassion and understanding. Outside the areas of work, I am a loving wife and mother, and I enjoy reading, baking, and shopping.
“Honestly, launching StitchedByInga and Lathitha Hair Studio has been a dream come true. Growing StitchedByInga to what it is now, has been both challenging and rewarding.”
What does your company do?
I currently have three companies:
StitchedByInga, a clothing line creating adult tailored and ready to wear clothes
StitchedByInga_Kids - a ready to wear kiddies clothing range
Lathitha Hair Studio - a luxury but affordable hair salon
What inspired you to start your company?
I've always loved fashion, and when I passed matric I wanted to enroll in fashion design but applied late, so I took PR as a second option. After becoming a mom, and really digging deep into what truly makes me happy and who I am outside of parenting and being a wife, fashion was right up there on the list. So, I enrolled at Vega to study fashion and dress-making. When I was done with that, I entrenched my skills further and enrolled at Nubase Sewing Academy to learn pattern design and construction. The rest, as they say, is history.
Why should anyone use your service or product?
I go to clients for fittings to make their lives convenient (T&Cs apply), our turnaround times are pretty quick so clients don't wait long for their clothes. We deliver their clothes to their door.
Tell us a little about your team
My team is made up of both men and women, mostly young people. They are genuinely the hardest working team in the industry and I'm truly inspired by them. They are dedicated and energetic.
“I go to clients for fittings to make their lives convenient (T&Cs apply), our turnaround times are pretty quick so clients don't wait long for their clothes. We deliver their clothes to their door.”
“The plan is to eventually open branches in all South African provinces, both for StitchedByInga and Lathitha Hair Studio.”
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
Honestly, launching StitchedByInga and Lathitha Hair Studio has been a dream come true. Growing StitchedByInga to what it is now, has been both challenging and rewarding. I've experienced some big wins and some lows, but I have both the determination and drive to keep going. I'm committed to seeing StitchedByInga reach greater heights, and through the good and not so good times, I'm committed. Lathitha Hair Studio is still a baby, so it's going to need a lot of work and effort to grow, but I'm ready, along with my business partners - we were born ready!
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
The plan is to eventually open branches in all South African provinces, both for StitchedByInga and Lathitha.
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
Seeing clients happy, there's no feeling like that.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
Keep going, failures and mistakes don't mean your business is failing, it means you're learning how not to do it. Keep learning and keep growing. Be open to criticism also, it can only make you a better person.
Contact or follow StitchedByInga
WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | EMAIL info@stitchedbyinga.co
Why LoA loves it….
By their very nature, serial entrepreneurs are determined, committed, and extremely hard working people, something Inga Sebata knows all about. She is busy building three successful businesses, all diverse, all aimed at different markets, but each one driven by passion and a sense of what clients want and need. Inga is an inspiration to all those women entrepreneurs out there who have multiple business building dreams to fulfill and wonder what it will take to make them a reality. — Melanie Hawken, founder, Lionesses of Africa