Neo Sekhesa is an entrepreneur running a manufacturing plant called House of Linford. House of Linford is a leading local beverages brand and a household name in Lesotho. Grab a seat and enjoy the drive as Neo takes us through how she founded House of Linford, her business philosophy and what the future holds for her brand.
Startup Story
Tell us about yourself.
I am passionate about food and material processing as well as education. I graduated with a B. Tech Degree in Biotechnology and I’m currently pursuing my Master of Business Administration (MBA).
What does your company do?
House of Linford is a micro-distillery located in Maseru. It is a manufacturing plant registered by Ministry of Trade and Industry with its products tested and approved by a South African beverage accredited institution. We produce a wide assortment of beverages using some locally grown raw materials. We produce Linford Vodka and Senate Gin.
Who are you targeting with your customers?
We target persons over drinking age limit (18). Our target market is also people who love to create memories from experiences while practicing responsible drinking.
What inspired you to start the business?
In tertiary, I didn’t understand why we had to buy products that we can make and because I used to spend most of my time in the school laboratories, I learned how to make alcohol. And when I was struck by unemployment for over 1.8 years, I decided to put my skills into practice. I turned my hobby into a business . This is how House of Linford was born.
Can you tell us more about your entrepreneurial journey?
I have always loved making money to buy myself nice things. My cousin and I had a small project named TuNe Duet which sold Masai inspired handbags and head-wraps. We would make good money, but we were not consistent because we were both at school in South Africa at the time. Then in 2018, House of Linford was born through the conceptualization of Linford Vodka which later released Senate Gin. In its existence, it has won Lesotho Start-up of the year in 2018, and it is through it, that I became a Woman In Africa 2019 laureate and a Mandela Washington 2019 Fellow.
What challenges have you faced in your entrepreneurial journey?
During the inception of the brands, Lesotho had not formed a Standards Body for locally produced beverages therefore we had to adapt South African Standards. This means even to test our products we have to continuously ship our samples to South Africa for accreditation. In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic crippled our cash-flow and almost forced us out of business because our products were declared non-essential according to Covid-19 regulations. We, however, saw and opportunity and pivoted to producing a sanitizer base. This helped us stay afloat during the pandemic. Another challenge we faced was a high demand of our products by our customers. This created a capacity problem as our equipment could not withstand this demand. This meant we had to raise funds to acquire more equipment to increase our capacity.
What are your future goals for your business?
We currently have 32 clients and plan to expand our database to have a 98% foot print in Lesotho in the next three years. We also want to diversify our products to meet the demands of our customers. Finally we intend to assist in reducing unemployment by providing jobs to skilled as well as unskilled labor as we continue to grow our company.
What is most fulfilling to you about being an entrepreneur?
IMPACT! It gives me a sense of purpose to know that my business is currently providing 8 jobs and because we are working with local farmers to supply us with raw materials, we are potentially feeding over 15 people, and providing a sustainable customer base for our suppliers. There is a potential to do more and our growth plan is intended to have even more impact.
Any advice for aspiring women entrepreneurs?
To aspiring entrepreneurs: Start where you are with what you have, don't let the lack of funds deter you from starting a business. To start a business, you need yourself and your passion. To grow your business, you need funds, consistency, discipline, and other attributes. If you start well, then the funds will follow.
To fellow entrepreneurs: The potential to change the economy of Lesotho is embedded in our businesses. Our businesses are pregnant with products and services with potential. Because they feed off us, we need to nourish ourselves mentally and therapeutically to help them give birth to economically viable products and services.
Contact Details:
Facebook: Linford Vodka & Senate Gin
Twitter: @LinfordVodka & @Senate_Gin
Instagram: Linford Vodka & Senate Gin
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