KARABO Sizane, a local producer of a home-made yogurt known as Sizane yogurt is a clear testimony to a famous quote by former American Basketball coach and player, John Wooden which says, “Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.”

Coming from a humble background and a family which depended heavily on farming, Sizane managed to persevere and branded herself as a yogurt specialist in Lithoteng, Maseru.

“It is so tasty,” she says, before going through her journey to where she is today and the challenges she encountered along the way.

She wanted to produce commercial custard, but it did not work so she moved on to yogurt which is currently driving people crazy, while at the same time marking a significant breakthrough for the young entrepreneur.

Before gaining success, however, she was introduced to a local organisation that assisted youth to make products that they could use to create their own businesses.

This is where she acquired the skills to produce rosehip jam. Shortly after acquiring all the necessary skills, another Good Samaritan funded her to finally realise her dream of becoming her own boss, but, things did not go as planned. The going was about to get tough.

“Yes, I started with the rosehip jam. Little did I know that knowing the recipe is one thing, but producing for the masses is another,” she recalls.

The first problem she experienced was packaging her product. After days of experimenting, she realised that using the right preservatives and practicing proper hygiene was necessary. Another challenge was how to get the preservatives in the right quantities. It was not clear how many preservatives she had to add.

“I have always thought I was a persistent girl but I gave up. I did not only lose money, I also lost time,” she says.