16 November 2023 | Internal News
4 min read
Sorbet-Prenuer citizen comes full circle: once employed as a therapist, now Sorbet franchise owner
Sharon Dikgale, the first of four Sorbet Entrepreneur initiative winners, has been handed the keys to her very own Sorbet franchise. Bidvest Bank partnered with Sorbet for the Sorbet-Preneur initiative which is designed to give aspiring entrepreneurs, like Dikgale, an opportunity to own their own Sorbet Salon franchise.
As a new franchise owner of a Sorbet Salon, Dikgale received 50% of the investment required to set up her business, in the form of grant funding from Bidvest Bank. It also provided a business loan to cover the balance of the funding needed, which catered for initial operating costs. Dikgale was first employed as a beauty therapist at the very same Sorbet Salon in Northcliff that she now owns, 18 years later.
"Having also worked at other Sorbet salons in Johannesburg, I learnt about the different clientele in various regions. I also learnt that the purpose of what I do is to serve and improve the lives of our guests, and that was a huge paradigm shift for me. That filled me with much satisfaction and inner drive which I have kept ever since," says the mother of two.
As a franchise owner, one of Dikgale's goals is to pass it forward by assisting as many young women as she can. She is also aiming to change the perception of somatology as a career. Hannah Sadiki, Bidvest Bank CEO, added, "Entrepreneurial drive and ambition are essential to building a prosperous future in SA. We are very encouraged by the response and the quality of the finalists who took part in this initiative. Words cannot express how proud I was to stand next to Sharon when she received the keys to her new salon, bringing her career full circle."
RelatedArticles