1. What inspired you to start Lindiwe Sanitary Pads?
Lindiwe Sanitary Pads was inspired by the need to take back the menstrual economy. For too long, menstruation, something deeply rooted in women’s lived realities, has been commercialised and controlled by entities that neither reflect women’s experiences nor invest back into our communities. I wanted to disrupt that model.
We didn’t want to create a small, symbolic solution. We wanted to build Africa’s first female owned a sanitary pads manufacturing company, operating at an industrial scale, producing millions of pads and creating real economic participation for women across the value chain from manufacturing and logistics to distribution and market access. This was about dignity, ownership, power, and systemic change.
2. How does it feel having made such a positive impact on so many women across the country?
It is deeply affirming, but it also comes with responsibility. The impact goes beyond access to sanitary products. We are showing women and girls that they not only belong at the receiving end of aid, but they belong at the centre of production, ownership, and decision-making. Every pack we manufacture represents dignity, economic inclusion, and the reclaiming of space in an industry that historically excluded women from leadership and ownership. This is a product you naturally believe in.
3. How much easier is it to convince other people about it?
When belief is rooted in truth and quality, the conversation becomes honest. We are not selling a story; we are presenting a high-quality, locally manufactured product that competes at an industrial level while delivering measurable social impact. Convincing others becomes easier when quality, scale, and purpose are aligned.
4. How did you tackle or navigate hurdles within your business as it grew?
Disrupting an established market is never comfortable. The status quo resists change. We faced challenges related to funding, procurement systems, regulation, and access to markets that were historically closed to women-owned manufacturers. We responded by strengthening governance, remaining compliant, and refusing to compromise on scale. We wanted to be big, industrial, and competitive.
5. In your experience, what does it take to successfully start a business?
It takes courage to challenge systems and discipline to build institutions. Passion is important, but execution, planning for scale, and long-term sustainability are what build successful businesses.
6. For aspiring entrepreneurs, what three key components are essential?
First, clarity of purpose: know the problem you are solving. Second, financial and operational discipline. Third, resilience and boldness, especially when systems push back against change.
7. What motivated you to enter Jacaranda FM’s Her Perfect Pitch competition?
I entered Her Perfect Pitch because it amplifies women who are building real, scalable enterprises. It was an opportunity to show that women-led manufacturing businesses can operate at an industrial scale and be commercially viable.
8. Why are competitions like this important?
They level the playing field by opening access to visibility, networks, and capital. They help change the narrative around women-owned businesses from being small or informal to being scalable and investable.
9. What are the most important lessons you have learned as a woman in business?
I have learned that taking up space is leadership, not arrogance. Representation at ownership level matters. When women own the means of production, they influence access, pricing, employment, and dignity, and that is how real change happens.
Founded by Tinny Masesi, Lindiwe Sanitary Pads is a proudly South African, black-women-owned manufacturing company dedicated to addressing menstrual poverty and restoring dignity to women and girls across the continent. Operating from a 3,000 sqm facility capable of producing up to 1.5 million sanitary pads per month, the company uses 65–75% South African-sourced materials, a strong commitment to local production, empowerment, and sustainability.
