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RAKSHA LAGHARI

aksha Laghari is the dynamic founder and base, they were only selling them one item. They and I’ve repeated it countless times to people that
CEO of AML Distributions. After completing then looked at local manufacturers of roofing, bricks, I have come into contact with, because I found it
her schooling, Raksha went on to complete an gypsum board and other fast moving hardware profound, is very simple. It’s that opportunities lie all
Rundergraduate law degree at the University materials and helped to find competitive ways to get around us and that you can’t create an opportunity;
of Natal. Following university, and after much debate, these products into the retail sector. you need to identify and work with the opportunities
Raksha decided to relocate to Dublin, Ireland, where that are around you now.”
she attended various legal institutions until qualifying A UNIQUE POSITION
The biggest challenge that Raksha has faced is
as a lawyer.
At that stage AML found themselves in a unique achieving a balance between a happy business life, a
Raksha explained, “Like most young people, when I position where they were a leading distributor of happy home, and a happy personal life, so that she is
finished university, I wanted to progress, but I didn’t locally produced fast moving hardware products. With in the best place mentally and physically to be able to
know how and after much deliberation, I decided to this distribution activity, came the necessity to have accomplish what she needs to do every day.
follow a legal career path in Ireland which was the their own logistics fleet. AML is proud to own and Raksha prides herself on motivating her team by
best growth experience for me. My first job was for operate a fleet of over fifty long distance trucks, which keeping things real and is available to them as much
the most amazing soul called Angela Farrell at Farrell has lent reliability to the business and helped it grow.
as possible. “We have regular informal meetings with
Solicitors, Dublin, which was definitely my formative A further opportunity arose when a local cement all sectors of our business, and I try to be supportive to
career experience.”
producer disposed of their aggregate and ready mix everybody. I share more of my challenges with them
operations. AML successfully bid for these two oper- than they share with me. And the reason I do so is for
CHANGING STREAMS
ations, which are based in Newcastle and Ladysmith. them to understand that I face the same challenges
However, the world recession in 2008 meant that on a personal level. We’re all in this business together,
Raksha found herself in a situation where she needed Raksha commented that entering the mining sector we’re all in it to survive.”
to return to South Africa. “I realised that at the age of is the accomplishment that makes her proudest. “It’s
something that I jumped into without any real previous The person that inspired Raksha the most was her
30, I was going to have to start all over again, which second employer, Neil Sharon, a solicitor in Dublin,
meant changing streams from lawyer to doing trading.” knowledge, but I was fully with the programme.
The issues to understand the mining charter, how who she worked under for six years. He taught her
A conversation with her father about the cement operations function on a day-to-day level, massive how to work under pressure, how to work on her own
shortage that South Africa was facing because of machinery, production operations and the load and and how to grow her skills.
the 2010 World Cup allowed Raksha to recognise haul etc. were all very complicated.” Raksha’s success in “He taught me to never second guess my decisions.
an opportunity. this sector speaks to her efforts. He taught me how to be an amazing employer; how

“Even though I knew nothing about cement or “I am enjoying the growth path that the company is to keep my team inspired. He kept me inspired and
where it came from, or how to get it, suddenly I had experiencing now that we’ve gotten all the hard work motivated to keep improving, and our practice grew.
a real business concept and idea with which to work. out of the way. My purpose is to keep us on the same I learned first-hand that if I wanted to grow, I needed
Shortly afterwards, my husband and I imported our trajectory and to see us constantly evolve and realise to allow everyone around me to grow as well.”
first seven containers of cement into South Africa. our full potential.” In conclusion, says Raksha, “My motto is one I
When we finally stopped importing cement, we were won’t live by rather than a motto that I will live
importing around 500 containers a month between Her vision for AML over the next ten years is to move by. I personally loathe the motto, ‘don’t work hard,
three ports – Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town.” from being a predominantly trading company to one work smart’, because I believe that if you are smart,
that is more wealth creation driven by venturing into
AML Distributions then shifted their focus to local the property and development sector. you will know that without hard work you cannot
suppliers, specifically the marketing, selling and progress. Hard work has got to be your number one
priority. In time, hard work makes life easier. Being
distribution of Afrisam cement. FINDING OPPORTUNITIES
an entrepreneur is hard work. It will never get easier.
When their cement trade was well established, Raksha Speaking on her company’s growth, Raksha com- It will always remain challenging, but that’s why
realised that although they had a large customer mented, “The best advice that I have ever received, you’re chosen to do what you do.”
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