Entrepreneurship is often glamorised — funding rounds, rapid growth, and overnight success stories. But behind every truly meaningful business is a far more human story of resilience, sacrifice, and starting long before you feel ready.

Join us for a powerful Startup Grind fireside chat with Sandesh Rampersad, Founder & CEO of Roti & Chai Tandoor Kitchen — one of South Africa’s most loved and organically grown food brands.

Sandesh’s journey is anything but conventional. From losing his home and business, to facing unemployment as a single father, he rebuilt his life from the ground up using nothing more than family recipes, determination, and belief. What started as a small food stall at the Musgrave Night Market in Durban quickly turned into a movement — with long queues, a loyal following, and eventually multiple stores across the country.

Today, Roti & Chai stands as a testament to what’s possible when passion meets persistence — a fully self-funded business that has scaled without external investors, rooted in authenticity, family values, and an obsession with quality.

In this intimate fireside chat, Sandesh will share the real story behind the brand — the struggles, the lessons, and the mindset shifts that shaped his journey. This is not theory or textbook entrepreneurship. It’s practical, honest insight from someone who built something meaningful from nothing.

What you can expect:

• The reality of starting a business with limited resources

• Turning adversity into opportunity

• Building a brand people genuinely connect with

• Scaling sustainably without outside funding

• The importance of listening — to customers, your team, and the market

• Creating a business that can grow beyond the founder

Whether you’re a student, aspiring entrepreneur, or early-stage founder, this session offers something rare: proof that you don’t need perfect conditions to start — just the courage to begin.