Among the four winners De Beers awarded with seed money was Otlotleng Moshupa, a 21-year-old Motswana designer.
Its not something I wanted to doallthe time, Moshupa tells Bustle.
Like a typical senior daunted by what to major in, she just chose it.
And it paid off.
Could you talk about joining the De Beers competition?
It was originally a school competition.
They chose the best designers in class and put them in one room.
I submitted my designs to the school and when they liked them, I started the system process.
I had to design four pieces and my inspiration was shells.
I submitted the rough sketch and got feedback from the school.
They taught me everything and showed me my mistakes so I could fix them.
The process took a month.
What was the best advice you received from it?
To focus and be passionate about what Ive been doing.
And to think out of the box and be innovative.
That was your first competition.
Would you recommend joining competitions to young designers?
Yes, because it gives you a lot of opportunities.
You have such differing designs.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
I take inspiration from natural things grass, insects, seashells, oysters… Theres inspiration in everything.
Those smaller things in an animal or whatever you could see, you could come up with an idea.
What is the biggest challenge of being a new entrepreneur, and a young one at that?
But its a must to share your knowledge with people.
You just have to be patient and trust the process.
How do you get over that?
I stay in a quiet place and drink water.
I talk to myself, too.
I tell myself, You are the best.
How do you recharge at the end of a long week?
I play soccer a lot.
I enjoy going out and getting ice cream, but mostly I like being alone.
Whats your go-to outfit to boost your confidence?
Im a tomboy, so I like to dress like a stereotypical guy.
But when Im going to meet new people, I dress like a lady with my chest out.
What advice can you give fellow young women entrepreneurs?
Most of the time its not about you, its about the customer.
Sometimes you have to cater to your customers wants even if it isnt your taste.
Customers love to talk about themselves, let them.
Whats the one trait women need to start a business?
Determination and thinking out of the box.
Do you have any icons you want to pattern your career after?
Honestly, Im my own hero.
Im my own inspiration.
I look after myself that I want this to happen in my life.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
