Starting a business ain’t easy. Starting a business that goes completely against a pre-established and widely accepted norm? Now, that’s a whole ‘nother battle. But the Rentoza co-founders aren’t afraid of a fight. They took this mammoth task head on, creating South Africa’s leading online product subscription business. 

We’re told all our lives that ownership is king, and the ultimate measure of success. Rentoza by nature challenges that widely accepted belief. We think ownership holds people back, especially if you don’t have the means to own. We believe that true freedom comes with access and flexibility, and the ability to change your mind without being restricted. This is the crux of what inspired Rentoza’s creation.

But don’t just take our word for it. We sat down with Rentoza co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer Mishaan Ratan to talk about Rentoza, the journey, and his advice for budding entrepreneurs.

The Beginning

Rentoza was born from a personal problem our four co-founders were experiencing at the time. “We needed a lot of stuff as we had growing families, and just couldn't afford everything we needed. We looked across the market for options that would allow us to use the products we needed and with flexible terms, because things were changing so quickly in our lives,” explains Mishaan.

“We realised very quickly that there was nothing that was able to provide us with what we needed on the terms that we wanted. So we decided to build it ourselves. We wanted to give people unrestricted access to the products they need with the real flexibility to match the changes in their lives.”

The Evolution

Rentoza’s first iteration was a marketplace, which evolved into an instalment sale model. This developed into the subscription format we run today. 

Initially, Rentoza’s model was built on electronics, appliances, and baby goods – because that’s what the founders actively needed in their own lives at the time. Since then, the brand has expanded to include a variety of verticals such as fitness equipment, smart home products, and gaming gear. 

These changes and updates were all made based on the customer, and the data available. “We really just started and tried to see how we could execute this and find a market fit for a proposition that we believed people needed, but didn't know if there would be mass appeal for it,” says Mishaan.

“We focused on the data and market dynamics constantly, and evolved the business based on how we saw consumer perception changing for use of product, as well as other trends such as subscription that was growing in the market. This led us to our current model, which in fact is the only of the three models that meets the vision we set out up front.”

All of this hard work and constant adaptation has led to a massive company growth and success. Today, Rentoza has a staff complement of over 160 team members and three offices across South Africa, which is an especially meaningful achievement for Mishaan. 

“We convinced people to join us and help us build something that didn't exist. It wasn't easy getting them over the line and making them understand the vision for something that seems intangible to them initially. The first person that believed stands out, he's still with us. Then the milestones are like 20 people. 50 people, 100 people and 150 people. It's pretty crazy. And, of course, the new offices we needed every time to accommodate the growing numbers. It's been quite a thing to behold.”

Words of Wisdom

Mishaan has achieved so much in his career this far, and it’s only the start. All this man from a man who never had a particular role model or mentor guiding his path. 

“I found it hard to understand the concept,” he says on the topic of mentorship. “It's probably because I didn't know where I wanted to be – to drive towards. All I knew is that I wanted to build something, and to do that I needed to learn as much as I could. The influence then became anyone I could speak to or find content on that would share any information about how you become resilient in the face of failure; not give up and still succeed.”

In this vein, it’s no surprise at all that Mishaan has but one, simple piece of advice for budding entrepreneurs with a big dream: Just start.

“There's a million books you can read and seminars to attend but those are all other peoples experiences. Just start, you will only then understand what it takes to get it done. Every business and person is different.”

He continues, “The other piece of advice I would give entrepreneurs is, don't celebrate the wins too much. Take them, enjoy them and keep moving. Your wins mean that there is growth and the road ahead needs more energy and attention.” 

“So always focus on the next step.”