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BBC (Bookamoso Book Club): Tell us a bit about yourself as a mother, partner and your journey to becoming co-owner of Book Circle Capital.

SL (Sewela Langeni): I am a marketing and communications professional who’s passionate about literacy especially in children. I am a mom to 4 children, three boys and one girl. I am a wife to Loyiso Langeni, we have been married for 9 years. Together we own Book Circle Capital, a bookshop in Melville focusing on African literature. We love books and reading and we would like to grow the culture of reading in our family and our communities.

BBC: How did Book Circle Capital begin? What was the initial stages of running it like?

SL: The bookshop was started by Loyiso in 2016, it was born out of a monthly book subscription business that he started where he charged a monthly fee to people and he allowed them to order a book of their choice. He focused on people that did not have access to good African literature based in rural South Africa particularly in the Northern and Eastern Cape. There was a good take up for the business even in Johannesburg and he thought of expanding the idea to a physical location where people can browse books and maybe gather to discuss books. He then opened the store in Maboneng in September 2017. The store was unfortunately flooded 3 months later but by God’s grace we found our current location and started operating there in March 2018.

The initial stages of running the business were filled with naivety. We thought that the business would be bustling but we soon realised that like everything else in life we need to work hard to get people to notice us and appreciate the journey of small beginnings

BBC: What inspired the creation of Book Circle Capital?

SL: The idea of starting the business came from Loyiso. He comes from a small town called Britstown in the Northern Cape where very little happens. The place is starved of resources and the little books that he got from his mom provided him with an escape from his physical location mentally. It allowed him to dream of possibilities beyond Britstown and this is what made him fall in love with books. His desire is to provide affordable access to books to communities in SA particularly children so that they can dream bigger than where they are and hopefully grow to achieve their dreams.

BBC: Having moved from your initial location in 2017 – what has been the challenges you faced with the move?

SL: The move was very challenging. The flooding nearly broke us. It was just 3 months into opening the business. The temptation was there to give up but there was just so much stock left we thought we needed to try again. Plus there were people that believed in us who kept on asking us what our next plan was going to be. Our current location is also not without its own set of challenges. It’s a very quiet space with very little daily foot traffic.

It’s more of a destination location and the centre does not have anchor tenants that propel people to come to the centre daily. So once you have seen 27 Boxes, there is hardly any reason for you to return. But slowly things are changing. The centre is working hard to fix this and there are some resilient tenants who are doing some amazing things to get people to notice us. We have also grown beyond just selling books but to position ourselves as thought leaders in the SA space, doing podcasts, book reviews, blogging and getting into partnerships with other players in this space.

BBC: What has owning a business during the Covid-19 Pandemic meant for you? What new ways have you tried to introduce to ensure your business success?

SL: Owning a business during the pandemic has been a tough but growing experience. We had to think of new ways to remain relevant in this space while selling books. We are so grateful to our payment merchant Yoco who assisted us to setup an online shop during this time and also sell vouchers to those people who might want to support us by keeping our Cashflow going during level 5. It is also during this time that we initiated our podcasts because we could no longer meet with authors to discuss books in store.

BBC: What are you currently reading to rid yourself of the Covid anxiety?

SL: I am currently reading a book by Nobuntu Webster called The Fire In My Bones. It’s a spiritual book that raises questions about the Christian religion, challenging the practice of being excessively religious devoid of an intimate and flourishing relationship with God. My faith has been a key part in helping me deal with this phase, look unto God for wisdom and strength to navigate this time for me, my family and our business.

BBC: Why do you think that what Book Circle Capital is doing in the community is important? What does it mean to you to have spaces such as yours be celebrated and supported?

SL: It means a lot to have a space like ours. We regularly get messages from friends and total strangers congratulating us and encouraging us to never give up. In a country like ours which is still dealing with ugly remnants of apartheid we understand what it means to be a black couple that owns a bookshop. We are fulfilling the dreams of a lot of people including our parents and their parents before them. We are showing our children what is possible. Through our intentional book selection, we are creating a space where children can see other people that look like them doing great things. We are building a legacy, we are changing the narrative.

I hope after reading this – you’ll pop into Book Circle Capital and check out the array of African literature, including children’s books or purchase a voucher for your loved one. Be sure to follow Book Circle Capital on their social media pages below and the website to buy books online and to listen to their podcasts.