Esay Reddy

Esayvanie (Esay) Reddy group chief executive at the RR Group is an accomplished business woman with 30 plus years of experience in the petroleum, quick service restaurant, healthcare manufacturing, telecommunications, and distribution industry. The group comprises KZN Oils and KZN Oils Transport, JD Telecoms, Kolay Home of Chicken, Ko-Lay, Champion Health Care and KVK Property Development.

As a qualified business executive, Esay oversees the general business management, growth, and profitability as well as marketing initiatives from large, medium to small within the RR Group.

Esay and Rajen Reddy, her late husband, begun their business journey in 1983 with a Shell Service Station located in Briardene. Commenting on their many business successes Esay explains, “We got to where we are today through lots of hard work and sacrifice. Both of us had the same goals, which was a better life for our three children. I started working with Rajen when my youngest child was one year old; I had to leave him with the helper to start cashing up and look after the finances in the service station. We worked basically 24/7 in the early days and had to forego holidays.”

Due to the huge amount of time required Rajen decided to sell the service station and move into the stationery business. This opportunity came about when 23 black economic empowerment companies were started at the Port of Durban. The venture was very challenging as Esay and Rajen knew nothing about stationery. However, from that initiative an opportunity to supply fuel and lubrication to the port emerged.

“After a lot of challenges, we got our first order and that is how KZN Oils was born with the story of that one barrel of oil. KZN Oils, the ‘mothership’ of the group, was established in 2001, from her all the other companies were born,” explains Esay.

LIFE CHALLENGES
Esay is the mother to three children Kerushin, Venisha and Kreeshan who work in the business. Being a mom, a wife and working within the business has always been a challenge for Esay. Her method of balancing her life was to separate the different aspects. “Once I was at work, it was just about work and while I was on my way home, I thought about what I had to cook, what the kids needed, and what I had to do when I got home. It also was planning. I found separating, organising, having people to assist helped me along the way enabled me to balance growing up kids that are adults now, running a business that has become very successful, and to stay married for 37 years.”

Esay reflected that her greatest life challenge has been losing her husband Rajen, she says, has left large footsteps for her to follow. However, she has a good knowledge of all the plans, the blueprint, that he had in mind for the group of companies. Another challenge for her has been the step up into the role of CEO.

“We have over 200 staff that rely on us and after Rajen passed, the most important thing was to continue with his legacy and honour his memory. I know that is what kept my three children and myself going. With him not here now we have no choice but to step up to the plate and do exactly what he has done. It’s the least that we can do to say thank you for all the work that he has done all these years.”

A PEOPLE-FIRST-FOCUS
Throughout Esay’s years of experience, she always maintained a people-first focus. In particular, Esay is passionate about empowering women and the RR Group has an 80% taskforce of women in its companies. “My advice to younger women is to believe in everything that you think and that you know that you can do, because as women we can accomplish anything. I am the walking example of that.”

She says that one of the most important things about being a female in business is ensuring that you are happy. The RR Group focuses on ensuring their employees wellbeing is taken care of through a strong human resources department and initiatives such as flexible working hours for mothers.

A significant achievement for Esay is the establishment of the Rajen Reddy Foundation, which she said came about because she thought of the things that Rajen wouldn’t be around to do – the things that he was so passionate about doing. Commenting on the RR Foundation, Esay explained, “Whatever I try to do is always to honour Rajen and the legacy that he has created and to ensure that his memory and the things that he has done in our province continue to get done. Our goal is to continue to help the people in our province first – I always believe start at home – and then take it out further.” The RR Reddy Foundation has three pillars; these are education, mental health (philosophical psychology) and physical health.

She added, “I believe that the group of companies needs to work hard in order to uplift communities. I don’t believe in giving grocery parcels because you can only do so for a limited amount of time.”

In conclusion Esay said, ““I have found that determination and a strong mindset can get you anywhere you want to go. We as women are very special. We have so many challenges from the time that we are born until we pass on and we accomplish them with grace, with a lot of stamina and with a lot of empathy. And if we can continue with that you can get whatever you want in what you set your mind and heart to do.”