Page 33 - Islands Business January 2021

SPBD SPBD

API KURUSIGA: BUSINESSWOMAN

AND BUSINESS MENTOR

Businesswoman Api Kurusiga is a trainer with the SPBD’s Fiji
Bloom program. Kurusiga’s personal and professional journey
means she is very well qualified to share her experiences with
the women she is mentoring through the program.

On her childhood
“I came to this world when my father was already a busi-
nessperson. So, I used to help around but then I had to work
in different capacities until I came to the Australian Trade
Commission, to work there.
My father didn’t learn this in any school. He took the risk.
I come from Noco, and we have about 14 villages there. He
used to buy copra from everybody. He would dry it and sell it.
We sold fish, we sold eggs, we sold milk, we sold ice blocks.
And we had a shop, and it was the only shop for the 14 vil-
lages in Noco when I was growing up.
We were thrown into the business to do certain things. In
the morning, we would collect eggs, we would milk cows
(because we sold milk), we would bundle fish to sell. This was
part of our every day before going to school. And when we
came back, we would be packing things, we would be packing ing money. So that was how our business started. And then
sugar, salt, rice, flour to sell. We would clean the shop. Those I said to my husband, ‘because we are not bee keepers, we
were some of the things we did before we were allowed to go need to grow from here. We need to do other things.’”
out and play. We were taught how to plant our own food, you
know, and that, to me, was a seed that was planted in me.” Those other things included making virgin coconut oil.
Initially they were making the oil themselves before a busi-
Kurisiga spent about 28 years working for the Australian ness mentor suggested they source the ready-made oil and
Trade Commission. What she saw there gave her confi- bottle it. They paid a communications expert to make a
dence to start her own business, Lapita Marketing Enter- website, do labels, business cards and a pull-up banner, and
prises. started to grow from there.
“I used to read the profiles new companies in Australia that “Then, we had noni. So, from one product to another
started to do business because Fiji was like a nursery market. product then we found noni. You’ll realise that we do now,
They would come and sell here initially and then they would we don’t make anything. We just work with people that are
look at other markets. There were a number of streams that already skilful and then we just bring it and make sure that
they were looking at the time. I looked after food and bever- the quality is good. We were trying to capitalise on my skills
age, I looked after education, I looked after infrastructure, I which was marketing. Then, we started to work with this lady
looked after agribusiness. who makes layalaya tonic and turmeric tonic. Then, I went
So one time I went to Australia [to the Fine Food show] to the Hart settlement in Nasole, where these ladies make
with my husband. When we went, he was like ‘Api, I really soap. They do my charcoal soap, they do my noni soap, lemon
don’t know why you haven’t started a business, you know. grass soap, they do all sorts of things for me. So, I thought to
Look at all these people, these are little businesses. They are myself, I don’t have to make anything. I just have look for the
operating from their kitchen tables, they are operating from right product, label it and take it. I said to them, “You keep
their little spaces at home.’ And when you hear their stories, doing what you’re skilful at. You don’t have to leave your
it really tells you that you can do so much. place. I’ll just come to your place, I’ll buy what you have, I’ll
When we came back in 1989 from Australia, he said ‘I’m bring it home. You just keep doing what you’re doing. I’m try-
going to start my own business.’” ing to teach them at the same time, these people that supply
me, to diversify into other things.
That business started with a bucket of honey bought
from a cousin in Kadavu. They learnt how to bottle, pack- Lapita Marketing Enterprises now supplies supermarkets
age and label it and then took it to market at Sukuna Park. and pharmacies in Fiji, a Korean exporter and a locally
“When I went to sell, that really opened my eyes. I’m mak- based company that exports to New Zealand. Those export-

Islands Business, January 2021 33