How do you turn debt and risk into global growth?
In this episode of The Founder Files, we sit down with Uzair Essack, founder of Riyp one of South Africa’s fastest-growing exporters in agriculture and logistics. From being a million rand in debt in his early 20s to building a business that ships fresh produce across the globe, Uzair shares the raw realities of scaling under pressure.
He opens up about why he risked his last money to fly to Qatar in search of opportunity, how he reinvented the exporter–farmer model, and why he believes outsourcing beats in-house hiring for scale. This is a masterclass in resilience, strategy, and spotting opportunity in tough markets.
We dive into:
• How Uzair went from R1M in debt to exporting globally
• The leap of faith that changed his life in Qatar
• Why the old export model was broken and what he built instead
• The power of outsourcing vs. hiring internally
• Lessons from scaling one of SA’s fastest-growing exporting company
This episode is packed with lessons for founders about risk, resilience, and building scalable systems that last.
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----------Chapters:00:00 Introduction04:14 How Uzair Built a Global Export Business Alone11:19 The Hidden Cost of Scaling Solo: Burnout & Bottlenecks13:27 Why Growing Up With Less Sparked Uzair’s Drive18:17 University Struggles: Choosing Hustle Over Assignments25:18 Pineapples, Persistence, and the First Steps Toward RIYP35:33 Breaking the Old Model: How Uzair Won Farmers’ Trust47:27 At 23 A Million Rand in Debt: From Suicidal Thoughts to Lessons in Resilience55:34 The Sheikh, The Deal, The Funding: Riyp’s First Big Break01:18:06 Outsourcing + Systems: How Ripe Scaled Solo01:37:28 What Does The Future Look Like For Riyp