Olympic Paints on Future50: How Second-Generation Leadership Builds Sustainable Growth

Olympic Paints was profiled on the Future50 Smile 90.4FM, Jacaranda FM and East Coast Radio, as a multi-decade South African manufacturer building its next phase of growth.

Founded in 1981 by Niran Purbhoo, Olympic Paints grew steadily through hands-on manufacturing, disciplined customer service and long-term relationships. Over four decades, it developed into a fully operational factory with real production capability and a committed team.

Now the business is entering a new chapter under second-generation leader, Sejal Purbhoo.

Sejal’s path matters. He first built an independent career in computer science and software engineering, including international experience, before returning to the family business. When he did, he didn’t start at the top, he worked in procurement and production… chemicals, raw materials, quality control and operational delivery.

That foundation created credibility.

More importantly, it enabled the next structural shift.

Like many established manufacturing businesses, Olympic held significant operational knowledge in experienced individuals. Deep instinct is powerful. But as businesses scale, instinct must be translated into repeatable systems.

Olympic is doing exactly that: Converting experience into measurable routines so performance does not rely on any one person.

At Aurik, we call this building an Asset of Value™, a business designed to scale, grow and be successfully handed over or sold because it runs on structured systems and a purposeful team.

Olympic’s evolution is also visible in its market positioning.

Moving beyond a commodity “paint on a shelf” mindset, the company is launching the Colour Café, a design studio where customers are guided through colours, finishes and installation decisions with confidence. Supported by graduate interior designers and end-to-end delivery capability, the model strengthens customer experience while building brand differentiation.

This dual-track strategy is deliberate:

• Retail remains the accessible everyday offer.
• The Colour Cafe builds higher-touch engagement and brand trust.

Once proven, the concept can scale through partnerships in markets like India or the UAE without heavy capital expansion.

For established business owners, there is a clear lesson in this Future50 feature:

Longevity comes from evolution.
Evolution requires structure.
Structure compounds value.

Strong family businesses don’t stand still. They earn leadership, embed systems, and design growth deliberately.

Listen to the full Olympic Paints feature on the websites of Smile 90.4FM, Jacaranda FM and East Coast Radio.

And if you are building a business designed to endure, nominate it for a Future50 profile.