In this episode, I sit down with Sarah, founder of Leonista, to unpack her journey in building one of South Africa's first 100% organic agave spirits. Sarah shares how Leonista began with curiosity and a deep love for tequila.

She followed that passion all the way to Mexico, where she posed as a journalist to gain access to top distilleries and learn the craft firsthand.

Back home, she started experimenting in her garage, learned everything from scratch, and eventually built a brand that now exports to eight countries and supports lion rewilding projects across South Africa.

We talk about:

The lessons learned from building a spirit brand with zero industry experience
How she landed on Leonista's brand, name, and lion symbolism
Navigating South Africa's alcohol distribution landscape from scratch
The brutal realities of bootstrapping and reinvesting every cent
Going through full organic certification across production, bottling, and storage
What exporting to eight countries taught her about brand clarity
How to design a product that invites ritual, not just consumption

Follow Sarah:

https://www.instagram.com/barbarella_twinkletoes/

Follow Leonista:

https://www.instagram.com/leonistaspirit/

Follow me:

🎁 Special for disrupt. listeners: Get 10% off your next Leonista order at leonista.co.za using the code "disrupt" at checkout.