When Debbie Merdjan started her first business in the 1980s, she had to ask a man to sign surety for a bank loan. Fast-forward to 2025, and Debbie is now CEO and founder of the successful Camelot Group – but she wishes she had a forum like the WPO to lean on back then, when the corporate world was a lonely place for a budding female entrepreneur.
Debbie is an active and enthusiastic member of the WPO’s London Chapter. She is currently based in the United Kingdom after spending more than three decades building a successful skincare and wellness business in South Africa.
“When you’re in business, female and on your own, you keep going even if you have nobody to talk to,” she reflects. “People often think you’re unapproachable, which is not the case, because you’re so busy working and building. But when you meet other women business owners who are just like you, it’s really great.”
Debbie began her business journey in education, training health and skincare therapists. When she was brought in to do training at a flagship luxury South African spa, she ended up running it. This marked the beginning of a remarkable journey that continues to unfurl today.
Tapping Into the Business of Wellness
A canny observer of trends, Debbie spotted a gap in the market in the 1990s and soon began establishing spa franchises at other high-end hotels. Today, Camelot Spas is a household name, with more than 40 branded and unbranded operations in South Africa, Nigeria and Botswana. In recognition of her achievements in business leadership and innovation, Debbie has won accolades such as an EY World Entrepreneur Award for the Southern Africa region.
Beyond beauty and skincare, the business’s focus today is also on the burgeoning field of holistic personal wellness. Particularly since Covid-19, this concept has taken off as people increasingly “take time out for themselves and concentrate on being well and being the best version of themselves”, says Debbie.
Currently, she commutes between South Africa and the UK, where she consults for businesses developing spas and runs a company distributing the French range of Thalgo spa products. Wellness education remains a passion, with Camelot International offering certificate courses and recently launching an accredited diploma program specializing in spa therapy.
“Business is different in the UK,” she observes. “I love being here because you’re exposed to so many marketing opportunities and trends, and you’re so close to Europe. So for me, that is very beneficial and one of my reasons for wanting to expand internationally as well.”
‘The WPO is a Community of Like-minded Businesswomen’
She became intrigued by the WPO in 2014 after receiving a beautiful handwritten invitation to a meeting – and signed up as a member on the spot.
She’s vocal about the benefits of membership: “One of the things that hit me was that irrespective of the different businesses we run, we all have the same challenges, whether it’s HR, cashflow, technology and so on. Women are ultimately very giving and sharing, and the WPO offered me an instant support group. I’ve made some close, dear friends, who are always very supportive on both a personal and business level,” she says.
“When you join the WPO, you join a community or family of like-minded businesswomen to help you grow in your business and personally. They will really stimulate you and challenge your thought processes.”
With her strong grounding in education, it’s not surprising to hear that Debbie believes a person never stops learning. “That’s something that also attracted me to the WPO, because at every meeting you learn something. Whether it’s the annual conference or the retreats, there are a lot of amazing speakers sharing information, which is so important if you want to grow.”
Lifelong learning works two ways, and she loves giving back and mentoring young women in her industry. In particular, she impresses on them the value of putting in the hard yards, learning from their mistakes and always upholding impeccable business ethics.
She is unapologetically fearless in her business approach: “I love growth and I’ll go for any opportunity, even though some have not worked out. But that’s paying school fees – sometimes very expensive school fees! – but I always say if you don’t try, you’ll never know.”
Debbie believes that one of the keys to success is being “110% professional” and never doing “half a job” – which is easy if you’re passionate about your business. “I absolutely love what I do,” she says. “I never wake up and feel, ‘Oh, I’ve got to do work.’”