NONDUMISO MTHWA married her childhood sweetheart when she was 19 and started her family two years later – and nobody really expected her to have a career, let alone a significant business. Twenty-two years later, she’s the founder and CEO of Idwala Property Group, a certified estate agent and a master practitioner in real estate. She also holds a BCom Degree in Business Management and has served as a board member of the Institute of Estate Agents of South Africa (KZN and Coastal Region). Nondumiso has received numerous awards and accolades, has been featured in magazine articles and appeared on television. She is also a sought-after public speaker. Nondumiso has been awarded the Standard Bank Top Women in Property Award 2022. LEARN ALONG THE WAY Nondumiso describes her career progression with a sense of conviction. She joined a multi-level marketing organisation and discovered her natural ability for sales. She joined the real estate sector as an employed estate agent and worked her way up, growing her skills and knowledge along the way. “It’s not all about numbers,” says Nondumiso, “It’s about the people and helping them get what they need.” Moving into the property sector gave Nondumiso the opportunity to take this approach into a new area but she had to educate herself in the industry. “I started from ground level and worked hard to get exposure to every aspect of the real estate business and get the right qualifications. I’m particularly proud of my BCom. I registered in 2019 and I’ve just graduated – and it’s not easy to study when you have a husband, two children and a business to run!” But studying late did have one advantage – she often studied together with her sons! “We’re a close family, and we’ve gone through everything together,” Nondumiso laughs. Nondumiso’s philosophy is that you have to grab every opportunity with both hands. She became the top agent in the business, and when the agency principal told her he was moving on to something new and offered to sell her the franchise, she plucked up her courage and agreed. But life isn’t always easy. She bought a going concern with an office, a reputation, and experienced staff. But when they heard the owner had left the business, everyone else left too. There she was, with rent to pay and a big debt – and no-one but herself to make the sales! It didn’t take her long to come up with a plan. Nondumiso recruited a colleague from her multi-level marketing days. He had great selling skills, and she knew she could train him in the property sector. She convinced him to take a leap of faith and re-started the business. But Nondumiso soon discovered that there’s an immense difference between being an employee and running the business. Between dealing with managing staff, dealing with service providers, and controlling the finances, she had almost no time for herself or her family. Undeterred, Nondumiso learnt along the way, and today the Idwala Property Group has three offices with 22 staff, and the business includes residential sales, commercial letting, off-plan marketing of property developments, property valuations and in-house bond origination. She’s come a long way from that stress-fuelled time when all the staff walked out when she bought the business. THERE IS NO PLAN B Nondumiso says she had no option but to be resilient. “I had to succeed. I had nothing to fall back on, so I didn’t have a choice” Her philosophy? “Believe in whatever you do and give it your all. Show up and do the hard work.” PART OF A GREATER COMMUNITY Nondumiso also has a strong heart for her community. In 2018 she introduced an internship programme, taking 39 graduates on board to introduce them to the industry. Her company also sponsors several community empowerment and outreach programmes. “These have made a mark on society,” she points out, “but I’ve also grown personally through these projects.” INSPIRED BY GOD AND FAMILY Growing up in a happy, loving home, Nondumiso has been blessed with a supportive family of her own. My husband and my two sons are my biggest cheerleaders,” she says, “And my late mother was a force to be reckoned with. She didn’t have much but she did everything with determination and commitment. And I want to make them proud.” A VISION FOR THE FUTURE Nondumiso aspires to be recognised as a thought leader in the property industry. “I want to speak for those who can’t speak for themselves and inspire those who want to join this industry.” She points out that it’s a complicated business with rigorous compliance requirements and lots of red tape. “But I can be a signpost for the possibilities, so others can aim high too.” Idwala Property Group is currently a KZN business, with its stronghold in the Durban area, but Nondumiso has a vision to take the business national. “If it’s dreamable, it’s probably doable,” she points out. “And once we’re national, the next step is to go into the rest of Africa.” OPEN YOUR PIPES Nondumiso wants young businesswomen to fly. “Don’t be afraid to take a chance on yourself. Open your pipes and see how far you can go. If there’s something you want, go after it. See how far you can go and go beyond your fears. We all have fears. Do it anyway. You’ll learn as you go and discover who you really are. Have faith in what God has made you and you’ll be surprised by what you can do.” GRATITUDE IS YOUR SUPERPOWER “Whatever you do in life, be grateful. Live a life of faith and positivity and remember, your journey is not the same as your neighbour’s. So don’t compare and walk your own path with gratitude.” When she’s not working or inspiring her staff, her clients and the people around her, Nondumiso relaxes with feel-good movies, walks on the beach, and listens to other inspirational leaders.

Cherry Armstrong is the director and founder of the NPC, ‘Celebrate Life SA’, where the key focus is on the empowerment of women in rural communities locally and nationally. Cherry was born in Nairobi, Kenya and moved to South Africa at the age of three with her family. Her passion for people led her into the field of nursing, where after matriculating from Pietermaritzburg Girls High School, she trained to become a professional nurse. For the past 18 – 20 years Cherry has worked in communities as a project manager in the field of clinical trials in oncology, neurology, rheumatology, TB, and HIV. She said, “My nursing career took me into palliative care, which enabled me to care for many people dying from cancer and HIV, while working in the communities.” In 1994, long before ‘beauty spas’ were established, she opened the first Anti Stress Clinic called Stresstique. Cherry then ran her own company – Global Clinical Research (Pty) Ltd, which she closed just before the Covid lockdown in March 2020. In between managing her clinical research company, Cherry, together with a group of twelve adventurous and motivated ladies, decided to climb Mount Kilimanjaro together to raise one million rand for Hospice. This adventure with a cause, led to the birth of the NPC called ‘Celebrate Life SA’ which she registered in 2005. Since climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in 2005, the group have taken on several challenging endeavours such as climbing Mount Kenya, running a marathon, paddling around Mauritius; all to raise funds for the rural community initiatives of ‘Celebrate Life’. Each fundraising initiative involves a different mix of women wanting to contribute to upliftment. Celebrate Life SA continues to surge forward with its women empowerment and sustainability programmes in rural communities, both local and nationally. In October this year, Cherry was one of three finalists in the “Santam Woman of the Future”. The three finalists were chosen out of more than 1000 entrants in their category. In 2018, Cherry was recognised by the SA Chamber of Commerce UK’s Annual Business and Community Awards for Serving Community in South Africa. In 2017, she received the Durban Solid Waste ‘Clean Communities’ Award for Empowering Women in Disadvantaged Communities. Another successful achievement close to the heart of ‘Celebrate Life’ is that of their ‘Ubuntu Micro Bakery Project’. This is a national project that changes the lives of hundreds of women for the better, every year. The project consists of a wood fired oven with two drawers and a chimney that can be put into any rondavel or home in the middle of nowhere and includes training women to become entrepreneurial bakers. ‘Celebrate Life’ fundraises for the oven and baking utensils, down to a wooden spoon, and the training. The women are trained for a period of three days to a week, and then are mentored for a year. These little ovens produce an amazing eight loaves of bread per hour. The women also make muffins, pizzas, cinnamon buns and more and in so doing, build their own bakery businesses which are so beneficial to the communities where often there is not even a spaza shop. The income from the bakery is therefore, recirculated in and by the community. MAKING A DIFFERENCE The main purpose of ‘Celebrate Life’ is to make a tangible difference in the lives of rural communities by empowering women who previously felt hopeless and helpless, feeding children who haven’t had a solid meal, and implementing projects that are sustainable and uplifting. The benefits of the bakery empowerment initiative extend beyond merely earning an income. There has been a noted reduction of household gender violence in these areas where the women are earning an income. The children become involved in delivering items and learn new skills, and most importantly, these bakeries provide food for people, creches and feeding schemes. INSPIRING WOMEN Cherry says, “Africa is embedded in my soul. I am passionate about all that “Celebrate Life SA” achieves in the rural communities. After all, women are the backbone of a community and my inspiration.” When asked who has inspired her on this journey, Cherry commented, “I think I probably inspired myself on my journey, as I’ve learnt so much along the way. There are so many inspiring people, one of which for me is Dr Thuli Madonsela, who is so humble. I am also inspired by the amazing women in the communities, who are so grateful for what we do with them and the difference these projects bring into their lives.” EDUCATION IS INTEGRAL The challenge most experienced in the communities, has been education, simply because our young people in general, have not been taught to be entrepreneurs. Cherry believes that this skill should be taught from a young age so that individuals can be self-sufficient, look after themselves, earn their own income and not rely on government or handouts. Education is therefore an integral part of this initiative. Being a leader that surges forward with what she believes in, Cherry has not encountered too many personal challenges. The main challenge as with any NPO, is keeping it going with ongoing, consistent fundraising, applying for grants, and the admin that accompanies this. PAVING THEIR OWN JOURNEY Cherry advises young people to empower themselves by doing something they love and are passionate about. “They don’t necessarily need to study at university to achieve,” she says, “they can upskill themselves as entrepreneurs and pave their own journey forward.” Looking to the future, Cherry’s goal is keeping the Ubuntu Micro Bakery Project going on for posterity because of its impact. She is also in the final stages of writing her book on cancer, called ‘Just Breathe’, which is filled with practical information for the patient, and will hopefully be published soon. To relax and unwind, Cherry heads for the outdoors. She enjoys ocean paddling, running, hiking and water skiing. In conclusion, Cherry says, “It would be wonderful if each one of us, no matter what our business is, were to teach others, by working together, to go forward and forge their own journey. We, in South Africa, can make it happen.”

ANELE MSWELI is the brains behind the business, Mare & Itis Shoppe, which is an eco-lux home and skincare brand. In 2017 Anele started the brand as passion project while she was living in China. The niche brand has developed into a full-time business with growing demand for its products. Anele and her three sisters were raised by their mother in Montclair, where she attended Mowat Park High. She then attended Rhodes University, where she completed a Bachelor of Earth Sciences degree. The name ‘Mare & Itis’ has its origins in Anele’s student days at Rhodes. She explains, ‘Mare’ is word students at Rhodes use to meaning a fun time. ‘Itis’ is used to describe that sleepy feeling one gets after eating a large meal; “magie vol, ogies toe”. I decided to put these two concepts together to create something that is quint essentially me. I love a good time and I love food.” After completing her degree, Anele volunteered for Greenpeace Africa. She says, ‘The most memorable part of this journey was on board the Rainbow Warrior: I learnt so much from sailing with an eclectic and multinational crew.” ALL NATURAL INGREDIENTS In 2016 Anele moved to Harbin, one of the most northerly cities in China, which as it is situated near Siberia has long and freezing winters. The temperature can reach a very low -40 degrees centigrade. During this time, Anele was using Chinese products for her skin and hair care until she developed allergic reactions to these including her hair starting to fall out. In addition, Anele found it difficult to find suitable cleaning products especially as she was unable to read the labels on the products she was using. This is when, Anele explained, she decided to make her own cleaning products using all natural ingredients. The first product was the prototype for the popular Zesty Kitchen cleaner, which she made from vinegar and lemon. The small business grew from there with requests from friends to make additional products. Countless hours of research led her to a love for essential oils and natural products. Anele then moved to Wuqing, a small district in Tianjin, where she worked long hours as a Montessori English teacher and training coordinator. However, the demand for her products grew and she started selling them in a local market as well as online. ALL OR NOTHING In 2020 Anele’s visit to South Africa for a wedding – with one suitcase – coincided with outbreak of Covid which meant that she was unable to return to China. This also mean that she needed to focus on her fledgling business in order to earn an income. “The year 2020 will always remain a significant year for me and for the brand. It was all or nothing, and I have learnt so much about entrepreneurship and resilience,” explained Anele. The online business has now grown into a range of 45 products including essential oils, linen, and room sprays without alcohol as well as candles and diffusers. Mare & Itis Shoppe is inspired by everything natural. “The products are non-toxic, eco-conscious as well as cruelty-free. I use plant-based ingredients which are biodegradable.” In order to be sustainable all products are supplied in glass bottles, which are reused when returned to her. As a ‘garage’ business Anele is responsible for all aspects of the day to day running. She formulates and tests all products, does the packaging, runs accounts as well as handles all logistics and social media marketing. Apart from her online store, Anele has a number of instore stockists around the country. JUST DO YOUR BEST In speaking of who inspires her Anele says that she loves listening to podcasts including those by Oprah and interior decorator Karin Bohn. She added that she is inspired by her partner who is also an entrepreneur. Anele commented, “However it’s the day-to-day people that are trying to just make things work, the people who just do their best who inspire me the most.” A major challenge in her entrepreneurial journey is that she has not had any funding and has had to rely on her own resources. Other challenges included, “Surviving through Covid which was a major challenge especially as being a non-essential business I experienced shortages in packaging. The rand price and the economy are a constant challenge!” However, she believes that her success has been based on her perseverance as well as being consistent. “It’s important to keep up the same pace no matter what ’waves’ you face,” said Anele. FOLLOW THE DREAM Looking to the future, Anele has set huge goals for herself. As she is really proud of her products and would like to showcase them in the UAE, Anele has obtained an export/ import licence. However, in order to follow her dream, she would have to increase the production of her products substantially. Her advice to young people considering an entrepreneurial journey would be to ‘just start’. “You can learn as you go and figure things out. But you need to set goals for yourself. I am constantly pushing myself to achieve and set new goals at the beginning of each year and again every three months.” In her free time, Anele makes sure to keep both her brain and her hands busy. She enjoys listening to podcasts and reading and loves to sew, knit as well as spends time at the gym and enjoys a regular 5km walk on the Durban promenade every Sunday.

Welcome to the third collection of KwaZulu-Natal Top Business Women. The vision of the KwaZulu-Natal Top Business Women initiative is to celebrate the achievements of women in business and in society through a range of media – webinars, video, photography, and the written word. Through this initiative, we aim to place some of our women role models in the public eye and to honour their extraordinary successes. The theme for 2022 is ‘women of influence ‘and we again have no shortage of wonderful women’s stories to share and to be inspired by. Each story is important, and each women needs to be heard! These women are to be found making a difference in the fields of business, farming, medicine, health and wellness, community, business development, law, finance, environment, and media, amongst many other life-calling (and changing) careers and social upliftment projects. In addition, apart from their incredible accomplishments, they identify themselves as wives, mothers, daughters, sisters ... the list is endless. The team at KwaZulu-Natal Top Business thank each of the women featured for the time that they have offered us and the insights that they have shared. Without their willingness to tell their stories, this initiative, and our accompanying video series would not be possible. All the women were interviewed and asked the same questions: · What are your business and/or community achievements? · How did you get to where you are today? · Who or what has motivated or inspired you and why? · What challenges have you experienced and how have you overcome these? · What are your future goals? · What advice would you give to young women who are following in your path? · We also asked them to tell us a little about their personal lives and to give a final thought. Some of the key themes that emerged, amongst others, are: · The importance of positive role models and mentors · Acknowledging that women are different to men and embracing one’s feminine characteristics · Having big dreams to be inspired by · You must continue striving in order to achieve your goals · To just start your journey – you will figure it out along the way · The importance of having a tribe of women around you for support · Being true to oneself and being authentic · A real desire to help other people to grow · A driving need to make a difference in society Each of the women featured, have stood firm and are true women of influence in KwaZulu-Natal. We are sure that you will enjoy reading their stories and watching their videos. We also extend our gratitude to the various people who have facilitated the process and helped with setting up interviews, handling queries, and writing profiles. A special thank you to the marketing team at Supertech Group: Preona Naidoo, Mohammed Ally and Rishaav Tiloki for the photographs and video interviews. Rishaav and Tiloki spent many hours filming interviews, as well as editing the footage to produce the videos that are available on our website: http://www.kzntopbusiness.com and on our YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/c/KZNTopBusiness This year we again introduced each of the women in a three-part webinar series, which are available on the YouTube platform as well. Thanks also to Zanele Luvuno who facilitated each of the webinars. Our sincere thanks go to David White and the team at DRG and BusinessFit SA for their sponsorship of the KwaZulu-Natal Top Business Women 2022. We hope that this initiative will continue to inspire other women to achieve their dreams.

SAMANTHA CROFT is the Director of Operations for Southern Sun for the KZN region, and she also looks after the resorts in South Africa. “I’ve been with Southern Sun pretty much all of my career,” says Sam. “I trained with Protea Hotels; I had a sabbatical and went to Sun International at Sun City for eighteen months and came back to Southern Sun, so I’ve worked my way up through the ranks.” The position Samantha had before this one, was as the general manager of Southern Sun Elangeni & Maharani. Her big project there was to join the two hotels and create one big iconic hotel, which was launched in 2012. In 2018 Samantha was promoted to regional director of operations. DAILY CHALLENGES Samantha spends her days working with people – both guests and employees – so she says her day comprises of people. Her daily challenges are then related to guests or sorting out service delivery issues and sometimes staff. She says, “My big thing is to try and create an environment in which people can grow. I feel that if you have that environment, people can prosper, they are happier and are automatically more motivated, therefore, they deliver on your service promise.” In addition, currently a major challenge that the hospitality industry is facing is that, traditionally, they’ve had to deal with matters within their control and matters within their building. Samantha explains, “For example your delivery of eggs doesn’t arrive. Now we are finding that we are dealing with external factors; like the sewerage issue, the beaches closing, and the rioting. I find that this is quite a challenge because there’s not much influence you have over those things. You’ve just got to try and get your team to work around those obstacles as best as they can.” Samantha is also the chairlady of the Tourism Forum of the Durban Chamber of Business and Commerce. She was requested to join the organisation by the CEO Palesa Phili. Samantha said, “I am very excited for this journey and to see how the Durban Chamber has grown and started using relationships and collaborations to get things going in this city.” INSPIRATION FOR THE JOURNEY Speaking of who inspires her, Samanatha says that because she meets so many different people, there are various people that have motivated her and inspired her on her journey. Early on in her career, she was influenced by a lady who back in those days, when there were very few female managers, or senior managers, was probably the first person in such a role. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen her cry, and yet she is a softy. So, it’s not about being this hard-iron lady, it is about being able to portray the strength that you have. And not being one of those ladies that turn to tears and hopefully someone will feel sorry for you and that’s how you get your way. But over time I’ve also dealt with many managers along the way from whom you can also learn how not to be. Sometimes people have quite bad traits in their leadership style and when you go through the journey you kind of remind yourself that’s how you shouldn’t be. It’s not always taking the best out of people, but also ensuring that if you think there is something wrong, that you try and focus on not incorporating that into your leadership style.” Samantha commented that she finds that the youngsters of today, the millennials and Generation-X, are into instant gratification. As such the youth of today, feel that when they have their degrees, they should become managers straight away. Her advice is that your degree on paper means that you have the knowledge, it doesn’t mean you know how to implement it yet and you need to do your time in the trenches. She commented, “It helps you along the way because sometimes you may have staffing issues where staff can’t come to work because of taxis that are not running etc. Your operations still need to work and if you don’t learn how to do the menial tasks like checking in a guest or cleaning out of rooms, you’re not going to know what to do. Whereas if you learn along the way, this knowledge clicks in automatically. We have a saying that you need to do your10 000 hours and those really are your building blocks. I always say to people be patient and in time your turn will come.” DAILY EXERCISE In order to unwind Samantha exercises every day. She lives in Ballito and drives to Durban quite early in the morning because she goes to gym. She says, “Four days a week I run and one day a week I have a personal trainer, I also have a running partner.” Samantha has just recently learnt to body board and is overcoming her fear of the ocean. She has a huge respect for the ocean but loves spending time on the beach. ‘I was always nervous of the sea and now I’m starting to learn something new,” Samantha said. In conclusion said Samantha, “This initiative is a great opportunity for women in KZN and I say KZN because I think we have had a tough time over the last couple of years. We were joking the one day saying that all we haven’t had was the plague. Every time you think you are overcoming something, another hurdle lands in your lap and I think that KZN has overcome these. I think we have tenacity, so I think this initiative will really help motivate women in our province.”

ZANELE LUVUNO has an extensive career spanning over two decades. She has primarily worked in the people space in the area of coaching, talent acquisition, executive search, and partner profiling for transactions. Her broader business portfolio includes e-commerce as well as property investment. Zanele’s client base has included blue chip clients on projects throughout the African continent. She is a vocal figure about transformation in South Africa and has her finger on the pulse particularly about establishing and promoting the future of female leaders. Zanele has been featured in many publications as a thought leader in the national conversations around transformation and gender equality especially as these issues relate to business and careers. HELPING ORGANISATIONS SHIFT She has recently started a new business – Metamorphosis Integrated Solutions. Zanele explains, “Having been in the people space for the last two decades I have seen a shift. As we move into the age of information it’s now all about innovation, it’s about innovative people who can come up with new concepts that are going to change the world. I think we as individuals need to look at how we approach careers and how we approach work and the space that we occupy. The business is really centred around solutions that can help organisations shift – whether its culture, whether its leadership as we move into this new age.” Zanele commented that her business focus has always been around the upliftment of women. She said, “I think that the golden thread that runs through all the work I have done is that I have had a very strong focus on putting women into leadership positions and into business opportunities or board positions to try and create that critical mass of women in that top tier of South African business.” She added that she can give specific numbers and data to quantify her success and that this has been the keyway in which she has made a difference. PLENTY OF CHALLENGES However, says Zanele, she has faced plenty of challenges – some specific to being a woman, some specific to being a black woman as well as socioeconomic challenges. She added that other challenges included raising capital and finding the right people. Although, she added that as she is in the people game that has not been difficult to resolve. Zanele commented, “I think that the challenges are very many. We function very much in a patriarchal society, and it’s been incredibly difficult to get the same opportunity that may be presented to a man. We have to fight harder, scrap harder – demand your seat at the table. It hasn’t been easy to have to constantly justify while you are at the table.” “Very often we are not allowed to take up space and you have to push your way through. As you can imagine that rubs a lot of people the wrong way. But you must really decide what is important to you. Are you determined to take up space? Are you determined to drive what is important to you? Or are you more focussed on the likeability aspect? If you want to succeed you have to be clear about who you are, stand in your truth and find a way to forge forward.” KNOW YOURSELF In speaking of advice to other women, Zanele says that the most important aspect is to know yourself. When you know who you authentically are, it is very difficult for external circumstance to be able to disempower you. She says, “A lot of the disempowerment that we face in business is when we give our power away to situations – we feel that we don’t really belong at the table, or we have imposter syndrome or that someone is doing us a favour, or I need someone to endorse me in order to do. Once you come into a state of knowing who you are, and you are firm in this in all situations, I think that it become so much easier to navigate choppy waters.” Zanele commented that many people say it’s a man’s world and you have got to learn to play a man’s game. However, she says that she does not believe that. “I am a woman; I am comfortable in that fact, and I believe that I can still access opportunities in my authentic self. It probably works better for me to show up authentically then when I try to show up as somebody else.” IMPACT GREATER SOCIETY Speaking of future goals Zanele says that she busy working them out currently. Her coach recently said to her that she had achieved all the goals that she wanted to achieve in this chapter and so she is looking around to see what comes next. She said, “Very interestingly what I think comes next is being able to impact greater society – to have more reach and put my message and my experience out in different ways and on different forums. I think that is a big one for me. I think that those who follow after us shouldn’t have such a difficult path as we have had if we start to tell our stories. So, I am very much focused on building an intellectual property focused business to be able to put the collective intellectual property around women’s stories and the knowledge that we have accumulated out into the world. I want to be able to help people shift their organisations, shift their careers and probably change a bit how we interact with work as a society.” Zanele is married and is mom to a son. While a lot of the work that she does is based in Johannesburg, she moved to Durban before the covid lockdown as she wanted to have a change in pace and lifestyle. In order to create balance in her life Zanele says, “I love being in nature and I am deeply spiritual. I start every day with about two hours meditative walking or practice and mediate throughout the day.” In conclusion, she says, “I say to people that you can do absolutely anything that you set your mind to. I strive to do anything that I set my mind to, and I want to encourage others to do the same.

YOUSHI NAIDOO says firstly, “I am a mum although both girls are now legal ‘adults’ – then a wife and homemaker. I am blessed to be surrounded by a loving, caring and supportive family, healthy parents, siblings and loads of friends who are my support structure.” Youshi heads up the largest portfolio of services at DRG, which is the PEO service. Her work responsibilities include onboarding and communications for their international PEO client base. This involves engaging with their international clients and networks as a total HR service provider. “We take pride in our responsibility in assisting SME’s and Corporates in the setup of a solid Human Resource platform, ensuring that they are always 100% compliant from our SA labour law perspectives. DRG is 27 years in operation helping organisations create engaged work environments,” commented Youshi. Her journey at DRG began a few years ago as a HR administrator. A year later from working very closely with her CEO, learning David’s work ethics and methodology, she graduated to PEO Services Manager. “David has helped me develop and fine tune my capabilities and helped me gain confidence enough to engage with high profile clients in and around the globe,” says Youshi. GIVING BACK TO COMMUNITIES Sibaya Africa, a subsidiary to DRG, manages the charity projects and community outreach activities. The focus is on aiding under-privileged children, and orphanages. DRG is passionate about giving back to communities and helping the less fortunate, even if it is a simple hot cooked meal, clothing donations, toys, books, helping renovate their humble living spaces etc. The company is first to put up a hand and volunteer services, time, and efforts. Personally, through Youshi’s local church efforts she is active in feeding schemes, clothing drives and welfare projects such as providing grocery hampers to destitute families. They have about 80 families currently that are supported on a monthly basis. This is only possible through generous donations from their committed local members. “I like to think that I am making a difference in both business and community through these efforts whilst keeping calm and focussed on outcomes,” says Youshi. PASSION FOR EXCELLENCE Yoshi has a passion for excellence. “My fellow businesswoman are all inspirations to me. I feel more than motivation when I see women rise into positions of success despite having faced personal setbacks. Listening to their success stories especially from out of impoverished backgrounds, not letting their unfortunate circumstances hold them back, despite their poverty and struggles persevered until they achieved success. Moreover, I have the utmost respect and regard when they stop to give back to uplift and upskill those in the same situation that they ascended from.” A SOLID FOUNDATION Immediately upon completing her tertiary studies, Youshi was recruited into the corporate sector. She explains, “I completed my final exams in December and started in the financial sector in January. It was very much a male dominated environment back in the days of ‘sir’ and closed-door policies.” She says that this set a solid foundation for her in terms of structures and ways of working which she is thankful for, but that she could never grow. “There was just no way around prejudices of women in the workplace, especially being Indian, I felt disregarded. One only got ahead if one found favour with your bosses. Through much perseverance and patience, I moved into various other roles in corporate. My life changed completely when I entered DRG.” “It was different to all I had known and was used to. Suddenly I had endless possibilities and recognition before me. It was thrilling and I was fortunate to have found a positive space that enabled my development and growth. I finally found my niche at DRG.” In the future Youshi’s goal is to improve herself not only for the sake of personal growth but for the growth of the company. “DRG is a fast-growing organisation. We promote services in 20 countries in Africa and have seen tremendous demand here more recently. My future goal is to ensure our service meets the demands and expectations of an internationally focussed organisation.” DON’T LET FEAR HOLD YOU BACK The asset of any business is in its people says Youshi. She added that thankfully many business leaders are recognising this so you should take every opportunity afforded you to upskill, improve and innovate wherever you can. “Push through any doubts, and challenges and find your purpose. Don’t let fear hold you back and you will be amazed at your inner strength and at what you can accomplish. Use your talents and natural abilities to forge ahead and reach your maximum potential. There is nothing more rewarding than discovering your true talents and using them to help serve the needs of others.” UNSELFISH TIME Youshi says that she is privileged to enjoy work life balance. “It took some working at, but I am finally enjoying it. I take personal time out for myself. I consider myself deeply spiritual. Come Friday sunset I tune off mentally from all secular activities and dedicate the next 24 hours to spending with my God and fellow believers. This allows me the space to relax and unwind.” She explains that this time replenishes and reenergises her for the week ahead. This is also unselfish time dedicated to the service of others. Before covid it was visiting the sick in hospitals, visiting nursing homes to spend time with the aged, bringing them a care hamper and providing some entertainment to the old and frail, most of whom are left to themselves and forgotten by their families. Further, Youshi enjoys spending time actively in nature, beach walks and socialising. She added that she enjoys old classic hymns and songs.

KHETHIWE ZULU, in her book South African History Retold, tells the stories of the often-forgotten struggle heroes who gave their lives for the liberation of generations to come. As she points out, “Sadly, many of them are more familiar for the streets and buildings that carry their names, than the contribution they’ve made to our history.” Khethiwe’s first book was a natural progression from her business career. After an Honours Degree in English from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Khethiwe flexed her writing skills in the business world, with a career in marketing in retail shopping centres before founding her own marketing agency, Creative Boss. Business communications was a perfect outlet for her skills, but her passion for reading and writing became a drive to impart these to previously disadvantaged children. And when she realised how many ordinary people were unaware of their rich history, her dream of writing a book became a reality. She turned the book into the first South African history boardgame called “Did you really know?” TURNING A PASSION INTO A BUSINESS Khethiwe explains the challenge of writing South African History Retold was not in the research or the writing. The biggest challenge was doing everything herself. Unlike the corporate environment where there’s a team, she didn’t just take on the research and the writing. She did it all - even the marketing. “I think I’d have found it a whole lot easier to sit quietly and focus on the writing,” she laughs, “but when you have a new project you usually have to do it all and that’s true in starting a business too. After completing her first book, Khethiwe knew that it would be so much easier for children to read her stories in their own language, and determined to reach the widest audience possible, she translated her book into isiZulu. In 2020, Khethiwe wrote her second book: South African History Retold; A Beginner’s Guide to Women in the Liberation Struggle, honouring the many South African women who fought bravely for our freedom. “Women played a major role in our history, and we need to honour them for their contribution.” “My specialities were always writing, editing and content development,” says Khethiwe. So, it’s unsurprising that she developed her books into an interactive format. Spotting another opportunity to reach her market, she created a board game based on her books. Aimed at children, Did you Know turns history into a popular and accessible game, making history memorable in the most relatable way, and building on her dream to make history relevant even to young children. Khethiwe has a six-year-old daughter. “I wanted her to learn that no matter how ordinary you think you are, you can change the world.” She points out that the men and women she writes about didn’t see themselves as extraordinary. “But they had a meaningful goal and that’s why they were able to create a better future for our children.” OVERCOMING CHALLENGES Any major project presents challenges, and writing books is no different. Khethiwe was supported by the people around her; friends, neighbours and ordinary parents of the children she wanted to read her stories. The more she talked about her first book, the more she realised there was a market for it, and that the very people she was writing for were hungry for the stories she wanted to tell. “I know that it’s important to educate people, and especially children, on our history and my commitment to this goal helped me persevere when things got tough.” CONSISTENCY BREEDS ACHIEVEMENT “My advice to anybody, whether in business or working towards a different goal, is that you need to be committed, persistent and consistent. Achievement comes from consistency. Do the mundane, daily, sometimes boring tasks consistently in order to reap the rewards and the excitement that comes with success.” LOOKING TO THE FUTURE Keen to share her knowledge and bring accurate information to a new generation, Khethiwe says “You can’t rely on Twitter Speak for nuanced answers about complex information!” When it comes to topics like history or our constitutional democracy, you need a reliable source of information. The trick to engaging people, and children in particular, is breaking complex material down into small chunks that are easy to understand and digest. And she aims to provide it. Right now, Khethiwe is working on her new book about our constitution and how government and democracy works in South Africa, Khethiwe’s priority is her young daughter, and her passion lies in spending most of her free time writing indigenous fairy tales for her. Her career gives her flexibility to spend a lot of time with her daughter, cooking and going for walks. Khethiwe is also a keen tennis player and, unsurprisingly, an avid reader. PARTING WISDOM You need to know yourself before you can believe in yourself. And to know yourself you have to go back to the beginning, so don’t ignore your history, or the history of our country.

LYSE COMINS takes pride in her track record as a staff journalist with major newspapers, as well as her freelance writing for prestigious publications such as Mail & Guardian, Financial Mail and Freight News. She has established a name for herself in corporate PR. Lyse has built a diverse portfolio of work including traditional journalism, press releases and corporate communications and has a reputation that has translated into ongoing work as a freelance journalist. When asked about her greatest achievements, Lyse pauses to check before answering, “You mean my career achievements?” An interesting career that she loves was top of the list, followed by having had the courage to give up a job she loved to create a more flexible schedule. Eight years before Covid, remote working was a pipedream for most, but with two small children, Lyse knew a standard full-time schedule was not ideal for her. She resigned her journalism job as staff writer on the Independent on Saturday and moved into corporate PR with a big security company – and managed to negotiate a largely remote working schedule, going into the office only once a week. This was a dream scenario, but while her PR role was interesting, it wasn’t long before she missed the variety and immediacy of news writing and began to consider her options. How could she have the best of both worlds? Once again Lyse considered her options and renegotiated her position. This gave her the freedom to take on her own clients, while continuing her PR role. As Lyse puts it, “From there, it just nowballed.” Lyse’s new contract was liberating. In addition to her redesigned corporate job, she picked up several clients over the years and was retained by a national PR agency based in Cape Town, and three major news titles. She happily admits that there were times when learning by doing was her only option. “I think it was Richard Branson who said never turn down an opportunity,” she says. “If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes – then learn how to do it later!” These days her writing also includes brand content and social media writing. TAKING THE LONG ROAD Lyse had always wanted to be a journalist. Growing up in a home where she was always surrounded by newspapers and news programmes on TV, she was encouraged by her father to take an interest in the world around her. Consequently, even as a little girl she’d always pictured herself as a journalist. After school, she went to college to study journalism but after completing two years of college, she somehow lost direction, dropped out and took a job in a bank. “It seemed like a good idea at the time, but it turned into a six-year detour that nearly derailed my dream.” But experience is never wasted and Lyse had learnt a great deal about business while working in banking, with insights and understanding that has served her well in business journalism. Looking back, it’s not hard to believe that she found her way back to journalism. With ambitions to progress, she knew she needed to study if she was going to make a career in banking. But she was filled with regret as she watched her old classmates move forward in a world she wanted to be part of. Realising it wasn’t too late, Lyse abandoned the idea of studying for her banking qualifications. “I had a longing to pursue my dreams,” says Lyse. “At the relatively ripe old age of 28, I went back to college and finally completed my journalism diploma - and then went on to do a BTech in Journalism.” She’s found her way back and enjoyed studying so much the second time around that she even went on to lecture in journalism. INSPIRATION IS ALL AROUND YOU Lyse was inspired by her journalism colleagues. “When I see good people doing good work and making a difference in society, it spurs me on to do the same,” she says. “And I learnt so much from Wendy Knowler too. I worked with her on the Daily News, and she certainly inspired my passion in that field of journalism.” Lyse’s consumer watchdog columns have been published in The Mercury, The Post, and The Witness. Lyse is planning her own online publication focused on KZN. “I see it as a collaborative project with several journalists,” she says. “There’s way too much going on in KZN to be covered by a single writer!” More immediately, Lyse is about to launch her website. She admits she has allowed deadlines to get in the way of the website, but it is imminent. And, unsurprisingly for any dedicated writer, writing a book is also a goal. Lyse’s advice to younger women is simple, though not always easy to put into practice. “Be true to yourself, stick to your values and don’t let other’s opinions get in the way. Be honest, be humble and work hard.” IN HER OWN TIME Lyse lives with her two children and her partner. She enjoys walking on the beachfront – or nywhere in nature – and the occasional glass of wine. She has found balance in her life and success in her business and is grateful for the opportunities she’s had – including being nominated for KZN Top Business Women.

PREONA NAIDOO is the Brand and Customer Experience Manager for the Supertech Group. She has worked within the motor industry for just over a decade. Preona was selected as a Top 5 Motor industry Women of the Year 2022 nominee and finalist. She says, “One of my biggest achievements is using my position and influence to empower and upskill other women within this space.” Some of the other achievements that she has been quite invested in, ever since she joined the Supertech team, are the annual corporate social initiative drives. There are two major projects, one being the Blanket Drive and the second being the Toy Drive, under the umbrella of the Supertech Care’s brand. Preona explained, “What we do with this initiative, within the areas that Supertech retailers operate, is to identify deserving NPOs, NGOs and local organisations that need support. This enables them to remain sustainable for the work that they do within the community and provide assistance to help them do so.” FEMININE ENERGY Speaking of who inspires her, she says that she is proud to say that the women within her family inspire and continue to inspire her, especially her mom and gran. Preona said, “For me they embody what the feminine energy should be. They are both nurturers, they are entrepreneurial and at the end of the day, they embody this spirit that allows you to get things done, no matter what.” THAT SOFTER EDGE Commenting on the challenges that she faces, Preona says that being a female in the motor industry comes with its own set of challenges. “Being a young female in the motor industry is something that I had to contend with for the past decade. In the past, one of the biggest challenges is that when you walk into a room within a leadership position, you are often judged on your age, and your gender.” “So, you need to be a little louder to get your point across, while still maintaining that softer edge. I am happy to say that the space that I’m now part of, values your productivity and your work output versus your age and your gender, so it is quite a pleasure to be in this space at this time.” CONTINUE TO EMPOWER Personally, Preona’s future goal would be to qualify as an NLP Practitioner. Within the work sphere, she hopes to continue to empower and upskill young women and men within her team with the resources and the knowledge for them to pave their own paths. The advice that Preona would give to young women who are following in her path, regardless of the industry, is the same as the advice that she was lucky enough to have received when she was younger. This she says is to persevere. Preona explained, “In the face of every goal that you are trying to achieve, persevere and be consistent because consistency is what drives results.” When Preona does have the time and does have a break, she loves to go to the beach. She says, “I’m drawn to the ocean, for its tranquillity – I’m a beach-baby at heart. I love to read and continuously learn and spend time in the creative space. THERE IS MAGIC IN POSSIBILITIES “What I would like to say in closing,” said Preona, “Is that all women have a voice. Some of us have the opportunity to use our voice to inspire and empower others on larger scales. For some women that don’t have the opportunity, strive to inspire those around you and not lose hope, because what you do is important and does impact your environment for the better. If I could give advice to young women who are starting out in motor industry, don’t forget that there is magic in possibilities.” “I will leave you with a quote: “Amazing things happen when women help other women.”– Kasia Gospoś.

Natalie Keegan is an experienced public relations and communications professional with more than 25 years in the corporate space. In January 2021 Natalie redirected her career and says that she can now proudly say that she is a businesswoman. This move is has seen her partner with Everest Strategic Communications KwaZulu-Natal and BKT Logistics. A HUGE ACHIEVEMENT Natalie has a healthy reputation and contact base in the northern KwaZulu-Natal area which has enabled her to assist the founder and CEO of Everest Strategic Communications, Zama Luthuli, to be onboarded as a service provider at several corporates in the Richards Bay area. Everest Strategic Communications is 100% black woman owned PR and communications company for which Natalie consults as regional director KwaZulu-Natal. “Importantly,” says Natalie, “I would like to thank Zama for offering me the opportunity to partner with her in KwaZulu-Natal. It is a huge achievement to be able to quote and tender on jobs at these large corporates within our first six months of opening a branch in KwaZulu-Natal.” Throughout her career and now as an entrepreneur, Natalie’s community involvement has been and is to uplift and empower the youth and elderly. Natalie was a committee member and later voted in as the chairperson of Empangeni Child and Family Care for several years. “I decided I could do more and be involved in more projects in my personal capacity, which is what I have continued to do throughout Covid and currently. In the past I wanted to help as many families as I could, but I now focus on helping one needy family at a time.” Last December Natalie assisted a family with electricity in their home and for 2022 she has assisted with monthly groceries to support one family of six and she will continue to do so until they are in a better position financially. In addition, Natalie has been a board director of the Zululand Chamber of Commerce and Industry as well as Uthungulu Community Foundation for the past five years. FELT A CONNECTION Speaking of people who inspire her, Natalie says that Carina Smith-Allin (Mint PR), although she had never met her personally but followed on LinkedIn was someone whom she admired. “I felt a connection to her through what she shared in the public domain and when I was at my lowest, I reached out to her and asked her if she would be prepared to have a virtual meeting with me… She did and her perspective around the challenges I was facing put my journey back on track. It says a great deal about her willingness to engage with a stranger although we are in the same line of work. I continue to follow her and watch her grow in business.” Natalie’s mother passed away when she was seven and she was raised by her father and her “gogo” - Busisiwe Mthembu who she loved dearly. Natalie commented, “She taught me to love and be kind to people from all walks of life. She took care of me for many years, and I returned this love until she passed away in 2018.” Her sister, Sylvia Cozens, also played a role in raising Natalie after her mother passed away. “She has stood by me when I had my boys and through my challenges and is the person who constantly reminds me that I can be successful. I am that strong, capable woman and I will be successful.” PATIENCE AND RESILIENCE Natalie has been faced with daily challenges in her new world of business, but she says patience and resilience are what it has taken for her to move forward and get her foot in the door. She explains, “I fortunately did not burn any bridges over my 25-year career, and this has been my strength in 2022.” “I have strong relationships with business and industry leaders who have given me guidance and support which in turn has given me the confidence to stay strong, patient and believe in my capabilities to be successful in business. We all want to find that stability and pay cheque from the word go, but it doesn’t come that easy.” FUTURE GOALS Natalie’s goals are to champion the way women and business can transform the communications industry and society at large. She believes that she has a part to play in this process. “Influence is dynamic, so I believe it is imperative that I collaborate and partner with leaders within the PR and communication industry. I would like to be that person that gives other women the strength to believe that anything is possible if you keep trying. Giving up should never be considered.” In addition, Natalie intends to build and nurture current and future relationships with industry professionals that have made a success of their careers and businesses. GRAB THOSE OPPORTUNITIES Speaking of advice she would give to young women following in her footsteps Natalie says that it is important to ensure that you have financial stability when starting your business. She added, “The first year is tough while you build your reputation and client base. Start a business you are passionate about and have researched. Don’t make hasty decisions…do your homework thoroughly. You must also grab those opportunities put in your path.” When not working on her business, gardening is Natalie’s go-to when she needs to unwind. She concluded, “Roses are my absolute favourite. I have recently moved into a new forever home with an established garden full of arum lilies and rose bushes.”

NERUSHA MAHARAJ’s company is called Visual Network SA, which is a one stop production store in KwaZulu-Natal. The company’s services include movie productions, with locations, accommodation, catering and transport crew – anything that one would need to shoot films in KZN. Nerusha is also the city producer of the 48 hour film project, which is an exciting short film competition. The competition has been around for the past 21 years in 130 cities around the globe. She runs the KZN chapter. Her company together with the KZN Film Commission, is also developing 20 digital entrepreneurs. This project is for youth or for anyone that has a YouTube channel or a digital platform with the goal of taking them to the next level. Visual Network SA assists corporate clients with brand placements. They’ve assisted over 50 movie productions so far, from telenovelas to short films, television commercials, Nollywood block busters that are on Netflix, to the recent win of The Woman King. A BIG WIN In business, the Visual Network SA has been nominated by Sentech as a finalist in the Start-up category for a tech start-up for the 48 hour project and for its other social development projects. “We encourage mobile filming, we teach youth how to use their mobile phones, to make content, share content and monetise it, so that was quite a big win for us,” said Nerusha. The company was also a second runner up in the Durban Tourism Awards 2022 in the Film & TV sector. In addition, Visual Network SA was selected as a finalist in the Standard Bank KZN Top Business Awards in the small business category. Nerusha was selected by The Women of Wonder Awards as one of the top 50 influential women in South Africa by the Eastern Eye Magazine. She commented, “We’ve had a lot of wins but for me, the biggest win would be going into informal settlements and rural areas where we are able to develop and uplift the community. We get kids and aged people involved with the camera, to be in front of the camera, to be extras, and we source crew from an area where we are filming.” Nerusha’s other achievements include being the brand ambassador for the late King Goodwill Zwelithini’s Royal brand of wine, textile, and coffee, the Bayede brand. PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES Nerusha says that she is inspired by her clients; their feedback, hearing thank you Nerusha, the location was amazing, I loved the crew, or the caterer was excellent. She says, “The feedback from clients keeps me motivated, as well as the ability to help bring people into the industry: providing opportunities for them, for me, that is really motivating and inspiring.” She is further inspired by the participants in the 48 hour platform as the project gives an opportunity to people to enter the industry. “Because we have workshops beforehand, we take them through the whole process of film making. They get to make a short film in one weekend, thereafter they see the results on a big screen and there’s a whole awards’ ceremony. Seeing people who know nothing about the industry enter it, and the excitement in them, is what drives me and inspires me.” INDUSTRY CHALLENGES Some of the challenges Nerusha has experienced would be with finding locations. “People in KZN aren’t aware that the movie industry is booming here. It has been a challenge to convince people that we are a legitimate company, and that production and filming does take place and we would love to use your home,” explained Nerusha. Another challenge is language barriers and hierarchy in rural areas. If there is an induna or a chief, the company always employs a local, who knows the area and they then do all the negotiations as they know the process. Nerusha would love to support every film maker that needs assistance to participate in the 48 hour film project. “I have been reaching out to organisations and corporates to support film makers.” They will be getting brand exposure in cinemas as well as internationally, through supporting a young film maker, you never know what their future holds.” GOALS FOR THE FUTURE Another goal would be to host the 48 hour international competition in KZN. That is where the 130 cities around the world compete for the top 10 films, which get screened at the Cannes Film Festival. “It’s never been done on African soil, so that is definitely on my short-term goals for the next two to three years.” Her overall goal for the company is to be the leading media production service company and agency in South Africa. GO AFTER WHAT YOU WANT Nerusha says that her advice to younger women would be to not be afraid to go after what you want. Hard work always pays off and helping somebody else, always comes back to you. She adds, “Something that I’ve noticed, don’t feel shy to ask. We always get intimidated, or we feel we are not allowed to ask somebody for help. But you will be surprised at how people are willing to help you, hold your hand and take you up.” Commenting on her personal life Nerusha says that she wishes that she had more time. “I would spend more time painting in my personal time, I love painting, just walking, taking hikes with my sons and my husband, spending family quality time together, that obviously just relaxes me and that’s my me time. Also, what helps me a lot is going for a walk, putting on my earphones and listening to something motivational and inspirational or listening to leaders and CEOs, that is very therapeutic to me.”