Sinqobile Khuluse is an attorney by profession. She currently works for Sandock Austral Group Holding Company as the Chief People Officer. Sinqobile is a member of the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry Council and is the Chairperson of the Manufacturing Forum. Sinqobile is responsible for everything people related in driving the Human Resource (HR) strategy, planning and policies. The core business of the Group is in the naval ship building and ship repair with operations based in Bayhead precinct. She is responsible for the end-to-end HR offering that includes talent acquisition, organisational development, and organisational effectiveness, helping to support the execution of ship building and other projects in the organisation. After high school, Sinqobile pursued her studies towards a BA and LLB degree. She completed her articles and went into practice. As Sinqobile has always had a love for employment law, she spent some time specialising in employment law. Sinqobile was in the midst of studying towards a masters in employment law when she was offered a great opportunity to join a labour boutique firm. A short while later she was offered an amazing opportunity to become their senior manager heading up their labour relations. Sinqobile moved across into a more corporate role and was then promoted to a sister company as Human Resources Director. She explained, “That’s how I transitioned from being an attorney into being in the HR space and I am thriving. I am really enjoying the challenge. To me it’s much more vibrant than the legal field. It’s agile and flexible, fast paced, and most importantly, I get to interact and impact people’s lives. That for me is one of my passions, it’s my purpose; making a difference in the trajectory of people’s lives and making an impact, that really excites me. I’m enjoying my HR journey – HR has stolen my heart.” HER BIGGEST INSPIRATION Reflecting on what has inspired her, she says that her biggest inspiration is her mom who Sinqobile said has always been a strong, courageous woman. She started working as a social worker and worked her way up in the department of social development. “She steered our family and put us through school. My mom is a real hard worker. Her courage and resilience is what I draw strength from and everything she does, she does with so much care and patience. She has been very supportive in my career,” said Sinqobile. Outside of her mom, Sinqobile draws inspiration from various people like Brené Brown who talks a lot about leading with bravery and courage. She is also a fan of Vusi Thembekwayo – The Black Dragon. “For a lot of young people like me who come from the township, we now know that the world is full of possibilities, and you shouldn’t limit yourself to where you are, there are so many opportunities out there. I draw inspiration from people that take the courage to do things that are less popular and the courage to do the things that are not so easy.” LIFTING AS WE RISE Most importantly, says Sinqobile, she has set a goal for herself to tell her story and to continue to encourage other women and young people. She says, “I strongly believe in lifting as we rise. As my life has had challenges, it’s very important for me to tell my story. It becomes like a treasure map or a guide of sorts to people who are still starting out into their careers.” “Most interestingly, you don’t have to have everything worked out, you don’t have to have everything scripted, it’s quite possible for you to go from studying law into HR and into business, the possibilities are endless.” Sinqobile’s advice is don’t give up; it’s not going to be perfect but it’s definitely going to be worth it. Very often we try to plan as much as we can and picture our lives, we set goals and very often compare ourselves to our peers. “I live by a beautiful quotation I came across, it said – life is tough my darling but so are you. I think it’s that resilience that we need to build into young people, so that they know we are not all going to progress at the same pace. We are not all going to achieve the same milestones and we set high expectations on ourselves. It’s good to be ambitious but know that not everything you want for yourself will come at a time when you want it or plan it. Be strong in your faith, that will build your resilience, I pray a lot, I meditate, and I ask God for guidance, and I know that everything happens for a reason, so I’ve just got to embrace the challenge. So, my advice is to be brave, the thing the scares you the most, that challenges you the most, go for that and grab it with both hands.” In terms of her personal life, Sinqobile is a mom of three, she has two daughters and one little boy who is five years old. They live with her fiancée. Sinqobile says that she is blessed to still have her mom and dad who play a big part in her life and provide that support structure that she needs. Sinqobile says that she loves travelling. “I love seeing new places and tasting new culinary delights. I want to believe that I’m very adventurous. I always want to try something new, if there’s a new restaurant, I’ll be the first one in the queue wanting to see what it has to offer.” In conclusion, says Sinqobile, “The name Sinqobile in Zulu means that we have succeeded. And that’s what I always carry as part of my journey and purpose; that is in the togetherness that we preach as Africans – a culture of Ubuntu. I am because you are, my success is everyone’s success. I hope that I continue to fulfil my parents’ prophecy.”

Nureshka Viranna is the young, dynamic and vibrant co-operative-founder and director of a company called Shopli. Shopli is an e-commerce and web design agency, that, in this age of digital information technology, helps to take businesses online and become more visible in this space. Nureshka and her team, measure their business achievements by their clients and the success their client experience through the work Shopli has done for them. Nureshka adds, “Our biggest achievements are our clients. I think that our clients speak for themselves. We are ecstatic when clients share how their leads have increased or how they have increased their sales.” FOCUSING ON YOUR VISION When it comes to accolades, Nureshka has been recognised and featured by Forbes as being in the Top 30 Under 30, for the strides she has made in technology, which is a huge achievement for a young, female-driven technology company. “Our mission and our vision have always been about our customers. It has always been customers first and how do we help them grow their business. That’s how we started, and this is our why,” explains Nureshka. The core function at Shopli is that together with their production team, they design and develop websites and online stores for clients. As Nureshka expands on this, “We have an approach where we make it our business to understand what your company does, to understand what makes your company different, what sets you apart, and only then do we create a website to showcase your products or services, so that you are more credible, you can get more business, and create brand awareness. When it comes to an online store, we help take your products online to ensure they are easily accessible to the consumer, so that this becomes another income stream.” Reflecting on her journey in this predominantly male-orientated technological environment, Nureshka shares that her biggest inspiration has been her business partner, Avilash Aniruth, who has operated his marketing agency for the past 20 years. This agency is also the sister company to Shopli. As Nureshka enthuses, “Avilash has inspired me in what he has achieved and how he has achieved his goals.” She has also been greatly inspired by women in technology, such as Sheryl Sandberg who was a big force in growing Facebook. “You don’t get many women success stories in tech,” says Nureshka, “so for me she is very inspiring and encouraging.” KNOWING YOUR VALUE In reflecting on the challenges, she has encountered along her career path, Nureshka says that the biggest challenge was that of being a woman in tech. “Tech is a very male dominated industry, so clients wouldn’t necessarily take me as seriously, and you are initially seen more as a sales rep going into a meeting. They didn’t see me as the expert in my field. However, once I showed businesses I knew exactly what I was talking about, and what we had achieved with other clients, my success spoke for itself. So, for me personally, overcoming that preconceived perception and proving to clients that I was just as good as any male in tech (without being sexist), was a huge accomplishment,” says Nureshka. She encourages women to know their value and the expertise they bring to the business. EXPANDING OUR FOOTPRINT With an existing national and international footprint, Nureshka’s future goals for Shopli are to grow this expansion into other provinces as well as internationally, to give the company a stronger foothold. On giving advice to women, or men for that matter, following this industry or following in her path, her recommendation is to never give up. “There are always going to be challenges, so you need to take everything in your stride and keep on trying,” she says. “The thing is that if there is a challenge you are facing, you should never give up, chances are you are closest to reaching a breakthrough to something great. So, don’t give up. I believe that if you are passionate about what you want to achieve, you will never go wrong.” KEEPING GROUNDED To relax and unwind, Nureshka spends a lot of time with family and friends who, by being in their company, keep her grounded. “Your business can consume you in the sense that it becomes you and you forget about life itself, so ‘my people’ are a big part of keeping that in perspective,” she says. She also enjoys sport and being active, as well as reading. Nureshka believes everyone needs to learn how to have a balanced life. “I am still learning to live a harmonious life, but I think it’s amazing to do what you love, be passionate about what you do, wake up in the morning and love going to work,” she says. Nureshka firmly believes it’s important to recognise your support systems. “I have amazing parents; my late dad was a huge support to me. Then I’ve got my team who are the core of my business, they help run my business, so I’m extremely grateful to them.” acknowledges Nureshka. “It’s been an honour to be recognised as a Top 30 Under 30 by Forbes because it’s opened a lot of doors and it’s helped me meet amazing people throughout Africa.”

BENITA ARDENBAUM is the founder and director of Benita Ardenbaum Attorneys, which is a family law specialist practice that also does conveyancing. The firm deals with cases that include domestic violence relating to vulnerable people, divorces that are often acrimonious, international cross boarder abduction of children, custody disputes, mediation, maintenance and the firm does some pro bono work. Benita started her practice in 1999 from a room in her house. She explains, “The reason that I decided to go out on my own was the fact that the legal profession was a male orientated profession, and I was in a firm that did not resonate with my values. I wanted to deal with family law in a unique way by bringing in a more feminine aspect and that is where the heart of law was created. I always say lead with your heart, and it will lead you true. This should not be interpreted as a weakness but rather as a strength. I recognised that I loved people more than I loved the law but that I could use the law as a tool to assist my clients. ” The practice was started with just Benita and her secretary and slowly, over the years, through sheer hard work, determination, drive and showing up daily and consistently she expanded the firm into what it is today. “I have an incredible all women’s firm where we have mastered the art of collaboration and work together as a team to assist our clients to transition and navigate through often traumatic times in their lives,” explained Benita. “My passion is to give a voice to the voiceless.” These are vulnerable people and in particular women and children as the scales of injustice are tipped against them, although there are many men who suffer severe injustices as well. The reason that Benita is so passionate about fighting for children and vulnerable people is because her mother fell pregnant when she was 16 years old, and she starved herself so that nobody would see until she was seven months pregnant. When her parents discovered her pregnancy, she was whisked away to a convalescent home in another city. As she was considered to have brought shame on her family, she was forced by her family to give Benita up for adoption. “My birth mother did not have a choice or a voice,” explained Benita. “When I was six years old, I was sexually abused and also did not have a voice.” Benita has had to endure many challenges including immigrating overseas when she was 12 and where again she did not have a voice. She said that as she was rebellious, she left school at the age of 15 and worked in a shoe store and as a waitress at night. When Benita was 17, she met an old schoolteacher and was encouraged to go back to study; within a few months she finished her matric. Benita then went into the army for just over two years. She felt that her voice was not being heard and so ended up staying in base camp for many weekends washing pots in the kitchen and cleaning toilet as punishment. Benita had a longing to come back to South Africa as she missed this country and felt that this is where her roots were. “I came back to SA with nothing but a suitcase. With the support of my husband, I began to study and so began my journey.” AN INCREDIBLE PURPOSE “These life circumstances have shaped my life and gave me an incredible purpose which I live daily because we as individuals can choose to be victims of our circumstances, or we can rise and assist people in similar circumstances. I have the privilege of helping children and their caregivers to make a difference and change the trajectory of their lives. That is what drives me to get up at 4.45 am in the morning and get to work. I love what I do and do what I love. I make my vocation my vacation.” Benita has appeared in various cases, which have been featured in the media. She has a strong international presence and is a member of the prestigious International Academy of Family Lawyers, whereby the members are recognised by their peers to be the most skilled family law specialists in their country. Benita has been involved in various international divorces and international cross border abductions of children between parents. Benita has had various mentors in her life but says that her greatest supporter and mentor is her husband of 35 years and her adult children. She says, “I attribute much of my success to him as he has been my rock and he is happy for the light to be shone on me. My children are my biggest fans and often share their incredible wisdom with me. FULL OF POSSIBILITIES In giving advice to others, Benita says that you must be passionate about what you do and live your purpose as then you are full of possibilities and success will follow. “You are enough, your power is expressed through asserting your boundaries and that NO is a full sentence. However, you should always remain humble in life.” “When people come to our offices they step into another world where they feel safe and secure. Our aim is to empower people with knowledge because with knowledge and education comes power and then they feel a lot more in control of their process.” Benita runs inspirational retreats for women, some of whom have been clients. She has worked, and continues to work where she can, as a strategic life coach. Benita added, “I am constantly studying and doing self-development courses. I walk and trail run and paint by numbers and sometimes do pottery. I also sometimes binge watch on Netflix.” In conclusion Benita says, “I want to say to women that each one of us has a unique gift and once we discover our gift it will lead us to our purpose in life. When that passion is ignited, we are unstoppable. When we as women stand together, when we share in each other’s successes and support each other’s failures we stand in true sisterhood and that is when the magic happens!”

RESHMA MAHARAJ is the founder of a group of companies. GR Extra Space offers low-cost affordable mobile solutions including log cabins, classrooms, offices as well as manufactures jungle gyms. Heartbeat Training Academy is fully accredited and offers health and safety training, including First Aid – Level 1,2 and 3, basic firefighting, risk assessment safety officer, and health and safety SHE Rep training. The third company that Reshma manages and operates, Enspired Women Magazine, is her passion. This platform inspires ordinary women and youth to become financially stable. Reshma explains, “On this platform, we educate, promote, inspire. We take women through different levels of mentorship and coaching where they use their skills to generate an income. Most of the time, this includes women that have been abused or women who have struggled through their journeys. We hope that by using their new skills, they can have some financial stability.” Currently, Reshma says that her greatest achievement has been having her business operations still open during the erratic business times of the Covid pandemic. Other achievements have been the many national, regional, and international awards that the group of companies has taken, which is a great achievement in their portfolio. Rehma commented, “It took years to build the brand, especially our core business and for us, this recognition shows business growth. We do create a lot of direct and indirect jobs through the different companies that we manage and operate.” “Another achievement was being the speaker at the World Women Conference, where I took a standing ovation for building the ordinary women and youth around you,” added Reshma. Reshma’s biggest inspiration she would say is her late dad. “I was always inspired by his business tenacity. He was always business minded. We sat and talked about shop. He was always encouraging us not to give up. He taught us how to swim through the recession periods over the years and one thing that stood out was that he reminded us that your workplace is not your comfort zone. You’ve got to give it that effort, you’ve got to work hard and make sure that you achieve your goals and be successful.” There are two brilliant women that Reshma is grateful to – her mentor, Vani Moodley and Fatima Sarigat from SmartXchange. “These women would drive you to see your capabilities, because sometimes you are so confined behind that desk, you don’t see beyond that space,” she commented. Reshma explained that Vani has taken her from a confined space and thrown her into the deep end. Without her mentorship and coaching, she does not think that she would have taken the manufacturing business to the lengths that she has taken it to. “I’m an entrepreneur, but sometimes you need that little push and guidance along the way,” said Reshma. The company started manufacturing storage unit and is now building and manufacturing mobile classrooms, site offices, container conversions, and clinics. Some of Reshma’s biggest challenges faced were during Covid and she said that her late dad’s words stuck with her. “He taught me how to swim through these challenges and for me it is not putting my signature on everything I need. I have to understand, is it a need or is it a want. Covid has taught us lots of lessons and I’m grateful for his advice. Now that I sit here, I’m ready to take the business to new levels.” One of Reshma’s future goals is to see her brand expand, especially on the Heartbeat and Enspired sides. She would love to see them reach a global level. With technology, she said, now everything is possible, and you can sit in your own space and be training and facilitating at an international level. In advising younger women, Reshma says that they need to love what they do. “They need to have confidence in themselves, they need to be passionate about what they are doing, and they need to understand that life is a journey, it’s not a competition. If you are going to think of life as a competition, you are going to focus on competition instead of the journey. Every day is a new step for you to start something new. Women need to be brave, bold and be confident and be passionate in what they are doing.” Reshma is a wife and has been married for 25 years. She is a mom of two, and has a 22-year-old daughter, who is completing her last module in civil engineering this year, and a fourteen-year-old son. To relax, Reshma loves cooking for her family, and just being with them, because as she says life has become so busy. “I enjoy weekends, cooking and dabbling with flavours. I enjoy those long calls to my sister or to my sisters-in-law, I’m very family orientated, so for me, I look forward to the weekends to relax with my family.” FINAL THOUGHTS “Life in the last two years, I think has been really challenging for every woman, for every business and family. Given the opportunity to see a new day is the biggest blessing that anybody can ask for in life. If you are given another chance in life, get up and try again. Here’s your chance to make it work again.”

Carol Coetzee is the Head of Department of Provisional Treasury for KwaZulu-Natal. She has been a public servant for 30 years and has had many accomplishments that have been at a policy and strategic programmes level. Many people won’t necessarily know what the implications of these policies have been. However, one of them was the development of Operation Sukuma Sakhe, which then became a policy directive for the entire country. The goal of this directive was to bring government departments together at community level. If a family, for example, needed to access a grant but did not have identity documents, the relevant documents would be brought together to provide a holistic solution to the household rather than having to go to 3-4 different government buildings, which is unaffordable for many rural communities. “That was a great initiative and we have seen the impact in terms of addressing some of the societal issues at a ward level including improved integrated planning across the different spheres of government” says Carol. The Provincial Treasury, as it needs to be accountable for public funding, has also implemented several initiatives to ensure that there is good governance. Carol added, “With our support initiatives, we’ve seen an improvement in the audit outcomes of the provincial departments and the public entities that we guide and support which reflects an enhancement of governance in the public sector.” Carol commented that she most enjoys socio-economic development achievements, where they reach out to communities and measurable impact can be seen. “During FIFA 2010 World Cup, we made sure we had public viewing areas, so people out in the far-flung areas were able to enjoy the hype and watch the soccer on big screens and all come together. The other achievements are the creches that we have been able to help. They were in shocking conditions, they had pit latrines, and we are talking about little ones from 0 – 5 years old, without educational toys to play with. I thoroughly enjoyed going into those communities and seeing the change in terms of giving those little ones a head-start with proper facilities and providing teachers with a formal setting to build a good foundation for these future generations.” Truly Inspirational Reflecting on who has inspired her, Carol said that she was privileged to meet Grant Oosthuizen who is an incredible young man. He is severely handicapped (though he would not like me saying that) and can only manage to control the movement of one organ of his body and that’s a toe. However, he charges around in his wheelchair, is a graphic designer, plays bowles for South Africa, and does ballroom dancing and anything his heart desires. “There is nothing that stops Grant,” explains Carol. “He is the most happy, respectful person I have ever meet. He does not let anyone stop him; he is amazing. He started an NGO called Get Inspired, where other disabled people are taught to make arts and crafts so they can earn an income and lead dignified lives. Whenever, I have a bad day, I think of him, this is someone that is truly inspirational as he has overcome substantial hurdles in this life with a smile on his face.” A Bumpy Road Carol said that over the last 30 years she has had a bumpy road including both personal and work challenges. “On a personal side, I had major back surgery, which required me to be out of the office for two – three months. That really humbled me as well. It made me realise that mental health is important because at the time I was in hospital, they couldn’t diagnose the underlying cause of my health challenges post the major operation of fusing 9 vertebra. I was frustrated and humiliated by the way I had to be washed in bed, and I was in a very dark space. I was visited by a psychiatrist to talk to me, which was the first time I realised how crucial mental health is for anyone. I still to this day if I am facing a challenge seek professional help. Making sure I stay healthy and fit is important given my pressurised job.” When it comes to her career, Carol has had to make tough decisions while working with hard-core leaders. She says, “I think what is important is to be able to say no at the right time and to give alternative solutions rather than being viewed as obstructing. There have been a lot of difficult decisions to be made. I think as long as you ensure your integrity is intact, and you and your values and ethics, even difficult people will see that what you are saying is correct and they will respect you for it.” Changing Perceptions Carol says that she probably has about ten years left in the public sector before she retires. In this time, she would really like to change the way that government is perceived. She says that she wants to change this perception by tackling the issue of corruption through putting proper systems in place, holding people accountable through empowerment, and ensuring that there is consequence management. She added that she wants to professionalise the public sector. “I try and encourage young graduates to join the public sector and to change how government is perceived. It’s a privilege to be a government official and we are here to serve the public. It’s not only the right thing to do, but we have a mammoth responsibility to change the lives of our communities. Seize Opportunities Being a female still has several challenges, says Carol, irrespective of what sector you enter. Young women must seize opportunities, don’t be afraid to take on something you have never done before. In advising others she says that each challenge is different, you need to understand that you will be learning every day. “I went into the film industry as a CEO of a brand new entity, with no knowledge of the sector, it was an amazing experience, so be open to new experiences.” “You need to be passionate and have empathy for your team. That’s what I have learnt over the years, spend time and create a better relationship with your staff. You need to be respectful of who you are working with and be professional because you will not and cannot succeed on your own. I always say, don’t be on time, be early. Being a chartered accountant, sets that foundation, you have certain ethics and values that you will always have in place by the nature of the training and the profession. Carol says that when she does have time to relax, she loves the outdoors, going for a hike in the berg, or a long walk along the beach. She added, “I love game parks, I read quite a bit, I love photography and I go to Splashy Fen every year, which is my time to thoroughly unwind and enjoy local music.”

GOSTINA MALOPE, or ‘Gabbey’ as she is more commonly known, is the dynamic and inspiring founder and director of Toutele Agriculture College, South Africa. Growing up in a rural farming community, Gabbey developed a passion for agriculture. She established the college in 2015 specifically for rural girls, to address challenges faced by rural communities, of not being able to access higher education like university and colleges, which were out of their reach or in towns. However, with a strong interest coming from boys as well, soon they were included. As a result, the college evolved into a rural community college that is affordable and accessible for general wage-earning parents, including the SETAs, opening empowerment opportunities to them. Gabbey has over the years, worked with youth and farmers to help them acquire education, skills and training in the agriculture sector, thereby enabling them to become more self-sufficient and sustainable through farming. This dynamic woman entrepreneur has built her name as an expert in the agriculture sector, which is traditionally not a glamorous industry for most young people. However, Gabbey, a businesswoman of many talents, is also the founder of Gabriva Clothing Label. She says, “I simply love clothes, shoes, bags, accessories, beauty products and perfumes. “Besides being a businesswoman, social entrepreneur and wife, Gabbey is also mother to twins – a boy and a girl. DEVELOPING ENTREPRENEURS Gabbey was recently appointed the president of the KZN Centre for Rural Development, which advocates for small enterprise business to be revived post Covid and after the disasters such as floods and looting, which our province experienced. “Young women and men are no longer keen to go into entrepreneurship, they want jobs, and as we all know, jobs have all disappeared along with all the disasters that have occurred over the last two years,” Gabbey observed. “My biggest goal with the KZN Centre is to just activate more innovative business ideas and entrepreneurial opportunities and map out our country to be an agricultural economic hub as a whole.” Gabbey is an innovative and passionate entrepreneur who is determined to make a difference. Looking at the faces of the graduates each year, she sees such a huge difference in them from when they started out. “The growth in the students is so rewarding, and farmers on the development programme are now supplying international markets. This is where you vividly see the change, you don’t have to look for it,” she explained. The best reward for Gabby is seeing young women operating in the space of agriculture, which has been a predominantly male dominated environment. “Seeing the goals that we had, being manifested in these young people, and seeing them become who they never thought they could be, is priceless,” says Gabbey. CHALLENGES FACED One of the biggest challenges Gabbey has experienced as a businesswoman in her industry, was Covid, which steered her into completely new ways. The normal daily farming routines had to change. “We now had to love our crops with a glove,” she says. There was a titanic loss of farmers, as many were affected health wise. Crop production is an incredibly physical and intensive process, and many farmers were not able to continue. Covid was certainly the biggest challenge for the college, which forced them to relook their operational processes and find innovative new ways. Gabbey is determined that they will overcome these challenges by being non[1]apologetic and taking initiative on how to best incorporate the challenges post-Covid to build a health system specifically for agriculture. As a result, the college is developing learning programmes for agri-health so that farmers learn how to look after themselves. BIG DREAMS Gabbey’s dream is to build an eco-college, on land owned by the institution, which has already garnered much hype. This technology will expose students to world-class farming practices. She also has a strong vision to establish the organisation beyond the borders of South Africa. Gabbey’s vision is to transform the agriculture sector through technology, capacity development, and sustainable farming methodologies and practices. Her innovative ideas have been adopted by several other colleges in the industry. Gabbey and Toutele Agriculture College South Africa boasts some of the biggest stakeholders in the country, such as AgriSETA, Afrivest, Tsolo Agriculture and Rural Development Institute, Owen Sithole Agriculture College, Crooks Brothers, SA Veterinary Council amongst other giants in the industry. ADVICE TO YOUNG WOMEN “Don’t follow trends, rather set trends,” is Gabbey’s firm and clear advice to young women. Whatever you do should replenish you, so invest in yourself first, so that others see you as the prototype of what you believe. And don’t give up, the world is your oyster and constantly evolving. “Look at vegetables,” she says, “first they were only consumed, now they are in health products, and in beauty products. Anything is possible.” Balancing her life comes from spending most of her time with her twins. Gabbey has a guitar and loves music, so dancing to the music wherever they are, is what you will find them doing to unwind. She also loves food and says she is ‘an adventurous eater’ who likes to try out unusual dishes. Gabbey also loves taking risks where she believes in something, which she says stimulates and energises her. She also unwinds by watching series on TV. In conclusion, Gabbey’s message to the women of South Africa is that they need to step up and get out of the spaces that limit them. She believes that South Africa is an economic hub that has not yet fully identified its potential. “The women of South Africa are immensely wonderful, and we need to step up and become the new life blood of our country,” says Gabbey. “The old carry the wisdom, the young are the movers and shakers, and together we make a strong, diverse force to drive the economy of South Africa. Our country is rich in its women.”

JENNIFER REDDY is the new Chief Executive Officer of Morar Incorporated – a financial services consulting firm comprising of Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditors. The firm has a national presence, with seven offices across the country, servicing private and public sector clients’ needs in accounting, auditing, tax, forensics, and information and communications technology services. Morar Incorporated has been in business for over 27 years. “As a black-owned and managed business, this is a great feat for a small to medium-sized enterprise,” said Jennifer. The firm is the only South African firm to be accredited with Allinial Global membership, which allows international clients to be serviced as well as creating a link for local clients who wish to expand their businesses abroad. A PATH FOR SUCCESS Jennifer has 15 years of experience under her belt, having completed her articles and qualifying as a Chartered Accountant (SA) while at PricewaterhouseCoopers. She joined Morar Incorporated in 2010 at the Pietermaritzburg office as an Associate Director servicing the private sector in accounting, auditing, and tax. She commented, “My drive and ambition allowed me to set a path for success and grow through the ranks, I was then given the opportunity to become the Director responsible for the Durban office and KwaZulu-Natal region with the responsibility to enhance the firm’s strategy and grow the private sector business segment in Cape Town and Johannesburg.” In 2017, Jennifer was appointed as the Director of Corporate Services, responsible for leading the organization’s finance, operations, and support strategies and functions. During her professional journey within Morar Incorporated, Jennifer furthered her education by completing the strategic examination with the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) in 2019, as well as obtaining her Master of Business Administration degree from the Gordon Institute of Business Science (University of Pretoria) in 2021. Jennifer said, “My recent appointment as CEO, has been challenging and exhilarating. My purpose is making sure that the company moves to greater heights. We have a great legacy that has been left behind by our previous Managing Director and founder who has sadly passed away. And it’s with that vision that I would like us to strengthen our resolve and move forward with passion, conquering what needs to be conquered. I am proud to say that three months down the line we are on the right track. We are energised and confident that we will take Morar Incorporated to greater heights.” During different phases of her life, Jennifer says that various people have supported, mentored, and coached her. She commented, “My previous Managing Director gave me the guts to take on any challenge and the ability to believe in myself and what I could achieve. He was a great mentor and he never held me back no matter what strategy, tactic, or business plan I came up with. He was supportive and let me grow and find myself within this business.” Jennifer added that she has been fortunate enough to have a tribe of women that back her. “A network is very important if you want to progress in business or even personally. I have been fortunate to encounter professional women that support me. When you feel anxious, they are there to support you by understanding how to evaluate risk and advise on the best way to move forward.” She added, “As a female professional in an accounting and auditing field, the male dominance gets to you. When you start this career, you may not anticipate how you will move past this barrier. The first challenge is finding the security and certainty within yourself that you are equivalent to your counterparts.” A big challenge, says Jennifer, is that you may not be able to work 10 to 12 hours a day, and it may be difficult to travel when you have little kids. Overcoming those challenges was something she needed to address early in her career. “Keeping that work-life balance is a myth – there is no work-life balance – whatever makes you and your family happy is the balance you are going to create.” The next challenge was balancing the needs of the business, her clients, her staff, and her family while she completed an MBA. The demands of which were equivalent to the demands of work –balancing that was quite difficult. “My immediate goal is for this firm to regain its branding strength and our market share. Morar Incorporated offers a wide range of services and we don’t openly publicise our success. We are a client-centric company that highlights innovation and technology and I need to bring that to the fore.” “Personally, I think that becoming CEO has also ignited a passion in me to conquer more and I know that that there is a lot more that I have to achieve.” Jennifer’s advice to young women following in her path is “be brave”. She added, “Be willing to take the risk, weigh all your options, and embrace your network. Never sell yourself short and never believe that something is not possible because of where you come from, your background, your childhood, or any other experience in life. These experiences mould us, and they also guide us to where we should be going in life.” She added that women should never disregard the value of education, as this is the edge we have over our male counterparts. In addition, Jennifer says, “Don’t be afraid to be a female leader. By that I mean empowering women, leading with empathy and with confidence.” If you are stylish, she says, then bring that flair into your leadership style. We often try to put ourselves into this male world and don’t want to showcase our female attributes. We are female leaders, and we need to embrace that fact. Jennifer is very fortunate as her husband and kids keep her well-grounded. “When I am not at work, they are my priority. They help me relax, regroup, and refocus. I have great friends that are always willing to take me on little retreats – we call it girl time. My best friend is a yoga teacher, so I have access to meditation and yoga, which helps me relax. I also love reading, which helps me to clear my mind.” In conclusion, she adds, “We live in a society where women are often afraid to showcase where they have been and where they are going. Initiatives like this enable women to share what they have achieved. I have a story to tell, and I trust my story could help someone else.”

LENORE GOSS-MATJIE describes herself as an entrepreneur. Being a qualified image consultant and fashion stylist, she is the founder and CEO of “Styled by Le’Nore”. Lenore has diversified her business to supply medical products into Africa at large. She says, “I have diversified my product range to the extent that I also supply furniture, baking equipment and anything to do with the fashion industry – I am supplying clothes as well.” Lenore has recently been appointed as the vice chairperson of Women in Business at Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry. She says, “I am very humbled and honoured and want to make an impact and do the very most that I can to empower women.” Lenore is a former educator as well as a professional Latin American and ballroom dancer. While she no longer competes, Lenore is involved in adjudicating competitions and in training. Her business Styled by Le’Nore came about as a result of her having her own dancing studio. Lenore was involved in grooming, styling, and makeup for all her dancers. She was responsible for putting together stage dance productions where the styling and image of the theme had to be communicated to the audience. Speaking of her business, Lenore says, “For me, the greatest achievement in my business is styling a client from head to toe and seeing them transformed. People underestimate the value and power of looking good and feeling good, and they really don’t value styling. You could have all the fashion pieces on your body but how you put them together is important. I always say I could take a black paper bag and put it on you and make it look fabulous. But the greatest reward for me is seeing a happy confident client.” Lenore says that she has been motivated to achieve by success by her three children and her husband. She has a debilitating muscular skeletal chronic medical condition, called Fibromyalgia (which to date has no cure but can be managed). “While I was in hospital, I had one of my children ask me, ‘mom are you going to die?’. From that day forward I vowed that pain or no pain I would make an effort. Every morning I would get up, I would style my hair, I would put on makeup and on the days that I was able to wear heels, I would. I had been told by my surgeons that I was not allowed to wear heels. But I dislocate anyway so I may as well dislocate in style!” “They were the main motivating force in me getting up, picking myself up, getting the therapy that I needed to get back on my feet to get stronger. They are my everything and in everything that I do, I first and foremost want them to be proud.” JUST PERSEVERING Speaking of her current business challenges, Lenore says that these relate especially to her new venture into Africa and that the number one challenge is finance. She said, “Finance was always going to be challenge and then finding the correct partners and suppliers to collaborate with. People promise you the world but until contracts are signed, and finance exchanged …that is quite difficult now. However, I seem to be on the correct path, so I am just persevering.” Another challenge that Lenore finds is that in her experience some women don’t support each other. She commented, “We speak of women empowerment and uplifting each other – it’s good to talk the talk but you need to walk the walk. I find that my male counterparts have been there to support me. I just wish that we as women could truly support each other. Don’t be afraid if you see a woman coming up – be excited for them – pat them on the back and spread the news because something is in line for you as well and I want to thank those few women who do support myself and other women.” The advice that Lenore would give to other women following in her path is to be persistent. She added, “Be confident even when you don’t feel confident. Don’t be scared to change, don’t be scared to diversify. You think that you don’t know something until you try it and that is why life is a learning experience.” NEVER STOP LEARNING Lenore added that we never stop learning so we should take up new challenges. Even if we don’t achieve what you want to, the learning experience is what you take from the situation. Importantly, she says that people should persevere – and just keep pushing and have confidence. If it’s not meant for you, the door will not open. if it’s meant for you, the door will open – you will just have to work hard at it.” The goals that Lenore has set for herself are firstly that she wants to be happy which is critical to her. “You have to be happy in what you do, you cannot be miserable, because if there is no love there is no passion that goes with it. You can be the most successful person and be miserable.” Secondly, Lenore would love to succeed and make a name for herself in Africa at large. She added that when people hear of Styled by Le’Nore or Lenore they must know that they are getting excellent service. “They are getting quality and I would just like this business to grow and to touch people’s lives even more.” Speaking of balance Lenore says, “I am a busybody – I am always doing something, but I love sitting with my husband and the kids around the table and just swapping stores – them telling me about what they have done during the day and making jokes. I love to laugh, it’s the best medicine.” In conclusion, Lenore says that we should always strive to be a blessing to others, to uplift others, and to make others feel good about themselves. “You will be surprised as to how all that comes back to you in multitude.”

JASMEENA SHIBA is a director at Royal Tyres, which is a leading tyre fitment centre and part of the Bestdrive franchise. Royal Tyres is a family run business that was started by Jasmeena’ s grandfather in 1939 and celebrates its 83rd anniversary in 2022. The company is South Africa’s oldest tyre dealer. Jasmeena was born in the heart of the Indian casbah in Victoria Street, Durban and later moved to Reservoir Hills. She studied Business Administration through ML Sultan Technikon, which led to her being exposed to many industries over the years where she also garnered international experience. Jasmeena lived in London, United Kingdom for 13 years between 1998 and 2011 where she worked as an IT Analyst for investment banks (Alexander Forbes, Deutsche Borse Bank), Media (Sky News), and Health Care (NHSU). Jasmeena joined the family business in 2011 as the first female director at Royal Tyres, which is predominantly male-orientated. This, together with Jasmeena’ s international business administration experience, has brought a new dimension to the business. She says, “Being the first female director in the history of the business is a difference in itself. I have added some female qualities to the business and always look at the female aspect. “Consequently, Jasmeena has been able to contribute to the business and the client experience, from a female perspective, bringing into the equation what a female client would like to experience when having her vehicle fitted with tyres, and has made these types of changes. Jasmeena has also implemented company policies and processes to assist staff in working efficiently and effectively. Her goal being to build a strong workforce and create an inclusive company culture. MOTIVATED AND ACCOUNTABLE For Jasmeena, her motivation comes from knowing the responsibilities she has as a director and employer. This motivation includes the responsibility she has for the livelihood of all the employees relying and depending on her. Her motivation extends to the responsibility she has for the sustainability and success of the business. “Being accountable for the business and its people, keeps me motivated and on track,” she commented. Her inspiration has been her father and mother who, she says, have gone through so many challenges with the business over the years. They have been her mentors and inspired her and her fellow directors. Jasmeena says, “They have definitely inspired us to take the business to the next level, they guide us if they see us making a wrong decision that could cost us.” Her father, who is CEO, is still actively involved in the business, to provide direction. Jasmeena commented, “We don’t do expensive school fees so to speak – we go to my dad who says, ‘no don’t do that or yes do that. So that has been a huge help.” TEAMWORK OVERCOMES CHALLENGES For Jasmeena, the most obvious challenges are being in the motor industry as a female in management. Despite this, she is well supported by the team and management board. Recent challenges, faced by Royal Tyres, as with many businesses, was Covid, and in Durban it was the floods, looting and protesting which broke many Durban businesses who could not recover their losses. “We worked with these challenges collectively as a team and a business. These were not challenges that I personally faced alone, we faced them as a team and this is how we overcame the challenges,” explains Jasmeena. “There were tough decisions that had to be made to survive, and our priority was our staff and the family’s dependent on them. For us working as a team, trusting our team, and constantly adapting to the changing environment, is how we overcame these challenges,” she said. “My future goals are simple but important,” says Jasmeena, “to be healthy, to be happy, support my team, support my staff, and strive to always do my best in all my endeavours.” VALUES ARE IMPORTANT In advising young women who are entering the business world, Jasmeena cautions, “Don’t lose yourself to prove yourself. Stay true to yourself and your values which are so important. Don’t get lost trying to make your mark or make a difference in a space that is not aligned with who you really are. Be humble and always trust your gut when it comes to a big decision. And be consistent, consistency delivers results.” Jasmeena has been married for 21 years and has three children. The boys are aged 16 and 12 and her daughter is 9, which, she says, means life is pretty busy. To stay balanced, she likes to keep fit and active as this allows her time to recalibrate. As a family they stay active by doing bike rides and going to the gym. CONSISTENCY IS KEY Jasmeena concludes by saying: “Sometimes when we start off, we cannot see the finish line. But don’t give up, keep going and the key is to be consistent. You won’t see the results immediately, but just keep going and be consistent as it’s a long-term thing, the results will come.”

JEANINE TOPPING says her purpose in business is to grow people, and she drives this through two different companies. Firstly, Jeanine owns JT&A, a SETA Accreditation business that serves clients in the training industry. “We help our clients grow their businesses and thrive,” says Jeanine. “Through our coaching and mentoring programmes, we help them achieve accreditation and once they have this, they have a licence to train and award SAQA points for their courses. This means they’re more competitive than non-accredited training programmes, and more likely to get funding for their businesses.” Secondly, Jeanine is a director of Wealth and Progress Training. She explains: “Through Wealth and Progress Training, we empower people with various leadership and entrepreneurial programmes. We work with both employed and unemployed people to help them realise their potential.” Jeanine’s passion in this company is facilitating the Flip The Switch course, which involves her helping groups find their Inner Cheerleader. Jeanine is a qualified Rapid Transformation Therapist (RTT) and helps corporates with their Employee Assistance Programme through running this course and conducting one on one RTT Sessions. INSPIRED BY HER COACHES A firm believer in coaching, Jeanine has worked with two business coaches over the years and gives them credit for helping her build her business. “Marlene my most recent business coach taught me tenacity. She helped me see that when things go wrong, which they inevitably do, you can’t go down the rabbit hole. All you have to do is put one foot in front of the other, and deal with the issues step by step.” Jeanine points out that her training as an RTT Therapist has played a huge role in having a calming and supportive influence, which has helped her deal with the very real challenges presented by the pandemic. PIVOTING TO MEET CHALLENGES Jeanine counts surviving Covid and still being in business and keeping six people fully employed throughout as her major achievements. “Lockdown was a rollercoaster,” she says. “We’ve had to pivot, adapt, and make big changes time and time again. We moved offices four times over the last three years.” This was disruptive and time consuming, but JT&A is now settled in our bright new offices in Pinetown.” Unsurprisingly in a people business, staff issues have also been a challenge over the past few years. Jeanine points out that every person has been facing their own challenges, even in the aftermath of Covid. “It’s not enough to discipline staff who aren’t delivering, you have to find out the reasons why, and see what you can do to help them achieve their targets by way of counselling and support them, often on a personal level. Over the years I’ve learnt that if I take this approach, I see the benefits – for my staff members, our team, and the whole organisation.” But while things have settled in some ways, the challenges continue. There have been substantial changes in the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) accreditation sector, including the introduction of accreditation with QCTO instead of the 21 SETAs, and there are new processes and systems. Jeanine and her team need to continually adapt. New skills programmes have also been introduced into South Africa, and new curricula from the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), and JT&A must get to grips with all this change. “We have to know about all the new SAQA programmes and their curricula so we can support our clients,” says Jeanine. Typically, however, she focuses on the positive. “With all this change comes new opportunities,” she points out. “There are some amazing new qualifications, and our clients need us to guide them through and help them adapt, formulate their training programmes, and get them accredited. There’s so much we can do to help.” GROWTH IN 2023 Jeanine has big plans for 2023 for JT&A and is launching a recruitment division. “We’re very excited about this because there’s a real need among our existing client base for good training administrative staff.” There are also opportunities for Wealth and Progress Training. The company currently offers a Trainers and Developers Practitioner Qualification, and Jeanine sees great potential for growth here. The company is about to introduce a new initiative whereby they actively recruit unemployed people with a background in training administration and source funding to train them in this practitioner qualification. This will grow the Wealth and Progress Training business while providing the industry with much needed training and development co-ordinators. Jeanine points out that their JT&A clients also need these skills in their businesses, so this initiative also dovetails seamlessly with the JT&A recruitment division. Asked to share her wisdom with up-and-coming businesswomen, Jeanine is specific. “To succeed you need to believe in yourself, your goals and your passion and don’t listen to people who tell you, you can’t do it.” She also points out that you can’t always rely on advice. “Be careful who you listen to. Are they qualified to give you advice? If they aren’t successful themselves, can you trust what they have to tell you?” LAST WORD Jeanine and her partner Trevor – my BFF – share six adult children between the ages of 28 and 42, so she’s probably as well qualified to advise you on family matters as she is on business growth! “We also have a new miniature Maltese poodle who has captured my heart,” says Jeanine. “And Trevor and I love to travel. We’ve just been to Mauritius and before that it was a 10-day trip to the Cape. Of course, we had to juggle work to cope, but I have an amazing team to keep the business running while I’m away.” “If you’re running a business, and it has survived the last three years, you’re a winner. And in terms of KZN Top Business Women, I’d like to wish all the participants the very best. Everyone in this group is a winner.”

Caroline Sculley or ‘Cah’ as she is known to her colleagues and clients is the Chief Operations Officer at DNKA Inc, a firm of accountants and auditors based in Kloof, KwaZulu-Natal. DNKA is a full-service firm offering services from bookkeeping to audits and everything in between. Caroline’s role is about ensuring that the clients of DNKA receive a high-quality service, while meeting all compliance and statutory requirements. The firm looks after over 300 small and medium sizes business – mainly in KwaZulu-Natal – empowering them with the financial information to run and develop their businesses. Uniquely, Caroline is a non-accountant managing an accounting practice. She draws on her experiences of working with private and public clients in the United Kingdom and South Africa to provide solutions for DNKA’s diverse client base. FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH Since joining DNKA, the firm has tripled its staff complement and registered as a SAICA training office. Caroline explains the benefits: “This is allowing us to create our own CAs and AGAs of the future and expose them to diverse small and medium-sized clients, and wider consulting services beyond assurance. Our team really has grown from strength to strength, and this has allowed us to offer our clients more services, specialisms, and support.” Before Caroline joined DNKA, she was a fulltime international volunteer at WhizzKids United based in Edendale just outside of Pietermaritzburg where she contributed to the management and running of the NGO for two years. Her initial role there was to set up an employability programme for young matric leavers, who live in a community devastated by HIV. Caroline commented, “I am really proud of what was achieved by the young people in that programme, their success is our success.” In addition, she has spent time as a volunteer in the United Kingdom for CHIVA (Children’s HIV Association) where she assisted with their annual residential camps for young people living with HIV. IT TAKES A TEAM Caroline explained that her career has been motivated by her parents who both worked very hard to be where they are today. She added that her parents had always instilled in her the importance of pursuing your goals but also doing everything in a fair and considerate way. “In everything that I do, I try to empower or motivate those around me, and this helps those around me to do the same for me. It really does take a team – in both business and personal life to succeed and I am very proud to be part of my teams,” she commented. One of her biggest challenges has been moving to South Africa and having to navigate a different social and business environment to the UK. She explained, “Moving to a new place on the other side of the world with no support network is hard. Having to be able to adapt and work with people with diverse backgrounds compared to my own took an adjustment. But asking questions, being respectful and empathic can really take you a long way. I also had fantastic support from the other members of the DNKA management team, Nasser and Sthembiso who helped me navigate the new environment.” She explained further, “My team at DNKA are my motivation, I want to create opportunities and growth for them so that they can meet their goals.” Speaking of other challenges, Caroline added, “I have at times doubted my role as a non-accountant in an accounting world, but through seeing the success of our work, and the growth of our practice and clients – I am now very confident that I make a valuable contribution to this industry. Our practice is more than accounting and numbers, it is all about growing businesses and I am a businesswoman, in the business world. This is where I am meant to be.” Caroline is really excited to continue to grow DNKA and would also like to enroll for an MBA in the next 12-24 months. At home, she wants to raise her three daughters to be strong, empathic, and passionate people who can pursue their happiness. EMBRACE OPPORTUNITY Caroline would advise young women to “embrace every experience and opportunity”. She added, “At school, university and beyond I have tried to say ‘Yes’ as much as possible, and this has led to travel, odd part time jobs, conferences, and meetings. All these experiences, as random as they may have been, have added to the richness and diversity of my experiences.” For example, she says if she hadn’t answered an advert in a United Kingdom newspaper for holiday camp volunteers, she wouldn’t have worked with CHIVA in the United Kingdom. This experience led her to Whizzkids United in South Africa, which in turn led her to meeting her husband and setting up a life here in KwaZulu-Natal. Caroline is married to Julian and is the mother to a toddler – Penelope aged three, and two teenage stepdaughters (Melissa 15, Alex 12). Caroline was supposed to be in SA for six months but met Julian and the rest is history. As a family, they love to go away for weekends spent camping, and she also loves to get stuck in to DIY home and craft projects.

PINDIWE FILTANE is a social entrepreneur who runs a company called Mbasane Women in IT. This is a company that focusses on upskilling unemployed IT graduates. She has been in IT for the past 25 years, so she says that she understands the struggles. Pindiwe said that she never aspired to be a programmer when she started working. However, that was the job that she got, and she spent seven and a half years behind the laptop. Her company is therefore more about going back to where she thought she wanted to be. Looking at her journey and where she was when she started and when she left the corporate executive level, makes it easy for her to understand what these graduates are looking for. In addition, she knows what skills they are not equipped with and then she bridges that gap. “I understand that when you finish your degree, you don’t have it all. We have an end game in mind, where we look at the client and see what they are looking for and then upskill the graduates. The idea is for them to be employable at the end of the training or start their own businesses.” Mbasane Women in IT also works for companies that are looking to upskill their small businesses or start-ups and equips them with the basic business skills. A SENSE OF ACHIEVEMENT Pindiwe says that she bases her successes on seeing the impact of what they do. “When the graduates get into the corporate environment and they perform well and the clients are saying thank you, that for me, is a sense of achievement. Because we know what we have achieved, and we have given the companies what they are looking for.” “We don’t just focus on technical skills, we look at honing these graduates, so that they are better people in terms of the general etiquette that is needed in business. Nobody teaches you that, so we fill that gap and make sure that we build on their soft skills as well,” explained Pindiwe. KNOCKING ON DOORS The challenges that Pindiwe has faced are related to being a small business. She has had to knock on doors, make people understand that they are different from others, and make sure that they understand why they are doing what they are doing. She commented, “Because I love what I do, it works when I tell my clients what we do, instead of writing a proposal that is not going to tell the person the story behind the business. I believe that when people hear my story, they understand why I am doing this. The challenge is getting to the person who will listen to you, and I must say when they do listen, then I have my foot in the door. That is how I manage to manoeuvre in business, get that appointment, sit in front of the client, share my story, and ask them what it is you want to achieve?” FUTURE GOALS Pindiwe’s future goal is to build the business. She says, “I believe that there is a lot of help needed out there for these young graduates, and the SMEs or start-ups and somebody has to do it. A lot of us are needed; the cake is big enough; we can all share in the cake and all of us need to do something. There’s a skill gap, there are few women in IT. What are we doing about it? So, for me, it is to grow the business and empower as many women as I can, so that is why it is all about women in IT. Pindiwe says that when she gets a chance to stand in front of any audience, be it young graduates, be it young start-ups, she says that they need to see and appreciate where they are, then they can build on that. She commented, “There’s a lot out there that is happening. People are so angry, people don’t have jobs, people hide their certificates just to set their foot in the door. Then when they are inside that anger comes out. So, I say show the people what you can do. Show them what you have, because when you walked in, you accepted that job, so now do better.” She added that when she gets an opportunity to run programmes for the companies that have already employed the people, she finds that often employee performance or attitude is not up to scratch. “I say to them you accepted this job, you knew it was not what you wanted to do, so start here and you will go far. No one is going to accept you if you are grumpy. No one is going to notice you if you are not happy. If your certificate is with HR, no one else knows that you have a diploma or a degree, so do the best where you are and then you can move from there.” A GREAT OPPORTUNITY Pindiwe spends a lot of time watching her son playing sport and that takes her away from the working environment as she gets to be a mother. She also like walking. “When I get to walk, I get to think, I get to come up with solutions to problems that I would not have come up with when I am sitting at home, so doing the walks and being in touch with nature, that gives me a sense of peace and I enjoy it.” In conclusion, Pindiwe says that this is a great opportunity for women in business to showcase their work and get people to respect them. “We want to be known, we want to be seen, we want to be acknowledged not because we are women, but because of what we do, so this initiative is great for us as women in business.”