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ALDINE DALLAS is living her best life. Three months shy of 50, she has risen above adversity to achieve significant success, and is devoted to helping others transform their lives from the inside out, her motto: Turning hearts not heads. Her passion and determination is unmistakable. "So many people are wounded or completely broken; perhaps from physical or emotional abuse, neglect, or being dismissed as worthless or unimportant, often from as far back as childhood. They don't recognise their value and find it hard to have a positive view of themselves or their lives, bringing negativity into their personal and professional relationships. It's my vision to help these people heal their lives and build wholesome, happy and respectful connections. And it starts with building a healthy relationship with themselves." From the outside Aldine's life looked amazing. By the time she'd finished primary school she was a seasoned television performer, having danced on a show for eight years and starred in numerous commercials and had generated an income from modelling from the age of six. She was also an academic, head prefect and a top sports achiever. She studied public relations and found a great job in advertising straight out of college. Her career blossomed across operations and new business development and she landed her first directorship and shareholding at 28. "But I was an over-achiever and had never dealt with my childhood brokenness, and I had taken on too much too quickly." With life and work pressure escalating, depression set in. Her marriage ended after only two years and a downward spiral ensued. After 10 years and many poor judgement calls, she found herself stuck in a violent relationship and hit rock bottom. But she didn't give up. She walked away from her career, moved to Durban from Johannesburg and went into a rehabilitation facility to start the inward journey of healing, and began a new chapter of her life. The best you Aldine explains: "I finally built a healthy, nurturing relationship with myself. Through self-exploration, learning from counsellors and coaches and connecting with God, my transformation was dramatic. I realised I could make a difference and in 2008 my journey to help others began. My vision was to take what I'd learnt about brokenness; the importance of forgiveness and being accountable, to encourage people who are hurting to stand up with boldness and courage and step into healing and wholeness." One of her projects was a workshop for female inmates at Westville Prison. "I have a special passion for broken women, as I can identify easily with them." Aldine points out that there are many reasons that women end up in prison, but that childhood trauma, a lack of self-respect and unhealthy relationships like co-dependency are often a common thread. Aldine has run her digital marketing agency for many years and is also a qualified life coach. "I help clients become their best selves, and my deep desire was to do this on a bigger scale." She launched her production company and developed, Over 40 and Fabulous, a reality TV show as a platform to help others nationally and potentially, even globally. "My vision for Over 40 and Fabulous is to neutralise gender, cultural and racial tension. Our commitment is to turn hearts, not heads. We have a team of experts to help our participants holistically to overcome issues that have held them back. We'll guide them into wholeness and help them establish a strong identity, and an authenticity in how they present themselves, so they can pursue healthy relationships. And if they're single we'll even help match them with potential partners, who will be coached as well. I want to uplift and change South Africa one person at a time!" Inspired by Oprah Winfrey and Steve Harvey, Aldine describes how they overcame poverty and childhood abuse and chose not to buy into negativity. "They rose above adversity and went on to become two of the most powerful people in the media world. They have given a voice to the broken and underprivileged, investing emotionally, spiritually and financially into the lives of others. My mission is to invest love and time, and whatever resources I can amass, into the lives of South Africans." Finding the balance Unconvinced by the concept of work-life balance, Aldine points out that work is an important part of life, not a separate entity. "You need to find a balance in your life, and for me that includes attending to my digital marketing clients, consulting with my lifecoaching mentees, working on the production of Over 40 and Fabulous, exercising, salsa dancing, writing books and relaxing with friends and family. Balance is important, but I don't compartmentalise my life, I prefer to take a holistic approach." She mentions her 2007 book. "I highlighted that if life is a rocket ship, then every engine has to be equally and consistently fuelled." Referring to areas such as finance, health and fitness, family and parenting, nutrition, emotions, personal character, spirituality, love, career, intellect and education, social, quality of life and life vision, she advises, "Focus energy in each of these areas and your rocket ship will soar to incredible heights!" Hang in there Asked what advice she'd give her younger self, Aldine is positive. "Well done on hanging in so magnificently. You got up each time you were knocked down and I am so incredibly proud of you. Never be ashamed of your past - there's way more to you than that, you are defined by who you have become. Be resilient and always remember that adversity doesn't have to hold you back, in fact it strengthens and propels you onward and upward."

Aldine Dallas

Her passion and determination is unmistakable. "So many people are wounded or completely broken; perhaps from physical or emotional abuse, neglect, or being dismissed as worthless or unimportant, often from as far back as childhood

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BARBARA NJAPHA is the managing director of Performance Solutions Africa (PSA), a consulting firm in Durban that conducts performance enhancement interventions. Best practice programmes are offered to organisations in the private and public sectors, involving the training and coaching of leaders and managers. PSA's major focus currently is delivering school management programmes in the education sector, and to date these have been delivered in over 2000 schools nationally. On a day to day basis, Barbara is responsible for the overall management of the company, its people, and its functioning. She liaises with clients and the funders of projects and oversees the finances, marketing, new business, staffing, projects, and the developing of specific project reports. After matriculating from Igagasi High School in Umlazi, Barbara enrolled for a secretarial course at the Mangosuthu Technikon, as she lacked sufficient credits for university studies. Upon finishing the course, Standard Bank employed her, engaging her in their accelerated learning programme, which provided exposure to several banking functions. A year later she was accepted for the bank's "FTUS" scheme, whereby employees could attend university full-time. Due to her interest in people's behaviour, she enrolled for a B.Com (Industrial Psychology) degree at the University of Natal in 1995. Diverse experience After completing the degree, Barbara dealt with human resource (HR) matters ranging from training to industrial relations. At the end of 2001, she was employed by ABI as an HR specialist. When she felt that she had reached a ceiling in HR, she asked to be exposed to operations. To her surprise, they offered her relevant training and appointed her as a senior warehouse manager. She commented, "The opportunity to gain diverse experience in human resources as well as operations was a special gift." When managing the warehouse was no longer a challenge, Barbara left ABI to start her own recruitment company in 2006. Soon afterwards she met with a former work colleague who advised Barbara that PSA was looking for an HR head. Consequently, in addition to running her company, she joined PSA, and became a director replacing the lady who had recruited her. An opportunity arose when the then - managing director moved to Cape Town and Barbara was appointed to this position in 2010, which is the job title she still holds. Barbara says, "I am not inspired by a specific person, but by the actions of any person that makes a positive change." She admires someone like Nelson Mandela for his vision and ability to look beyond his immediate circumstances, but it is his actions as well as the actions of often unknown people doing something beyond themselves, that inspire her. Women have an extra load "Women still have "the short end of the stick" in business," says Barbara. Historically women have often been seen as fit to be in the kitchen rather than business, she says, but things have been improving and women are playing an increasingly big role in business. "Women do however have a double-load," she says, "because they have to double-prove themselves in business." As this need is in addition to the load of multi-roles beyond business, Barbara concludes that women are forced to approach business differently, due to the additional challenges of motherhood and caring for their families compared to men. Achieving a work-life balance Achieving a work-life balance has been difficult and has often been "a hit-or-miss" Barbara says. There were times when she could not be there for her children due to work commitments, for example when doing a warehouse stocktake on a Sunday. Fortunately, her children were independent at a young age and she appreciates the support she gets from her family. Her husband has encouraged her and became very understanding over time. "I view work-life balance a bit like a see-saw, because sometimes there is more of it and sometimes less." This is further motivation for her to be in a space where she can do what she loves and have the freedom to decide what she wants to do and when. The advice that she would give to her younger self would be "education, education, education first" says Barbara. "Because, although some people succeed with little or no education, this is just too risky." She would then go on to tell herself to make investment savings, learn how to be financially savvy, and to prepare for retirement early on. Lastly, she would tell herself to become independent and only enter into a long-term relationship when she can be whole on her own and wouldn't need to be reliant on someone. "Then you can go and live life, not do what someone else tells you to do, but what you enjoy doing." Becoming a social entrepreneur Barbara is happy with most of what she has achieved, especially being able to provide for her children's education, but has not yet succeeded in terms of reaching her goals. "I want to do something bigger than myself, some-thing I am passionate about, on my own terms." Her passion is to uplift and empower people in society. She wants to engage in what she terms "social entrepreneurship" which for her means "resolving community-related problems through one's entrepreneurial skills without doing it for profit". When she has become a successful social entrepreneur, she would feel that she has succeeded.

Barbara Njapha

The managing director of Performance Solutions Africa (PSA), a consulting firm in Durban that conducts performance enhancement interventions. Best practice programmes are offered to organisations in the private and public sectors, involving the training and coaching of leaders and managers. PSA's major focus currently is delivering school management programmes in the education sector, and to date these have been delivered in over 2000 schools nationally.

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BONI MCHUNU, managing director at East Coast Radio (ECR) - KZN's No.1 Hit Music Station, is passionate about KwaZulu-Natal and its people. Boni was born and educated in Pietermaritzburg. She is the youngest of five sisters and after her mother died when she was 10 years old, Boni was brought up by a single dad, who she calls her 'Rockstar'. Boni credits her success to her father who encouraged her and her four sisters to take their education seriously. "Growing up poor in Pietermaritzburg, my father taught me that I could only improve my life through education. A statement he made had a profound impact on her as a young girl and has stuck with her ever since - 'The decisions you make about education today, must be the decisions you are happy to live with tomorrow'. This statement, she said, encouraged her to do well in school. The best marketing experience After matriculating in 1997, Boni enrolled at the University of South Africa to study marketing. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in marketing, a diploma in business management and diploma in project management. Recently, Boni attended the international executive leadership development programme at Wits and London business schools. Her first job was with ABSA and her responsibilities related to marketing the financial services of ABSA. This was followed by working for another corporate giant, Unilever. Of her time there, she says, "I believe it was some of the best marketing experience anyone can get, as I worked in different categories from home, personal care to foods." Before joining ECR, Boni was part of the executive team at Tourism KZN. The opportunity to work for the provincial tourism authority, representing KwaZulu-Natal and South Africa, she says was one of the highlights of her professional career. Notably, she got to travel to more than 72 countries around the world and in her own words, "The experience cemented the fact that South Africa is the best country in the world and solidified my pride in being proudly South African." Influencing people's lives Now as, Boni says that she absolutely loves that East Coast Radio has so much influence in the lives of the people living in the province. "I consider this opportunity as a privilege that I will cherish for as long as I live." "ECR gives us the platform to make a difference in people's lives by influencing and connecting KZN to the world, and we bring the world to South Africa, particularly to KZN. We are proudly KZN as we are a brand that considers ourselves as a fabric of KZN that binds people together. KZN's social matters, matter to us, whether funny, sad, social, or lifestyle, are all important to us." "Growing the station's brand awareness is my career highlight. The ECR brand awareness is above 90% across all demographics in KZN. I am glad that the work I've put into making it more diverse, in terms of listenership, has paid off. This is evident in the growth of our audience, largely due to our brand's association with all things related to KZN. I look forward to continue growing the brand even further." Business is business Apart from being a successful businesswoman, Boni is also a superwoman to three kids of her own, and a wife to her loving husband. Boni says that that despite the usual everyday challenges at home, at work and in the community, the greatest challenge that she has faced has been seeing people judging her based on her gender and race. She does not let this get to her and her biggest career highlight is that she has been able to move from different industries with ease. "The experience gained from all these industries has been enormous for me, but most importantly, the experience has taught me that business is business, regardless of the different industries." As a woman in business. Boni says, 'I learnt early on that prospective employers care about whether you've got the ability, willingness and right mindset to do the job at hand." "As women, we all need to believe unconditionally that our passion can create the life we really want. We have the in-built ability to do whatever we put our minds to and need not wait for things to fall into our laps. Opportunities exist and we need to seize those opportunities and make things happen for ourselves, rather than waiting for society's approval." Remain true to yourself However, Boni says that discipline is a bridge between her goals and achieving them, "In everything I do, I believe focus, attitude and discipline has brought me this far." She adds, "I believe in simplicity, authenticity, straight talk and sustainability in everything that I do. Sustainability for me refers to putting systems in place that will build myself and companies that will compete for the future, with or without me. You must remain true to yourself, find mentors for every area of your life and don't waste time on negativity." In reflecting on her future goals Boni says, "One thing I would like to do in this lifetime, is to create a Boni Mchunu Foundation that will assist the underprivileged kids, especially from the township I grew up in, Imbali Township." Boni's motto in life and in business is that failure is merely incomplete success, to be persistent and be grateful for what you have, so good things can manifest. "I believe in positive reinforcement, not letting your past or present situation in life define your future."

Boni Mchunu

BONI MCHUNU, managing director at East Coast Radio (ECR) - KZN's No.1 Hit Music Station, is passionate about KwaZulu-Natal and its people.
Boni was born and educated in Pietermaritzburg. She is the youngest of five sisters and after her mother died when she was 10 years old, Boni was brought up by a single dad, who she calls her 'Rockstar'.

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BRENDA HORNER, is the founder and director of the Gap Academy which provides school and university leaving students the privileged opportunity to realistically assess, discover, plan and create for their future career and life paths. A Greytown farm girl, Brenda has lived most of her life in the KZN Midlands and attended high school in Pietermaritzburg. After school, she studied a four year degree in food and clothing technology and a physical education degree for high school teaching. Brenda has followed an interesting and diverse career path from teaching, lecturing, and designing and manufacturing of wedding dresses, clothing and soft furnishings, to owning her own consulting and manufacturing interior design company for 27 years. During this time, she compiled also an interior design course for a correspondence school, raised two children and played competitive sport. As a parent and an ex-educator, she was deeply disturbed by the number of students leaving school who did not know what they wanted to do, or were not prepared for the 'real world'. She was equally concerned by the high numbers of students making the wrong career choices and not completing their tertiary studies, and the many students wanting to study but unable to do so due to financial constraints. Identifying the huge void after school, Brenda founded the Gap Academy in 2006 to provide students with a planned and purpose-driven gap year. Students have time to assess their career options and are equipped with knowledge and experience in essential life skills, business and personal finance management and develop emotionally to cope with life after school. "There's so much going on in matric," she points out, "and the pressure to make a decision about the following year is enormous. It often leads to hasty, ill-informed decisions. Teenagers often have no idea what they want to do. They simply don't have the knowledge, experience or exposure to the realistic information they need to make the right choices." To attend the Gap Academy, students need to be 17 years or older (there is no upper age limit - their oldest student was 42). "We prefer our students to have their matric," says Brenda, "but it's not essential. They do however require a good attitude to their work and colleagues, and they must want to attend Gap Academy to plan and achieve for themselves! At the end of the year, our students will have more focus and clearer goals. They'll know what they want to do and have a plan to start the journey to get there." Inspired every day Brenda is inspired by her students, both past and present. "Looking at our students, I can see the impact we've made; that we're doing something really needed in our society. I see past students who've gone on to great things and I know we're making a difference. And I can see it in our current students too. I walk their journey with them every day. It's remarkable to see their growth in one short year, and it's wonderful to know we're instrumental in getting them onto the right path. They leave us with goals, plans and purpose. We give them a platform for life, and that's all the motivation I could ask for." But the Gap Academy has provided another unexpected opportunity too. The business sector and other potential sponsors can see the worth of the Gap programme and get involved by financially investing and assisting students. Lecturers are selected on their reputation and professionalism and invest their time and knowledge in lecturing the students and giving back to the emerging youth. Finding the balance "I don't always achieve a good work/life balance," admits Brenda, "but it's probably been easier for me than many women. When I started this business, my children were grown, so I had fewer demands on my time. But I still need to plan for family time and me-time." Acknowledging that she's very fortunate, Brenda says that her gender has never been an issue for her. "I've never found being a woman a disadvantage; not in my industry." Conceding that it may be more of an issue in male dominated industries, she points out that it's probably more important to be committed and to do what needs to be done. "Whether you're a man or a woman, you need to be at the top of your game to succeed." Asked whether there's anything that she'd do differently, if she was to do it all over again, she hesitates. "Maybe I should have started this Gap year programme sooner. I've achieved what I set out to do, and I can see the results, so I'm very proud of that and I'm happy. It's great to know that you're making a difference in someone's life." But she's not done yet. The Gap Academy has provided an invaluable service to students (and their parents) in the Pietermaritzburg area, but there's plenty of potential in other areas too.

Brenda Horner

BRENDA HORNER, is the founder and director of the Gap Academy which provides school and university leaving students the privileged opportunity to realistically assess, discover, plan and create for their future career and life paths.

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BRIGITTE TURNER is head of Harvey World Travel Highway. When Brigitte bought Harvey World Travel Highway 18 years ago, she'd never worked in the travel industry. In fact, she'd built a highly successful corporate career in property development and was managing director of a major national property organisation. Despite the demands of her corporate position, Brigitte was a natural entrepreneur and already owned three other companies when a friend mentioned that there might be an interesting opportunity in a small travel business. Having thrived in the male dominated property development industry, Brigitte doesn't believe that women need to take a different approach to men to their careers. "Yes, women are still frequently discriminated against, particularly when it comes to salaries in corporates, but women have more opportunities that ever before. Instead of being daunted by your situation," she says, "you need to trust in yourself, believe that there are opportunities because you have something to offer, and be yourself." She credits her talented and committed team for their huge contribution, and takes guidance from Richard Branson, her "ultimate entrepreneur", in setting high targets for herself. Branson says he never sets a target unless it really frustrates him, and Brigitte agrees that without aiming high, you'll never reach great heights. Making business success meaningful "I'm definitely proud of what I've achieved, but I'm certainly not at the end of my career yet," she points out. "There's so much to be done - and not enough time to do it." Inspired by Branson's philanthropic commitment as well as his business acumen, and by Mother Theresa's service to her community, Brigitte knows that everyone can make a difference. "I only wish I could be even half as selfless as Mother Theresa," she laughs. Business success has allowed Brigette to make a greater contribution to society. As a business, Harvey World Travel Highway supports community events and helps with fundraising projects, but Brigitte feels that this is only part of it. Over the years she's served on the boards of several charities and gives of her time and business skills too. She's particularly committed to her church's social transformation project and headed a business forum to develop business skills for emerging entrepreneurs. "The business forum started as a workshop for three or four entrepreneurs each meeting, and rapidly grew to over 150 people every week, with formal training courses." But Brigitte didn't just set up the business forum, she trained entrepreneurs herself, spending many a Monday evening in Kwadabeka and Lamontville. She's particularly fulfilled by the real success stories that started in these workshops, and one in particular made a real mark. "Mandisa Sithole, who owns the craft shop at King Shaka International Airport, had a small beading business and a big dream. And I'm so honoured to have been a small part of her journey." Brigitte has recently joined Rotary, and notes that, like everything else in life, the more you give, the more you get back. Living a well-rounded life With running a demanding business, her family commitments and community work, it can't be easy to do it all, but Brigitte is adamant that you need balance. "My circle of life includes family, friends, spirituality, career, finances, health and love life, and everything needs to be in balance for my life to work," she says. "If one element is out of balance, I feel it across all aspects of my life. And I need my community work as much as I need my exercise." Needless to say, life is not always perfect, and Brigitte points out that a difficult divorce a few years ago took its toll and she felt she was in a slump across every element. But true to her belief that our time on earth is limited and we need to use it well, she soon got herself back on track. "Whenever I feel things aren't going as well as they should, I take a good look at my wheel of life, pray to God for guidance, and figure out which area I need to deal with. And it works for me." Be kind When asked what advice she would give her younger self, Brigitte says it's the same advice she gives her three children today. "Be kind and be generous, stick to your values, pray often and remember that ethics matter. If you follow this simple dictum, it will stand you in good stead, and you'll always be able to look people in the eye."

Brigitte Turner

BRIGITTE TURNER is head of Harvey World Travel Highway. When Brigitte bought Harvey World Travel Highway 18 years ago, she'd never worked in the travel industry. In fact, she'd built a highly successful corporate career in property development and was managing director of a major national property organisation. Despite the demands of her corporate position, Brigitte was a natural entrepreneur and already owned three other companies when a friend mentioned that there might be an interesting opportunity in a small travel business.

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BURGETTE YARLETT is the founder and owner of Beyond Visible Belief. She is a Master Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) practitioner, life coach and motivational speaker providing one-on-one coaching, couples coaching and group workshop facilitation. Her business is her calling to positively transform people's lives and make a positive impact on the world. "I inspire and empower people by equipping them with the tools they need to succeed in life," says Burgette. "I get people to go within and realise they already have all the resources they need inside of them, they are sometimes just disconnected from them." From Broken Bones To Breaking Barriers To get where she is today has been quite a journey. She says it could be summarised as "coming from broken bones to breaking barriers." At the age of 21 she had a successful modelling career. Unfortunately, she had a horrific car accident which she miraculously survived, but was left disfigured, "almost without a face". She had a gaping hole where her nose used to be, one eye socket and her cheekbones were crushed, her jaw broken and palate split in half. Burgette does not dwell on the physical rehabilitation process, which included major reconstructive surgery. She admits times were daunting after the accident, having lost her career, confidence and self-belief. She felt depressed but realised she would stay stuck unless she changed herself. She made a decision not to be beaten by the accident and pulled herself out of a dark hole. She studied, read self-help books, and started to learn to dig into her inner strength, potential, and power. She embarked on a career in the corporate world and was successful, but felt unfulfilled. She says, "I lacked direction, I self-sabotaged relationships, and never felt quite good enough. I started to slip back into depression." Nevertheless, she continued to do research and became fascinated by the possibilities of rewiring and reprogramming the brain. Things came into alignment when she met an NLP coach and trainer. Discovering NLP changed her world. Thanks to the trainer and NLP, Burgette had a personal breakthrough and realised helping others though NLP was her calling. She adds, "I started to understand that everything I had gone through was necessary to get where I am today - inspiring, encouraging, helping and empowering others is what I always wanted to do." She studied to become a certified NLP coach and trainer. This was costly, but worth every cent she says. Burgette says every person she coaches inspires her because they have decided to take action and make positive changes. Her mom, who had Burgette when she was just 17, was her first inspiration. She says the beautiful thing about her mom is her amazing tenacity and strength to find joy and positivity in any situation. Self- Belief Is Key According to Burgette, women don't need a different approach to business to men. She believes it just comes down to the individual's self-belief; it does not matter what age or gender you are. When you believe in yourself, you can tap into your potential, take big actions and create big results. Then results lead to more self-belief and more results. Burgette says that she is very happy with what she has accomplished and where she is. She says we can measure success by the amount of joy we get every day. She has so much joy in her life she sometimes thinks she needs to pinch herself. She is very grateful for her amazing husband and other people that support her. "We cause good and bad things in our lives. There is a principle that there is no failure in life, only feedback on how to do things better next time. It is about learning, growing, and doing it better. If you think about how much there is to be grateful for, you can experience joy every day and do amazing things." The growth of her business has been a blessing, and she is excited about what she will still accomplish and where the business will go into the future. She would like to do more work in schools, instilling better thinking and more empowering thoughts in young people. Burgette remarks that life and work balance comes easy for her. Quality time with her husband, friends and family is important, but she also makes time for herself. She does modern dancing, plays the guitar, and makes sure she finds joy in whatever she does. She says it feels wonderful to do her work. After working and seeing people grow and transform, she feels energised as her work is an extension of who she is. The advice Burgette would give her younger self is simply to believe in herself. She says there are no unresourceful people, only unresourceful states of mind. She says she used to be a people pleaser, and she would tell her younger self to open her eyes to who she really is. Burgette says her journey was phenomenal, but she'd do it all over again. It enabled her to do what she loves, "transforming lives and making a positive impact on the world".

Burgette Yarlett

BURGETTE YARLETT is the founder and owner of Beyond Visible Belief. She is a Master Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) practitioner, life coach and motivational speaker providing one-on-one coaching, couples coaching and group workshop facilitation

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BUSI GUMEDE is the founder and CEO of Goodlife Foods. The company provides natural kefir products, which offer probiotic and other health benefits, under the 'KePro' brand. Busi oversees the overall functioning of the company, formulates its products, manages production and marketing, and looks after customers. Busi was raised by her grandparents and "practically grew up in their trading store near Bulwer". Her biological mother was too young to take care of her and became like an older sister, whilst her grandmother became her mother and role model. "I tried to walk like she walked and to work as hard as she did," Busi says. Her family expected her to become a doctor, but she loathed working with blood and studied for a BTech, Food Science degree instead. After her studies, Busi moved to Cape Town and became a food selector for Woolworths and then a quality assurance manager for the Oceania group. On returning to Durban, she took over the family's traditional trading stores, transforming these into convenience supermarkets. However, changing shopping patterns, brought about by people in the townships buying goods elsewhere and criminal activities affected the business. After being shot at, hijacked, robbed and brutally assaulted, she closed the stores and lost almost everything she owned. Providing engineering services A marketing agreement with the advertising agency Ogilvy and a joint venture with Ikusasa Communi-cations followed. Busi offered marketing services to Eskom, but an opportunity to consult and help with their electrification drive followed instead. She had enough drive and vision, but no qualifications or staff. Fortune favoured her, however, as suitable people became available following Eskom staff retrenchments. Busi formed a company, Global Pact Consulting, recruited staff and commenced transmission and distribution work two months later. She acquired an understanding of engineering, and the business became successful, employing 450 people nationally. The future seemed bright until 2009 when, as Busi puts it, "the giant fell, taking us with it". Eskom failed to make payments for eight months, and banks turned on her company due to its Eskom link. Retrenchments became inevitable and the company downsized in 2012 focusing on smaller contracts. Feeling good Consequently, Busi became stressed and very sick. She had surgery, but realised she had to heal herself. On a friend's recommendation she tried kefir, which led to her amazing healing. Kefir which translates as 'feeling good' was however only available in limited quantities from health shops. Busi, perceiving a commercial opportunity; 'cheekily' contacted the Danish Dairy Board since Denmark is a world leading supplier. The board hosted her, and she learnt about the production, distribution and difficulties of growing kefir. This resulted in Busi founding Goodlife Foods and formulating products beyond what Denmark offered. She is proud of making breakthroughs in her own kitchen including developing unique spoon kefir, which is eaten like a yogurt. New processes were developed for the product that is now registered as a new dairy segment in South Africa and spelling changed to Kephir. The products are available on a small scale in KwaZulu-Natal, but a production facility is being built near Lions River to produce Goodlife Food's products on a large scale for national distribution. Biggest inspiration Busi ascribes her achievements to hard work and to grabbing available opportunities. Busi says her grandmother has been her biggest inspiration. "Her strength, wisdom, and achievements without formal education are amazing." "People who have achieved something although they started with nothing and came from nowhere impress me. There are numerous women out of the limelight who are doing the most for people." However, Oprah Winfrey inspires her with the way she has overcome several obstacles and created a prosperous global brand. And says Busi, my children are a true litmus test, I am in awe of them! "My children do inspiring things daily." According to Busi, women need a different approach to business than men. "When I started my business as a young person I was often viewed as a child, not a capable businessperson. I have found that women need to prove themselves repeatedly and work harder to get the same results as men." Busi is content and grateful for what she has accomplished so far. She would, however, like to do and achieve more. "When you start in business it is about what you can do for yourself, but as you grow as a person, doing things to change people's lives for the better becomes important." She finds that achieving a work-life balance is difficult if you try to do everything yourself, especially as a single mother of two children. "Achieving a balance is about allocating enough time for business and my children whilst leaving some for myself." Busi would advise her younger self, the person she was at about 20, to marry after first studying and travelling, and to get more exposure to the world before starting her own business. "Such advice could have saved me lots of money and pain." Busi says she does not care about money anymore, it is more important to do something for people, especially young women needing help to get their businesses off the ground. "This has become a passion and I am in the process of starting a fund to support people to get their businesses going."

Busi Gumede

BUSI GUMEDE is the founder and CEO of Goodlife Foods. The company provides natural kefir products, which offer probiotic and other health benefits, under the 'KePro' brand. Busi oversees the overall functioning of the company, formulates its products, manages production and marketing, and looks after customers

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CANDICE PADAYACHEE is the forensic director for KPMG. She maintains primary responsibility and oversight of the Forensic Division in the Durban region, leading a multi-disciplinary team and engaging the firm's key clients. Candice is an admitted attorney of the High Court, and holds a master's degree in Advanced Labour Law (Cum Laude) from the University of KwaZulu- Natal (Pietermaritzburg). She was raised in Pietermaritzburg and began her career as an associate at a leading KwaZulu-Natal law firm, but was soon drawn to forensics. This interest was fuelled primarily by her passion for seeking justice and ensuring that as a country and as a community, ethics and right practice remain in place. Her view is that "fraud, bribery and corruption severely impact peoples' lives." She added, "It is so rewarding that the work KPMG Forensic does, actively infiltrates these economic crimes." Candice particularly specialises in fraud risk management, forensic investigations, compliance management, and litigation support. "I am fully competent in the investigation process throughout the phases of preliminary considerations, planning, and gathering of information, analysis, reporting and closing. This includes the concept of embedding forensic technology in investigations." She provides holistic management solutions to clients in the public and private sectors. Candice has a proven track record with business development and an established client portfolio, having assisted various organisations in a manner consistent with regulatory requirements and the organisation's business needs. A passion for seeking the truth Getting to where Candice is in her career involved a combination of things inside as well as outside her control. She remarks, "Clichéd as it may sound, my career required lots of hard work and sacrifices, both on my part and that of my family." Candice says that she has benefitted from the support of people around her, especially from her husband and two children, her parents, wider family and friends who have been the biggest supporters in her career progression. She adds that 'tremendous colleagues and mentors at KPMG' encouraged her to pursue her dreams, and they also gave her the feedback she needed to develop her strengths and focus on the things that are important to her. Candice recognises the contribution of her team in achieving positive results. She believes that success in forensic requires a passion for seeking the truth and an objective mind to get the relevant facts. An inspired leader Candice feels inspired by many people. Firstly, her grandmother, a professional nurse who made many personal sacrifices to assist those around her. She illustrated that, in the end, there was great reward in one's dedication to willingly assist others. This encouraged Candice's passion and desire to study further and in her wanting to assist people for the greater good. Secondly, Candice is inspired by her female professional colleagues, especially the former director of Forensic at KPMG, who became her mentor. She demonstrated the place and need for a strong female leader, according to Candice. "She could lead with strength and fierceness, but also with kindness and compassion. She was dedicated to the growth of young leaders." And this, in turn, inspires Candice to help develop young leaders. She says that women often need a different approach to men to be successful in business, as they have different dynamics and relations to deal with. "As a woman you need to work hard, focus on the contribution you bring to the table, make sure you raise your voice when you need to be heard. Being a woman, being a mother and being a wife bring different challenges in business." Work-life balance requires structures Achieving a work-life balance is interesting for Candice. "It has become a buzz word in a busy world, yet means different things to different people", she remarks. For her, to achieve such balance requires a conscientious focus on structure. Together with her husband, they have set boundaries for family time. Her two young children require her attention after her workday and have a full homework schedule. She says it is important to set hours aside for her family and make sure that she is fully present during that time. Family holidays are important and help create good memories that are essential for the children to have. Candice is proud that her children know her as a working mother, and she hopes that her example will help them believe that they can aspire to be anything that they are passionate about. Live to fulfil a purpose If she could, Candice would advise her younger self to believe more in her own abilities and "tune out the self-doubt". She would also assure herself that, "You already have everything you need in you", and that God is with her and ready to take her on journeys she could not even imagine. Candice is pleased by her accomplishments but admits that she looks back with some disbelief at times. She wants to continue to live in a motivated way that fulfils her purpose in life. At a personal level she wants to grow her leadership abilities, grow in the firm, and grow as a person in every way. "I feel that I am still young, that most of my journey still lies ahead and there are exciting things to come," she concludes.

Candice Padayachee

CANDICE PADAYACHEE is the forensic director for KPMG. She maintains primary responsibility and oversight of the Forensic Division in the Durban region, leading a multi-disciplinary team and engaging the firm's key clients.

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CAROL REYNOLDS owns and manages the Pam Golding North Durban franchise, which operates from Durban North through to Umdloti. In describing herself she says, 'I am a business woman, a mother, a wife, a friend, a terrible cook, a wannabee yogi, a homemaker, a creative, a peace-maker, a liberator, a dreamer, a visionary, an academic, a life coach, a non-drinker, a non-smoker and a doer." Reflecting on her career, Carol explains that as she comes from a property family, property is in her blood. "I studied law, thinking I would continue my father's legacy, but got side-tracked by the world of television and modelling, which took me out of the corporate space for over a decade. I only entered the property industry, my greatest passion, ten years later." In her early thirties, Carol stopped modelling to focus on a career with greater longevity. At this juncture, she fell pregnant with her first child and caught up in the euphoria of being a mother, opened a children's clothing and décor store. "Sadly, this was more of a heartfelt creative outlet, than a source of income, so I ventured back into the corporate world and ran the Western Cape region of Rodel Finance for a few years." During this time, Carol yearned to return to her family in KZN. As her mother had owned a Pam Golding franchise, Carol had come to know the Golding family. Fortuitously, Andrew Golding was opening a flagship branch in Durban and needed a manager. "We opened the Durban branch in 2008 as the property market crashed! I was faced with the daunting task of either retrenching colleagues or moving on myself," said Carol. She chose the latter and purchased the Durban North franchise of Pam Golding Properties in 2009. Carol grew the business from a staff and agent complement of 12 people to a business that houses over 65 people. During the ten years that Carol has owned the business, she has acquired a stake in the Durban franchise and expanded to include the Umhlanga, Sibaya and Umdloti territories. I have not achieved this alone In reflecting on people who have inspired and assisted her, she said, "I have not achieved this alone - Andrew Golding, my parents and my business partners have allowed me to unlock various opportunities along the way." "My parents have always been a huge inspiration to me - they are humble, ethical, upstanding and well-educated. They never compromise their principles and always conduct themselves with the utmost integrity." "Pam Golding has been a great mentor to me - she set her heights above the rest, soared and never looked back. She brought empathy, compassion and heart into the real estate industry, and these qualities set her apart from the competition." "Nelson Mandela is also one of my mentors - I was fortunate enough to meet him and have tea with him at his residence. He held my hand and looked me in the eye with genuine support and encouragement, telling me how proud he was that I had completed my law degree. He is the reason I run my business as a servant leader, building my team from behind rather than dictating from the front." Success comes from authenticity In addition, said Carol, success comes from authenticity and this means that as women in business, we need to behave as women do. "My business is founded on values like compassion, teamwork, humanity and genuine consideration for others. As women, we focus more on people and relationships rather than simply chasing deals, which means that we are geared for long-term success, resilience and longevity." One of Carol's life-long dilemmas is the quandary between contentment and the opposing force of her ambitious nature. "I don't think I will ever be fully satisfied with my accomplishments - there is a world of opportunity, and I lie awake at night strategising about how I can improve my status quo." "I studied psychology and love incorporating coaching into my business practice - I need to do more of this! There is also room for improvement across all five pillars of my business - each division can grow and thrive, feeding the other pillars to create a strong foundation for ongoing success." Harnessing the unique skills of a team Being a mother is hugely important to Carol. She grapples with the fact that she is always compromising to balance work and family responsibilities and often feels that she is failing dismally. However, to address her work-life balance Carol believes that there is value in collaboration, strategic alliances, partnerships and harnessing the unique skills of a team. "I have embraced the expansion of my business, created management positions and welcomed partners into my business who have different skills to me. This has enabled me to expand faster, achieve more, plug the holes in my business and, most importantly, it has given me time to be with my family. As Pam Golding said, "nothing worth having is ever built alone." In the past, Carol wishes that she had trusted more in divine intervention and worried less about the future. "Apply the core values of authenticity and ethics to your business practice and never compromise on these, as they are the foundation for success. Bring in the right people, get the culture right; the rest is about commitment, goals, determination, small wins and daily steps on the path to success." "Always learn from your mistakes; embrace change; give generously to those in need and never give up. Finally, feed your tank and feed your soul - don't burn out, because you need to shine your light upon others," concluded Carol.

Carol Reynolds

During this time, Carol yearned to return to her family in KZN. As her mother had owned a Pam Golding franchise, Carol had come to know the Golding family. Fortuitously, Andrew Golding was opening a flagship branch in Durban and needed a manager. "We opened the Durban branch in 2008 as the property market crashed! I was faced with the daunting task of either retrenching colleagues or moving on myself," said Carol. She chose the latter and purchased the Durban North franchise of Pam Golding Properties in 2009.

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s group company secretary at Grindrod Limited, Cathie heads up governance, which she explains as helping make sure the company does what it's supposed to do, and jokes that her job is to try and save the world. After completing her legal degree, Cathie lectured in law which she loved, but after five years she decided there had to be something more out there. She went into private practice, and started her articles. "The timing wasn't great," she remembers, "my daughter was only two months old." Nevertheless, she completed her articles and qualified as an attorney and conveyancer, going on to start her own firm. Undaunted by change, Cathie's next move was into the corporate world, working as head of legal services at a steel company before moving to Durban to join Grindrod. "I have a wonderful job," she says. "It's a great company and I get to influence the agenda and make sure things work. And I meet wonderful people every day." "Yes, I do sometimes take minutes," she smiles, "but it's so much more than that." It's Cathie's job to make sure that the board meets their legal and regulatory obligations, but she also has wide-ranging responsibilities. In effect, she is part of the company's conscience when it comes to ensuring corporate integrity matters more than short-term profits. Looking at business holistically "I've always had an understanding that we need to do better; both as individuals and organisations," she says. "I love my corporate governance role, but sustainability is my greatest motivation." Explaining that while traditionally we have always evaluated business in financial terms, we need to look at any organisation holistically, whether a business, a church organisation, or even your personal life. "You need to consider how you are positioned in the bigger scheme of things," she points out. "How do you impact on your community, your social environ-ment and certainly your natural environment?" "When you look at business through a sustainability lens, your thought processes, decisions and actions change." Using the example of buying a business, Cathie argues that instead of considering the financial ratios, businesses should consider the value creation in a wider context. "We have a significant unemployment problem in South Africa, and should be considering whether buying that new business has the potential for real social impact, like job creation or opportunities for upskilling staff." For Cathie, it's not just about your employees or business partners; she strongly advocates considering the impact of decisions on wider communities. "As corporate citizens, we need to acknowledge that no man is an island, and everything in life is about relationships. We need healthy relationships to prosper. And this extends to the natural environment too. We have a responsibility, not just to limit negative impact, but to go further and create a positive impact. And there are companies getting this right. Our planet has finite resources, so we can't just create a production and consumption economy, we have to use what we have with better impact. Growth in value is not just financial, value needs to be relative to society, people and the environment too." Cathie says she's inspired by many people, but highlights Angela Merkel as "uber-cool". "She's shown remarkable leadership, faced difficult challenges, and dealt with difficult people, calmly and tenaciously. She's been instrumental in fundamental shifts in the way people think and understand the value of caring for people. She believes that everyone is entitled to a piece of the sun; that you don't discriminate against people just because they look different or speak a different language." Asked whether she believes women need to act differently to men to succeed in business, she points out that we are inherently different, and need to be true to ourselves. "Don't try to be something you're not. But nothing is impossible just because you're a woman. Yes, sometimes physical strength can be a limitation, but use the strengths you have. I'm encouraged to see the rise of women in traditionally male roles. And here at Grindrod we actively encourage women to follow the path they want, and we do have women boiler makers and truck drivers." Build resilience Cathie is very grateful for what she's achieved so far. "But I know we are all the sum total of the graces of other people. I've had a charmed life, with a happy, secure childhood, wonderful parents and very few concerns, but I do warn my children that life is tough. We need to build their resilience so they can cope when they have to face life's challenges." And while grateful, she's certainly not satisfied. "We're messing up the environment at such a scale that I suffer from climate change angst. (It's a real thing!) It's messing up people's lives, with a huge impact on agriculture and health, and I aim to make a real contribution. But despite my climate change angst, I'm a positive happy person, and I have a good work-life balance. I love my job and I love to work. But I love to spend time with family and friends, play with my dogs, and swim in the sea too. Or just waste time on the couch." Try your best If Cathie could give her younger self advice it would be this: "Don't take yourself too seriously and keep your sense of humour. Relax. If things aren't perfect don't lose sleep; just try your best and if you fail, try again."

Cathie Lewis

"Yes, I do sometimes take minutes," she smiles, "but it's so much more than that." It's Cathie's job to make sure that the board meets their legal and regulatory obligations, but she also has wide-ranging responsibilities. In effect, she is part of the company's conscience when it comes to ensuring corporate integrity matters more than short-term profits.

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CHERYL GOVENDER is the founder and owner of The Cake House in Pietermaritzburg. She is a qualified chef and professional cake artist. The Cake House has become a leading provider of designer cakes including engineered life-size cakes. Cheryl's exceptional cakes, each a masterpiece, have been featured in magazines and on television, and The Cake House is recognised as a leader in new age sugarcraft. Cheryl is inspired by successful bakeries and cake artists. She explains, "This is a tough industry and requires not only talent, but a business mind, people skills, market insight, tenacity, and continuous learning and growth." One of her biggest inspirations is Buddy Valastro, an American baker who is the star of the reality television series 'Cake Boss'. Be clear about what must be achieved Cheryl believes she got to where she is now and reached her goals by being clear about what she needed to achieve and why she needed to achieve them. She says her career started when she was fourteen when she was handed down decorating tools that her sister no longer needed. "Although I was a real tomboy, beating the boys at their own games in the streets, I did girly stuff when I went home, like playing with cake decorating tools and my dolls," she laughed. Cheryl learned about sugar art by reading books from the municipal library and often left the kitchen in a mess after experimenting. Her Consumer Studies teacher recognised Cheryl's talent; arranged for her to attend a cake decorating course, and gave her a toolset, which she treasures to this day. This teacher, now a retired school principal, adopted Cheryl as a daughter, helped her to believe in herself, and became her mentor to this day. Cheryl won a Consumer Studies Inter School Award in matric due to her passion for cake decorating, but at that time she considered it a hobby, not a career. After a year at college, Cheryl married and became a mother. She joined the corporate world but kept on making decorated cakes as a hobby to supplement her income. When her son was two years old, Cheryl entered and won the Pietermaritzburg Royal Show sugarcraft competition. This led to her teaching sugarcraft on a part-time basis at the now FET College in Northdale, something she continued passionately for 25 years. This Cheryl said, was fulfilling: "empowering women has always been close to my heart". Focus on one thing and do it well Cheryl gained wide experience in the corporate world, including ten years in shipping and international travel, before she started her own export business. This business crashed during the worldwide financial crisis of 2008 and she "fell back on her hands", starting a food catering business that also provided cakes. Cheryl made a few designer cakes assuming there was little market for these due to the high prices, but word of her quality and expertise spread and orders increased. A traumatic divorce, the demands of being involved in catering, wedding décor, training and making cakes at the same time, made her realise that she needed to streamline her activities. In 2012 she decided to focus on one thing only and do it well and opened The Cake House. Cheryl, a single mom had herself, her mother's assistance, two children, and a house. As she had lost her vehicle, Cheryl went everywhere in running shoes while carrying cake ingredients and other items in a backpack. Nothing was handed to her; she had no money and could not get a bank loan. Cheryl understood the risks involved but her faith and trust in God helped her. She managed to buy all her industrial baking equipment from a helpful appliance store on a three-month cash basis. Her business remains debt-free to this day. Business skills are unrelated to gender In Cheryl's view, women and men need the same business approach, as the skills required for a successful business are unrelated to gender. "Tenacity, hard work, honesty, patience and endurance are equally required from men and women." She does, however, concede that women face more challenges. She has had to face abuse, being a mother, and a divorce. Achieving a work-life balance boils down to discipline for Cheryl. "It is necessary to make time for your family and yourself, and also to rest, but not working can be scary for a business owner with much to do," she says. "I've had to learn to set boundaries, say no, and cut myself off from work when it's time to relax and unwind." Gardening, time with her family and puppies, and doing things outside of the business help create a balance. Brand ambassador Cheryl is happy with what she has accomplished thus far and readily give others credit. Without her mother, she could not have set up The Cake House. Without the help of her husband Alan, her family, and staff members, she would not have been able to grow the business. She feels honoured having recently being appointed a brand ambassador with royal status, for Rolkem Colours, one of the world's largest food colourant providers. While Cheryl is satisfied with the place she has reached, she is not comfortable about remaining there. Cheryl dreams of making the province proud of The Cake House as a tourism attraction. With a growing support structure in place, she is prepared to take risks within her means and take the business to the next level.

Cheryl Govender

CHERYL GOVENDER is the founder and owner of The Cake House in Pietermaritzburg. She is a qualified chef and professional cake artist. The Cake House has become a leading provider of designer cakes including engineered life-size cakes. Cheryl's exceptional cakes, each a masterpiece, have been featured in magazines and on television, and The Cake House is recognised as a leader in new age sugarcraft.

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CINDY NORCOTT is the owner of Pro Appointments and Pro Talent, which are recruitment agencies that she has had for the past 25 years. She is the founder and chairperson of the Robin Hood Foundation, a charity that was formed in 2005. Cindy is also a motivational speaker, business coach and the author of the best-selling book, "How to be Unstoppable". She launched her first company in a spare room of her parents' home with an old desk, a couple of chairs, a telephone, fax machine and typewriter. "I started my business at 23 with R2 500 in my bank account, and I have never had to touch that money. I have never applied for a loan and I have been blessed to have been able to increase my profits year on year," said Cindy. Surrounded by amazing people Cindy attributes her success to hard work, being exceptionally disciplined and surrounding herself with "amazing" people. She thinks that having free office space at her parents' home and having their emotional support helped. Failure she says was never an option. Although her business was from home, she would wake up, get dressed and start work at the same time every day. I loved what I was doing, and I was having fun." Cindy reflects that she was also inspired by many of her friends in business who are all very different but who share common values and character traits. These include courage under pressure, resilient spirits, positive outlooks, massive energy reserves, servant hearts and when things are down, they have a sense of humour to rely on. Building a business was not easy and, Cindy points out, with success came growth and she had to learn new skills. "I lacked general business and accounting skills when I started, and I had a very steep learning curve to get my head around the figures. Two years into the business, I obtained the services of a business mentor, Andrew, who helped me for about three years with advice and business strategy." Cindy has always been fortunate in having good staff in her company and says that they have been instrumental in the success of her business. Making a difference Apart from her energy-charged motivational and inspirational speaking engagements and appear-ances, she is most proud about the contribution she is making to the community through her non-profit organisation, the Robin Hood Foundation. The Robin Hood Foundation which was launched 14 years ago runs projects such as Love the Babies, Bless a Granny and Grandpa, Hope Breakfasts and Gogo Bags. "We host entrepreneurial conferences and parties for schools with children with special needs. We run more than 100 projects per year and our focus is helping people in need. As the name suggests, we take from the rich and we give to the poor. Through our work, individuals and organisations are making a difference," said Cindy. The Foundation is managed by a paid coordinator, Kim Griffith Jones, who is dedicated, highly organ-ised, passionate and multi-talented. Her skills are combined with an enthusiastic team of volunteers and a committee who work tirelessly for free. All of this makes the charity work smoothly and seamlessly. Work-life integration Speaking on gender differences in business, Cindy says that she does not advocate separating the world into men and women. "I think that business people need to create an approach that works for them. They need to work it out according to their circumstances and be prepared to be flexible and adapt. Sometimes, women tend to have the lion's share of household responsibility, so they have to juggle responsibilities a lot more and often have less time to work on their businesses due to family commitments. I do not however, think that this necessarily applies to all women." In her day to day business life Cindy prefers to think of achieving a work-life balance as work-life integration. "Sometimes, at work, I make personal calls and do some personal tasks and often at home, I am working. I plan my working day around my daughter's school schedule so that I can fetch her most days of the week. I don't think I have the balance right, but I am consciously working on my wheel of life, trying to achieve in all areas. It is a constant struggle for me," she commented. Think bigger Her struggle to achieve is reflected in her desire to believe in herself and think bigger as she knows she has what it takes to be a success. The advice that she would give her younger self is to have more fun along the way. "I would also tell myself to set better boundaries as I often say yes to too many requests for my time and energy. I would tell myself to be more assertive and not worry too much about other people's opinions." While Cindy is very happy with her achievements to date, she continues to strive for more success. "I think it is engrained in my DNA to want to out strip last year's self, so I always set goals for each new year that take the previous year's achievements to the next level. I would like to publish my second business book next year and I would like to grow my international and national speaking business."

Cindy Norcott

CINDY NORCOTT is the owner of Pro Appointments and Pro Talent, which are recruitment agencies that she has had for the past 25 years. She is the founder and chairperson of the Robin Hood Foundation, a charity that was formed in 2005. Cindy is also a motivational speaker, business coach and the author of the best-selling book, "How to be Unstoppable".

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