Mayor: CLLR Thulasizwe Buthelezi KZN Top Business Subscribe Zululand District Municipality Zululand District Municipality borders on the Kingdom of Swaziland, a trading partner of South Africa. The district’s local municipalities comprise eDumbe, uPhongolo, AbaQulusi, Nongoma and Ulundi An Extraordinary Experience Zululand District Municipality borders on the Kingdom of Swaziland, a trading partner of South Africa. The district’s local municipalities comprise eDumbe, uPhongolo, AbaQulusi, Nongoma and Ulundi. The major towns of Vryheid and Ulundi are both well located in relation to the national road and rail networks. Approximately half of the area is under the jurisdiction of traditional authorities, while the remainder is divided between commercially owned farms and conservation areas. Zululand’s rich wildlife attracts many tourists, both international and local. The Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, the largest reserve in KwaZulu-Natal, is a popular destination for big five sightings, and its rhino conservation programme is well known. The Ithala Game Reserve offers an extraordinary experience of geological diversity as the rock formations found here date back 3 000 million years. Zululand is also home to the second oldest reserve in the world, the Pongola Game Reserve. Approximately half the Ulundi Municipal area consists of commercial farms and the area supports a substantial agricultural community. Ulundi town represents the only urban area in the municipal area and therefore plays an important role in the provision of social and economic facilities to the total population of Ulundi. Ulundi lies at the hub of the old Zulu Kingdom and has many cultural resources which are not being capitalised on. The tourism attractions include game reserves, historical and cultural sites, cultural events and guest lodges. The KwaZulu Cultural Museum houses interesting displays relating to Zulu history and archaeology. The beehive huts and the layout of the original Zulu village have been reproduced. The eMakhosini Conservancy (Valley of the Zulu Kings), birthplace of King Shaka, is a public private sector project that aims to preserve the culture and history of the Zulu people. Nongoma Municipality shares its name with the town of Nongoma, the seat of the municipality. The municipality is the home of King Goodwill Zwelithini, the leader of the Zulu nation, and his royal palaces are among the tourist attractions in the region. EDumbe Municipality is situated in the north western part of KwaZulu-Natal. Most of population live in the rural hinterland of the municipality and lack basic services and facilities. Forestry and agriculture are the two key economic activities. There is a small manufacturing sector in Paulpietersburg/eDumbe and an informal sector providing a convenience service to the public. Agriculture and tourism form the basis for the uPhongolo Municipality’s economy. Located around Pongola and the Pongola River, the municipality contains areas of commercial agriculture. While much of the agricultural activities consist of sugar cane farming, smaller areas are under citrus and crop planting. The uPhongolo Municipality has within its area of jurisdiction two key tourism attractions; the Ithala Game Reserve and the Pongolapoort Dam. These attractions are complemented by many private game farms and game reserves on which several lodges and other tourism related facilities are located. AbaQulusi is a largely rural community with low income levels endowed with various resources, which have not yet been fully developed. AbaQulusi’s tourism potential lies in its well-developed infrastructure, links with the Battlefields Route, its conference potential, eco-tourism and outdoor adventure events. CONTACT DETAILS Physical Address: B400 uGagane Street, Ulundi, 3838 Postal Address: Private Bag X76, Ulundi, 3838 Tel: +27 (0)35 874 5500 E-mail: info@zululand.org.za Website: www.zululand.org.za Back

Life is about never giving up, it’s about how you restructure your life, how you prioritise. Velo Govender < Back Velo Govender Social worker D r Velo Govender is a social worker by profession. Her journey through life is a testament to her dedication to her family,her profession, and her thirst for knowledge. Velo recently celebrated her 27th wedding anniversary with her husband, Ricky Govender, who she says is an incredible man. Together, they have raised two children, Jishnavi and Mishen, aged 25 and 21 respectively, who are both embarking on their journeys into adulthood as civil engineers. Professionally, Velo wears two hats, juggling two significant roles and says that she is a ‘busy body’. Velo is not only an Individual and Family therapist but holds the position of Marketing and HR Executive at her husband’s company, JRV Spares & General. Balancing these two roles speaks volumes about her ability to manage multiple responsibilities and excel in different domains. Velo is currently the chairperson of one of the largest NGO’s in KZN, the Ubuntu Community Chest, where they allocate funds to over 98 non-profit organisations. Her professional journey commenced in the non- governmental organisation (NGO) sector, where she devoted over 15 years to working with children and the elderly. During this time, she was involved in community development and providing support to vulnerable children. Life, however, presented new challenges as she navigated the roles of a mother and a wife to a husband, who was committed to his business. Recognising the need for flexibility in her career to balance her various responsibilities, Velo decided to pursue part-time employment at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) and the University of South Africa. “It was a privilege to have the flexibility to continue my career while being a devoted mother,” said Velo. During this period, she took on a master’s degree in social work at UKZN. “Through this all we were able to grow the business and Ricky worked seven days a week to accomplish a lot during that time, while I still was trying to strike the balance between family, home and my career,” commented Velo. As their children have reached pivotal stages in their lives, Velo has shifted her focus toward empowering them to become successful individuals. Her daughter, Jishnavi, has recently graduated and started her first job in Cape Town. Velo sees her role as motivating her daughter to achieve more at a younger age, as she believes that Jishnavi has an entrepreneurial mindset. Her son, Mishen, is being groomed by her husband, Ricky, to become involved in the business, as they believe he has the ability to influence the vision of the business. Velo has had a lot of achievements in her journey. An inspiring aspect of Velo’s journey is her recent achievement of obtaining a PhD at the age of 51. She completed the writing of her thesis in one and half years, despite numerous medical challenges. She commented, “I think it has shown that no matter how old you are, that anything is possible. Through a lot of dedication, commitment, and resilience I was able to find the balance between my career, home as well as my studies and still be able to fulfil that dream of actually obtaining my PhD.” Her research focused on the Impact of Neoliberalism and New Managerialism on social workers within the child welfare sector. This study delved into the myriad challenges faced by social workers for many years and the imperative need for lasting solutions and change. The culmination of her research was marked by a breakfast event attended by her sample group of 130 social workers, where Velo shared her findings. Notably, the National Minister of Social Development, Ms Lindiwe Zulu, attended the event and was the keynote speaker. Velo commented, “The Minister applauded me for the efforts that I made to take the study forward and talk about the results and for bringing the social work community together. As she said, many people do studies and then normally put them away on a shelf to collect dust.” And, says Velo, giving social workers a voice to address their challenges is critical; through her study she is hoping to advocate for policy and managerial practice changes. Her vision extends to her husband’s construction spares business, as they are determined to take the company to into global and southern African markets. For young women aspiring to make their mark in the world, Velo’s journey stands as an inspiring example. She emphasizes, “It is very important to utilise available resources, leverage your knowledge and skills to achieve your goals, and network with the right people, even when you may not initially recognise who they are.” Knowledge and skills are invaluable assets, and she encourages young women to seize every opportunity to pursue their goals with unwavering determination. Currently, Velo is running collaborative training workshops for women in different skills such as technology and finance. Velo’s life journey has not been without its challenges, life is tough she says. A critical health issue disrupted her life five years ago when she was diagnosed with a brain tumour. “Life just came to a standstill. I did not even get a chance to clear my office desk,” said Velo. Her challenges included post-operative facial nerve complications as well as not being able to speak, a problem with her eyes and short-term memory issues. After a one-and-a-half-year recovery period, Velo decided that God had given her a second chance of life for a reason. She now uses her position to work with other people being diagnosed with critical illness. Velo added, “Life is about never giving up, it’s about how you restructure your life, how you prioritise. Even if you don’t have the resources find a way, you’ll see anything’s possible.” On being nominated for KZN Top Business Women, Velo says, “I’m hoping that this will create a platform for me, as a social worker, to give women a voice, and be an advocate for women that says, you are being heard.”r Velo Govender is a social worker by profession. Her journey through life is a testament to her dedication to her family, her profession, and her thirst for knowledge. Velo recently celebrated her 27th wedding anniversary with her husband, Ricky Govender, who she says is an incredible man. Together, they have raised two children, Jishnavi and Mishen, aged 25 and 21 respectively, who are both embarking on their journeys into adulthood as civil engineers. Professionally, Velo wears two hats, juggling two significant roles and says that she is a ‘busy body’. Velo is not only an Individual and Family therapist but holds the position of Marketing and HR Executive at her husband’s company, JRV Spares & General. Balancing these two roles speaks volumes about her ability to manage multiple responsibilities and excel in different domains. Velo is currently the chairperson of one of the largest NGO’s in KZN, the Ubuntu Community Chest, where they allocate funds to over 98 non-profit organisations. Her professional journey commenced in the non- governmental organisation (NGO) sector, where she devoted over 15 years to working with children and the elderly. During this time, she was involved in community development and providing support to vulnerable children. Life, however, presented new challenges as she navigated the roles of a mother and a wife to a husband, who was committed to his business. Recognising the need for flexibility in her career to balance her various responsibilities, Velo decided to pursue part-time employment at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) and the University of South Africa. “It was a privilege to have the flexibility to continue my career while being a devoted mother,” said Velo. During this period, she took on a master’s degree in social work at UKZN. “Through this all we were able to grow the business and Ricky worked seven days a week to accomplish a lot during that time, while I still was trying to strike the balance between family, home and my career,” commented Velo. As their children have reached pivotal stages in their lives, Velo has shifted her focus toward empowering them to become successful individuals. Her daughter, Jishnavi, has recently graduated and started her first job in Cape Town. Velo sees her role as motivating her daughter to achieve more at a younger age, as she believes that Jishnavi has an entrepreneurial mindset. Her son, Mishen, is being groomed by her husband, Ricky, to become involved in the business, as they believe he has the ability to influence the vision of the business. Velo has had a lot of achievements in her journey. An inspiring aspect of Velo’s journey is her recent achievement of obtaining a PhD at the age of 51. She completed the writing of her thesis in one and half years, despite numerous medical challenges. She commented, “I think it has shown that no matter how old you are, that anything is possible. Through a lot of dedication, commitment, and resilience I was able to find the balance between my career, home as well as my studies and still be able to fulfil that dream of actually obtaining my PhD.” Her research focused on the Impact of Neoliberalism and New Managerialism on social workers within the child welfare sector. This study delved into the myriad challenges faced by social workers for many years and the imperative need for lasting solutions and change. The culmination of her research was marked by a breakfast event attended by her sample group of 130 social workers, where Velo shared her findings. Notably, the National Minister of Social Development, Ms Lindiwe Zulu, attended the event and was the keynote speaker. Velo commented, “The Minister applauded me for the efforts that I made to take the study forward and talk about the results and for bringing the social work community together. As she said, many people do studies and then normally put them away on a shelf to collect dust.” And, says Velo, giving social workers a voice to address their challenges is critical; through her study she is hoping to advocate for policy and managerial practice changes. Her vision extends to her husband’s construction spares business, as they are determined to take the company to into global and southern African markets. For young women aspiring to make their mark in the world, Velo’s journey stands as an inspiring example. She emphasizes, “It is very important to utilise available resources, leverage your knowledge and skills to achieve your goals, and network with the right people, even when you may not initially recognise who they are.” Knowledge and skills are invaluable assets, and she encourages young women to seize every opportunity to pursue their goals with unwavering determination. Currently, Velo is running collaborative training workshops for women in different skills such as technology and finance. Velo’s life journey has not been without its challenges, life is tough she says. A critical health issue disrupted her life five years ago when she was diagnosed with a brain tumour. “Life just came to a standstill. I did not even get a chance to clear my office desk,” said Velo. Her challenges included post-operative facial nerve complications as well as not being able to speak, a problem with her eyes and short-term memory issues. After a one-and-a-half-year recovery period, Velo decided that God had given her a second chance of life for a reason. She now uses her position to work with other people being diagnosed with critical illness. Velo added, “Life is about never giving up, it’s about how you restructure your life, how you prioritise. Even if you don’t have the resources find a way, you’ll see anything’s possible.” On being nominated for KZN Top Business Women, Velo says, “I’m hoping that this will create a platform for me, as a social worker, to give women a voice, and be an advocate for women that says, you are being heard.”

Next Back to Team Next Kerri Adlam Art and Creative Director As Art and Creative Director, Kerri is the visionary behind the visual identity of KZN Top Business. With a keen eye for design and branding, she crafts the look and feel of our publications, digital platforms, and major awards initiatives. Kerri’s work ensures that the stories of KwaZulu-Natal’s business success are presented with the professional impact and creative excellence they deserve. Mail Kez@kzntopbusiness.com Phone +29 832284789

KZN Top Business Listings Company/Organisation Nature of Business: dropdown menu Search Company Number of jobs found: 0

Mayor: Cllr S S Gumede KZN Top Business Subscribe iLembe District Municipality iLembe District Municipality is well positioned between two of the busiest ports in Africa, namely Durban and Richards Bay. In addition, the municipality's proximity to King Shaka International Airport, new schools, hospitals, regional retail centres and multiple recreation options, as well as the temperate climate, are critical features of this north coast region. Rapidly Growing Economic Corridor iLembe District Municipality is well positioned between two of the busiest ports in Africa, namely Durban and Richards Bay. In addition, the municipality’s proximity to King Shaka International Airport, new schools, hospitals, regional retail centres and multiple recreation options, as well as the temperate climate, are critical features of this north coast region. iLembe consists of the following local municipalities: KwaDukuza, Mandeni, Maphumulo and Ndwedwe. The district is made up of 45 Traditional Authorities (TA) areas where settlement is controlled according to a traditional land tenure system. The diverse culture of this region has been shaped by people from three continents; Africa, India, and Europe, offering a unique vibrancy to the municipality. iLembe District is committed to people’s development, building unity and a sense of belonging across racial and cultural barriers. In KwaDukuza, Ballito is the central business hub for the rapidly growing economic corridor between Umhlanga and Richards Bay. The municipality has several well-established and popular tourism and residential developments including Brettenwood, Zimbali, Simbithi, Dunkirk, Seaward, Shortens, Umhlali Country Club, Caledon and Palm Lakes. Many others are under development. Mandeni Local Municipality is located midway between Durban and Richards Bay, and lies on the development corridor on the north coast between these two major port cities in KwaZulu-Natal. The municipality is strategically located to provide service and derive economic benefits from this development corridor. Industrial development is concentrated in KwaDukuza, iSithebe and Darnall, most notably the Gledhow and Darnall sugar milling operations at Stanger and the Sappi Paper mills at Mandeni. The commercial farming areas of KwaDukuza, Mandeni and Ndwedwe (31% of the iLembe District) are mainly under privately owned sugar cane. The most distinguishable characteristic of the Maphumulo Local Municipality is its predominantly rural nature. Sugar cane cultivation is the main economic activity and land use in the municipality. Ndwedwe Local Municipality consists mainly of poor black communities whose livelihood depends on subsistence farming. The northern areas of Ndwedwe, the central corridor of Mandeni and KwaDukuza Municipality are the commercial farming hubs of the district, which include forestry, fruit and vegetable farming, tunnel farming, and fresh cut flowers. Village centres such as Maphumulo and Ndwedwe in the West, Nyoni and Mbizimbelwa in the north, comprise of commercial and service development in the rural areas. They largely exist in association with a magistrate’s court, clinic, pension pay point, health, education and welfare office or similar state service. Despite its strategic location, iLembe faces numerous economic challenges such as the high levels of poverty in the rural inland areas, which contrasts with rapid development along its coastal regions. The District has been proactive in developing Enterprise iLembe, a broad-based institution aimed at facilitating local economic development in response to its challenges of high rates of unemployment and correspondingly high levels of poverty. CONTACT DETAILS Physical Address: iLembe House, 59/61 Mahatma Gandhi Street, KwaDukuza, 4450 Postal Address: P.O. Box 1788, KwaDukuza, 4450 Tel: +27 (0)32 437 9300 Website: www.ilembe.gov.za Back

The Nic Carroll 2021 Collection Nomfundo Mcoyi CEO of the Icebolethu Group Don’t take shortcuts, they’re not the answer. Work hard, be professional and do things the right way, and for the right reasons Nomfundo Mcoyi

< Back Eleni Kwinana

Get your hands dirty, show up in a meaningful way and cream will rise to the topTracy Moonsamy < Back Tracy Moonsamy Head of Sustainability, Risks and Quality Systems Beier Group Tracy Moonsamy works for the Beier Group which is based in Pinetown. She is head of sustainability, risks and quality systems for the group and has been at Beier for 24 1/2 years. Tracy has spent the bigger part of that time managing quality systems implementation compliance. Over the last two years, she has built a portfolio around sustainability – Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and risk, which have been the most exciting two years of her career. Beier is a technical textiles manufacturer, and their value proposition is that they engineer for the customer. Their benevolent intent is helping to protect and improve the quality of life and that is evident in the strong ethos around local manufacturing, growing local capacity and contributing to sustainable economic growth. Foster relationships Tracy is proud of the many achievements that she participates in both at work and personally. She comments that Beier’s biggest achievement is in the dedication that comes through in the way that they do business. “We foster relationships with communities, bringing small businesses into our business, localising products that would have been imported,” explained Tracy. In addition, the Beier Group, through the Mkhulise Young Minds Development Foundation, has a strong bursary system that, provides support from pre-primary up to postgraduate level. The company aims to empower people through education and training to create a strong pipeline of prospective employees as well as grow existing employees. “My belief is that we’re only going to change the economic situation in South Africa if we grow manufacturing capacity,” stressed Tracy. Personally, Tracy is involved with an NPO called United Hands of Hope, which was founded by her brother. They provide spiritual and physical aid to impoverished communities creating a spirit of empowerment and ubuntu. Tracy is enthusiastically involved in industry associations to build capacity for local manufacturers. These include the Medical Device Association of South Africa and the South African Medical Technology Industry Association (SAMED) and various technical committees. Tracy’s journey at the Beier Group started 25 years ago when she was a learner and participated in the company’s CATS programme. Subsequently, the late Hans Beier employed Tracy, and she joined the Beier Group in the accounts department, which was fortuitous. Speaking of her career direction, she commented, “I realised that I didn’t love accounts and I started doing some work in the quality department. I think it was a bit of luck, my own work ethic and good timing.” Fast forward nine years, there was an opportunity to build a clean room that is the state of art for the manufacture of medical devices. Tracy worked very closely with Warren Sachs, who’s her COO now, and together they commissioned a world class manufacturing plant; a Class 7 clean room which is still supplying Europe and the United States. In 2016 Tracy was appointed the first female director in the history of Beier. Triple bottom line Over the years, Tracy’s job has evolved. Businesses now have to look at their triple bottom line and evaluate how they can make profits while taking care of people and the planet. These needs evolved into environmental, social and governance pillars, which are the some of the elements of sustainability. Tracy said, “The reason I love sustainability is that I’m a risk-based person and sustainability takes into account risk management. It is not just your environmental carbon footprint and your waste management, it is how you take care of people, value chains and future proof your business. How do you make sure that you’re moving women and those previously disadvantaged through the process and creating a strong pipeline?” She added that having governance controls in place allows you to make the right decisions. “Sustainability really asks the question: What are the things you need to do so that your business is still here and thriving in five years and in 10 years?” Pushing into spaces Speaking of the people who have inspired her along the way. Tracy says that Warren Sachs and Wolfgang Beier have both provided opportunities for her, while also pushing her into the spaces where she was uncomfortable, which allowed her to grow. She added, “I think that having a space where you can fail safely is important to be empowered. Everyone experiences challenges, if you start with the self, it’s always around whether you feel like you belong. A little bit of imposter syndrome always finds its way in.” A big challenge for Tracy was that she didn’t have a degree that allowed her to walk into a business in a middle management role. She started at the bottom, which she said is great because it gives you good knowledge and grounding in the business. However, she added that starting at the bottom sometimes creates a shackle to the place that you’re started at. Dealing with the limitations one places on oneself and breaking those chains for oneself is important to grow. A second challenge that Tracy has experienced is that the manufacturing sector has always had layers of complexity and historical stereotypes that need to be broken. Tracy explained that she was able to break through these layers. She commented, “You can never ask for a seat at the table or expect a seat at the table if you’re not showing the value that you bring. Often people want the seat without showing value. The way I overcame this was to show my value.” Tracy stressed that it’s important to, “Get your hands dirty, show up in a meaningful way and cream will always rise to the top.” Area of influence Being part of KZN Top Business Women 2023 is meaningful to Tracy on many levels. She commented, “It means that recognition comes from somewhere else. And I think that sometimes that’s important to understand that your area of influence has grown.” In addition, said Tracy, “In the words of Warren Sachs, we want to make manufacturing sexy again. We need more people, especially women, in manufacturing.”

Up Home Up Pindiwe Filtane 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.”