THINK is a registered non-profit organisation dedicated to making a difference in the lives of people suffering from tuberculosis (TB) and HIVKristina WallengrenTHINK is a registered non-profit organisation dedicated to making a difference in the lives of people suffering from tuberculosis (TB) and HIVTHINK is a registered non-profit organisation dedicated to making a difference in the lives of people suffering from tuberculosis (TB) and HIV. Consequently, THINK undertakes clinical research, training and health systems improvement with impact both locally and globally. Kristina declares, "As the director of THINK, I often say that I am the cheerleader. We are a big team of people working together to achieve results. My job is to support my team's effective functioning. For example, obtain funding for our work, write grant applications, meet with stakeholders, conduct site visits, as well as establish systems in the organisation to make sure we are able to reach the desired impact." A career change THINK's story starts with Kristina's desire to make a difference in the world and the thought that she was doing that too slowly. "My background is as a scientist in molecular biology, and I felt that I was saving the world one dust-particle at a time." The road from these beginnings to establishing THINK was long winded with a lot of interludes. "After working for ten years as a basic scientist, I had a career change. I wanted to see more impact in the work that I was doing, so I went back to school and studied international health - specifically epidemiology and public health. This enabled me to move to South Africa, and eventually to start THINK seven years ago," she explained. Kristina says that she has been inspired by many people along her life journey. After completing her PHD in molecular biology, Kristina's supervisor, world-renowned Professor Hans Rosling, encouraged her to study at Harvard and truly inspired her to make a difference in the public health field through data. Kristina had saved up money to go sailing for six months from Panama across the Pacific Ocean and her acceptance to Harvard arrived while she was in the Galapagos Islands. However, Kristina said, "I wasn't ready at that time to stop the adventure that I had started." She postponed taking up the offer at Harvard, a prospect which was also nerve wrecking, as she was concerned about how she was going to finance her studies. "However, I was able earn money through sailing a yacht from New Zealand to Alaska, which paid $100 a day that I could mostly save towards financing my studies. The sailing journey was really important in my career and became one of the most interesting door-openers to give me opportunities that I wouldn't have had otherwise." Working in Africa One of Kristina's supervisors at Harvard, Professor Megan Murray, really inspired her career further. "She sent me to work in Africa and gave me the opportunity to set up research at a hospital in Pietermaritzburg and to go for it all on my own. The trust and confidence, from her, was amazing and something that I try to replicate in my dealings with other people." THINK started its first clinical trial in 2013 at Durban Medical Centre with a small research team providing treatment to 12 patients. Since then, THINK has created over 300 job opportunities and provided care for over 140 000 patients in eThekwini. Three new TB drugs, the first since the 1950s, have been developed and THINK is contributing to establishing their best use and bringing them to the market. Furthermore, THINK has conducted research to improve care for drug resistant TB by reducing treatment duration from two years to nine months, which has now been adopted as standard of care in South Africa. THINK isn't resting on its laurels but is working on reducing it even further to six months. "I am amazed at what has been accomplished by THINK as a team, and thankful for the part that I have played. I find it very difficult to take credit for myself. I could never have thought about the things that we are doing at THINK on my own. There has been an organic growth of the organisation and the individuals within have made it into what it is." Purpose finds you The advice that Kristina would give to people is to follow your interests, and your passion will develop itself. "When you follow your interest, you develop a flair and move into a space where you are able to thrive and shine. Through that way, purpose finds you and you are able to make a difference." In reflecting on the role of women in business, Kristina says that she does not think that women need to have a different approach to business to men. "I think that every individual needs to have an approach to business that is reflective of themselves and should be authentic. We need to all strive to learn more. To experiment more, to develop ourselves more. There is not one formula that fits all. We are all different. The most important thing to me is being authentic and true to yourself. When you bring yourself with you into every space you go, there is hardly any energy expense because you don't have to play different characters." Continue to do more good In the future Kristina would love to take her children sailing for an extended period of time to let them experience the awe of the world, and allow self-reflection being removed from the business of our daily lives. She would also want to see THINK sustainable and continue to make an impact in people's lives with the ethos that it was founded on. "I would like for THINK to be a place where people can be their best selves and generate more of the good stuff that we are already doing," she concluded. 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. 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. Back

MAIMOONA SALIM is the provincial executive of the Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator. An NGO that helps the unemployed youth adopt necessary life skills, and assists with job placementsMaimoona SalimMAIMOONA SALIM is the provincial executive of the Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator. An NGO that helps the unemployed youth adopt necessary life skills, and assists with job placementsMAIMOONA SALIM is the provincial executive of the Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator. An NGO that helps the unemployed youth adopt necessary life skills, and assists with job placements. She oversees all strategic business operations, including managing clients, working with candidates, and maintaining the vision and mission of the organisation. Born and schooled in Durban, Maimoona relocated to Johannesburg in the late 90s, where she completed her studies and worked in various industries for over a decade. Her first job was as a casual worker at a retail store, and she worked her way up to be a specialist and later was promoted to senior management positions within the retail sector. Because of Maimoona's drive and ambition, she regularly looked for business opportunities. After noticing a skills gap amongst the unemployed youth, she decided to start a business to address this issue. So, in 2005, without any financial backing, she became an entrepreneur. She made pamphlets, offering people training, and development skills, that would help them find jobs. Only a few people were expected for training, but 98 candidates came on the first day. Shocked by the massive attendance, Maimoona managed to accommodate the candidates, taught them the required retail skills, and got them all employed by various retail stores. Encouraged by the success of the programme, she then registered a recruitment company, and started doing recruitment for various chain stores. She later became accredited and provided training for a major retail group store with which she landed a contract. Focus on the end goal Satisfied with the success she achieved in Johannesburg, Maimoona headed back to Durban, to seek a new venture. Her passion for food steered her to start a catering company which served small to medium size companies, for staff and client functions. Her company grew rapidly until it had a substantial staff complement...and that she says it what fulfilled her. Being able to employ people, mentoring, coaching, and helping them grow as individuals. Having achieved what she has, in the short space of time, Maimoona has proved to herself that: "You don't need money for business, you just need to apply your mind and execute your plan. Focus on the end goal and make yourself work towards it. Success does not come from luck; it comes from hard work and determination." Her journey has been a difficult one, as she came from a very challenging background. Though, that has not stopped her from persevering and achieving her dreams. Maimoona was privileged to have had good mentors along the way, that assisted with her career success. "People around you can push you to achieve your goals, encourage you not to give up, and help to take you to the next level." Working smart Maimoona believes, it is about "what inspires" rather than "who inspires" people. In addition, "People need to start by understanding themselves first, because when you learn to understand yourself, you then start understanding other people." The motivation and direction her parents provided, especially from her father, has driven her to grow as an individual, and that is what got her to where she is today. One of the strongest family values she lives by is, "work hard and be determined to succeed". "As we all have the same minds, women don't need a different approach to men to be successful in business. We all think strategically, we are all educated, however the trick is about working smart. It is all about you pushing yourself and reaching your objectives; making sure that you focus on attaining your goals. That, is your ticket to success." Maimoona is content with what she accomplished in her 20 plus years of being a career woman. She explains that to her, "accomplish" means "to do and achieve what you value, to make a difference and understand the input that you are giving." She says it is not about the bottom-line all the time. "Being at Harambee made me understand that it is all about giving back to the community, giving back to individual people and giving hope to people, especially the unemployed youth." A point I will keep re-iterating, even though it's been said over a million times, but truth be told: the youth are our future leaders." Doing what she does at Harambee, she feels, is an accomplishment on its own. Maimoona says, "Once you have found that you are giving back and making a difference, you can be content." It is not work, it is life When Maimoona was young, it was difficult for her to achieve a work-life balance, because she was so ambitious, and her career was all-important. Now that she is older and wiser, she asks herself if what she is doing now is a job or part of her life. Smiling, she says that it almost feels like she has retired because she enjoys what she does so much as it fulfils her as a human being. She has found herself and what resonates with her. "When people question my decision to work for a non-profit organisation, I reply that it is not work, it is life." The advice she would give to her younger self is, "Realise life is not always what it seems. Things are always going to change. Listen to your parents' advice." She would also advise herself to appreciate life and appreciate time. "Use it wisely, and make every day count towards something beneficial for others." 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. 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. Back

After five years at The Clothing Bank, it was time to get out of her comfort zone again. Tanya sees herself as a changemaker, and she's designed her new venture, Interconnection SA, to help people change their lives in a different wayTanya Price-CarrAfter five years at The Clothing Bank, it was time to get out of her comfort zone again. Tanya sees herself as a changemaker, and she's designed her new venture, Interconnection SA, to help people change their lives in a different wayTANYA PRICE-CARR has a simple philosophy, "It's hard to grow in your career when you're settled in your comfort zone." So whenever she gets too comfortable, it's time for a change. Tanya's ability to capitalise on change has given her a broad perspective and allowed her to seek out new experiences where she can continue her growth path. With this approach, it's no surprise Tanya has had a varied career. Growing up in circumstances where role models were few and far between, Tanya discovered softball and fell in love. It was the sport that gave her a sense of fulfilment and purpose and, at last, role models who showed her that hard work reaps rewards, a lesson she credits with her respect for commitment to goals and good, old-fashioned hard work. Straight out of school, she went into sales, rapidly turning to promotional sports gear - because it seemed a good place to start earning the money she needed to buy herself a car! When she decided it was time for her to travel, softball paved the way, allowing her to spend six years based in the United Kingdom, coaching, competing and travelling the world. In typical style, she aimed for the top, and represented Great Britain in the pre-Olympic Test Event in Athens, Greece before making another change, and coming home to South Africa, and settling in Cape Town. But it was in event planning that she discovered her next career. Organising a spectacular Freedom Day fundraising event that ran concurrently in five South African cities, Tanya began to see opportunities to change lives for the better, in this case by raising funds for the Red Cross Children's Hospital and Operation Bobbi Bear. Next came a transfer to Durban - not just for a new business challenge, but also a major life change, as she came to join her now-husband. She stayed in event planning for another two years, but her charity project had left a profound impression, and three years later she joined The Clothing Bank a social enterprise development NPO, heading up the Durban branch that helps people chart a way out of poverty. Leading the way After five years at The Clothing Bank, it was time to get out of her comfort zone again. Tanya sees herself as a changemaker, and she's designed her new venture, Interconnection SA, to help people change their lives in a different way. "There is so much to be done in South Africa", she says, "and the disconnection between people means we aren't aligned and we aren't reaching our potential as individuals and as a country." "Interconnection SA helps people take the next step in their lives, to connect with their strength and potential to realise their goals, to understand what they can achieve," she explains. The organisation also works with businesses to connect function and leadership with the goals as aspirations of the people they lead. "When your people see that their personal goals align with corporate goals, it creates a common purpose and delivers growth," says Tanya. Tanya takes a servant-leadership approach to running an organisation. She is a firm believer in sharing her experience and allowing her team to grow authentically. "You can get the best out of people if you give them space to grow." Facing challenges Tanya dismisses the idea that women need to take a different approach to men to achieve success. "Whether you're a man or a woman, you need to be professional," she says. "I am who I am. I know I can be emotional, but I have to make decisions based on fact, not emotion. And when things go against you, you can't take it personally." With a husband and two daughters, Tanya's life is certainly not all about work. She finds time to chauffeur her teenage daughter, also a talented sportswoman, to her training and games, and has discovered that lift clubs are useful way to keep in touch with what's going on with her daughter's life - and get to know her friends. She also has a special needs five year old daughter who she loves to spend time with and grounds her to the simple things in life. "Work-life balance isn't easy," she says. "You have good days and bad days, and good weeks and bad weeks - but you do need to make time for what's important." Tanya points out that you might block out time in your diary, but things can happen at work that demand your attention. "You need to appreciate the good weeks and focus on being present and mindful, and make your family time quality time, not necessarily quantity time." Tanya is also still involved with softball. "Softball gave so much to me as a child - it kept me focused and gave me a sense of purpose - and I get great satisfaction in being able to give back." One simple piece of advice Tanya has a strong action orientation and looks to the future, but says that if she was starting out again, she'd do one thing differently. "I'd buy property early," she says. "It's a great investment and you really reap the rewards later." 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. 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. Back

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 customersBusi GumedeBUSI 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 customersBUSI 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." 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. 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. Back

NANDI NGWENYA is the CEO and principal operator of Siba Management, a KFC Franchise Group in the fast-food industry, which operates 17 stores in KwaZulu-NatalNandi NgwenyaNANDI NGWENYA is the CEO and principal operator of Siba Management, a KFC Franchise Group in the fast-food industry, which operates 17 stores in KwaZulu-NatalNANDI NGWENYA is the CEO and principal operator of Siba Management, a KFC Franchise Group in the fast-food industry, which operates 17 stores in KwaZulu-Natal. Nandi says that she has been on 'a life long business journey'. Siba Management is a family-owned business that was started by her mother. As she was growing up, conversations around the dinner table often revolved around the business and how the family saw Nandi's career to be in the group. "My family practically moulded me into the person I am today. My family life and business life have been very much intertwined, and I have grown organically into the position as CEO." Whilst Nandi was still at school, she would work in the stores during the holidays, performing all the tasks, from serving over the counter to working in the kitchen. Over time, when she had become fully acquainted with the stores and their functioning, she moved to the head office. Once there, she moved from department to department, learning about the different issues that must be dealt with, including internal as well as external KFC requirements until she understood the whole business operation. When all directors concerned felt comfortable about her knowledge of the business and her ability to take control, she took over as the CEO. Knowing all the facets of the business now enables her to give direction to the group. Her daily tasks involve meeting with the management team to discuss reports and key performance areas in the group. Nandi also does regular store visits to motivate the teams, and to see if there are opportunities to be aware of or problems to address. A major part of her role is to make sure that all the stores are brand compliant, and that their customers are happy. Nandi says that her mother has played a major role in mentoring her progress in the business environment and in her general development. Being in a franchise business, she has also benefitted from relevant training and development programmes associated with a franchise. "The KFC franchisor looking after Siba Management has helped immensely as he had not only given direction and advice on how the stores should be managed, but also on how the business should be led, and how things should be done successfully in general." She has met many people along the way who have inspired her. "The success achieved by other people gives me the confidence and inspiration to succeed and improve. People who have been able to grow a mom and pop type store into a corporate business are also an inspiration for me." Be bold in business Nandi does not believe that women need to approach business fundamentally differently from men. However, she says that men and women could learn different aspects of approaching business from each other. "I think that women could take a page from the men's book and be bolder in the way that they do business. Women tend to be more cautious and concerned about small things. They tend to feel the need to prove themselves to themselves and others before tackling something in business. Men are often more prepared to take the risks involved in grabbing an opportunity. They are less worried about being perfect to do business." Focus on what needs to be done For Nandi, achieving a work-life balance simply comes down to prioritising what has to be done. She says, "If there is a work issue for me to deal with, I give it my 100% focus until it's done. That leaves me with time for my family." Similarly, she says, "If there is a family issue that needs attention, I just put my blinkers on and focus on addressing it." "Whatever needs your focus, just do it," added Nandi. Sometimes her family and work demand her time and attention simultaneously, in which case she tries "to package them together". For example, she is fortunate that the way she engages in the business allows her to take her baby and nanny to work and can therefore deal with family and work matters at the same time. If you follow your passion, the money will follow you If she could go back in time she would make sure to encourage her younger self to explore more avenues, including those that, on face value, don't look like they can make money. She has come to believe that, "If you follow your passion, the money will follow you." She says she would certainly advise her younger self to be bold and follow her passion. Nandi is happy about what she has accomplished so far and where she is in business. "I have come to learn and understand the retail industry very well and feel confident in the space that I work in. I have much to offer to my team." Looking back, she realises that there have been missed opportunities over the years and that she could have acted more dynamically in certain areas and explored more avenues. "There are still many opportunities for me to take and I can keep on learning, improving and growing in business and as a person," she concludes. 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. 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. Back

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 MchunuBONI 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 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." 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. 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. Back

LAIELA PARUK DORASAMY is the owner of Ahavah Consulting, a Level 1 B-BBEE company which was established in May 2018. The core focus of Ahavah Consulting is to supply companies with items that require a personal touchLaiela Paruk DorasamyLAIELA PARUK DORASAMY is the owner of Ahavah Consulting, a Level 1 B-BBEE company which was established in May 2018. The core focus of Ahavah Consulting is to supply companies with items that require a personal touchLAIELA PARUK DORASAMY is the owner of Ahavah Consulting, a Level 1 B-BBEE company which was established in May 2018. The core focus of Ahavah Consulting is to supply companies with items that require a personal touch. This includes branded stationery, bespoke gifting, promotional giveaways, corporate gifts, conference packs, goody bags, prizes, point of sale, branded corporate and promotional attire. "Helping my clients to find the most appropriate gift to present to their customers, is what I am most passionate about," she says. "Ahavah is a verb as well as a noun; the Hebrew word means "To give" and "To love". Love is giving. The actual process of giving should develop the connection between the giver and the receiver." This intentional act of doing is central to the way that Laiela runs her business and she will always go the extra mile to ensure that her clients are happy. She has had 15 years of experience in the public relations and marketing sector, specifically in event management, project management and below the line marketing campaigns which include: in store activations, trade shows, school activations and brand ambassador programmes. Laiela has a keen insight and a vast network of suppliers, enabling her to offer astute service, tailored to your specific needs. She says that she is dedicated to getting the job done, in excellence, on time and within budget! All things work together Laiela says that everything that she has done in life and everything that she has learnt, including all the people that she has encountered, both positive and negative, all contribute to where she is today. As a committed Christian, Laiela believes strongly in Romans 8:28, that, "All things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose." She added, "Hard work and prayer to me are the ultimate combination for success." In reflecting on her personal journey, Laiela said that her father had owned a jewellery and gift store in Newcastle, where she grew up. "I worked alongside him from a very early age, where I gained many valuable lessons, amongst them, customer relationships, consistency and discipline." Laiela says that she is someone who finds inspiration all around her every day. "Since the inception of my business, I have really drawn inspiration from the amazing women I have had the privilege to meet, mostly through networking. Their stories and journeys are really inspiring and have really kept me motivated and encouraged, not because they are strong women, but because they are real women, with all their challenges, hurdles and different backgrounds, all holding each other up, like mighty Sequoia trees." In addition, she says that Pastor Vernon Jacob, who leads The Embassy Church, where she is a member, also inspires her with his relevant and encouraging messages that he shares with the congregation including teachings on process, transition and dis-couragement, all of which are effective in helping her navigate through life on a daily basis. Laiela explains further, "He is a man of excellence and embodies love, two qualities that I believe every human should aspire to." The Best Person for the Job In responding to the question of whether she feels women have to have a different approach to business than men to get to be successful, Laiela says that she does not like to differentiate between men and women in terms of roles or abilities. She commented, "Generally when it comes to doing anything, to me it's about the best person for the job, irrespective of race, gender, culture or any other stereotype we tend to impose." "I believe that if you love what you do, if you give it your best, and are willing to learn and work hard, then you are unlikely to fail." Laiela is happy with what she has accomplished so far but has an ambition to see Ahavah Consulting grow further. "To be where I am after a relatively short period of time, is more than I could have hoped or imagined, that said, there is always so much more that can be achieved. I would love to see my business grow, to employ and empower people and make an impact on their future as well as their future generations. If we all set out to change a few lives, we can contribute to a significant overall change, without waiting for someone else to do something." Achieving a work-life balance As Laiela's husband runs a safety and corporate wear company, which complements her offering in many ways, they get to work together often and even share office space. This synergy, says Laiela, does help immensely with work-life balance as their children are their combined priority. "Our children are very passionate about helping us in our businesses, they love packing goody bags and tying bows and ribbons, anything they can assist us with in fact. My family is core to all that I am and all that I do and will always remain my priority." If Laiela could have given advice to her younger self, she would have said let her be who she is and has always been. "Let her be a dreamer who always wore her heart on her sleeve, the eternal optimist, always looking for the best in others and believing that life is about seizing every opportunity and living it to the fullest." 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. 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. Back

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With a strong focus on growth, her prime role is business development, but she is also involved with business consulting and scoping customer requirements. "We're experts in what we do and we understand our solutions very well," says MargieMargie WhittenWith a strong focus on growth, her prime role is business development, but she is also involved with business consulting and scoping customer requirements. "We're experts in what we do and we understand our solutions very well," says MargieMARGIE WHITTEN, even as a child was interested in business, perhaps from force of circumstance. Her parents placed a high value on education, and chose to make real sacrifices to send her to a private boarding school. But it was a financial stretch, and Margie didn't have many of the "necessities" the other girls took for granted. Undaunted by this, she realised she didn't have to go without. "I've always been very determined," she says, "and I was an entrepreneur before I was 16." Margie set up several small businesses while she was at school, her favourites being an after-hours tuckshop and her second-hand clothing business. A lucky break started Margie on her path to director of IDU KZN. She was invited to an interview by an IT company, and got the job - and this launched her career. Here too she connected with the developers of the IDU software that powers her business. But it takes more than a lucky break to make a career. "It was more of a natural progression," she says, pointing out that a huge amount of hard work was required to build her career. IDU KZN helps medium to larger corporates in KZN and into Africa with budgeting and financial reporting systems that simplify financial management. As Margie puts it, "We make it easier for our clients to make sound business decisions based on accurate financial information, without having to spend hours crunching numbers." With a strong focus on growth, her prime role is business development, but she is also involved with business consulting and scoping customer requirements. "We're experts in what we do and we understand our solutions very well," says Margie, "but we also need to really understand our clients' business needs too, so we can marry the two knowledge pools together to implement the right solutions to each client's needs." Women don't face the same challenges as they did years ago Over the years, Margie has had many role models, but right now she singles out Michelle Obama as an inspiration. "She's a strong, competent woman, with a transparent commitment to her husband, her marriage, her family and she does incredible work for the community. She's such a real person and she hasn't been swallowed up by her husband's power and success." Margie is adamant that there's an even playing field in the IT world today. "Things have definitely changed. We don't face challenges that men don't have to deal with, at least in our industry, and I see this similarity in my clients' companies too," says Margie. "I believe it's a level playing field, but we have to play our part too. The right mindset is vital. We have equal opportunities in business and we need to make the most of them." She does acknowledge, however, that women probably take on more responsibilities than men, when it comes to domestic duties, and that can add stress and present time challenges. "But we do have more resources to support us in being wives and mothers as well as business people." "I'm lucky to have the support of an incredible husband who's happy to share the load at home. You can plan ahead as much as you like, but we support our clients through critical reporting timelines and our work is often driven by factors out of our control." Margie admits that she doesn't have a work-life balance. "I'm not even sure it's a real thing," she laughs. "I've tried, but when your customers need you, they tend to come first - that's what makes our business." On the bright side, Margie points out, when she stopped stressing about work-life balance, somehow things fell into place. "It works for us. Though recently, my son does seem to love piling on the guilt about me being a working mom." Planning ahead If Margie had the chance to do it all again, she wouldn't change much, but she says she would take a longer term approach to her goals. "I've always had short and medium term goals, but I'd plan better for the life I wanted at the end, and set out to achieve that. I was a late starter when it came to motherhood, with a miracle baby when I was 40, and having a child made me realise I needed to have long-term plans in place. So I changed by mindset and it's working for me." "I'm happy with what I've accomplished," says Margie, "but I'm not happy that I'm heading to the end of my career. There's still so much I want to achieve - and it's not just about me." Margie points out that she certainly didn't achieve her success on her own, and her team has been invaluable in growing the business and delivering value to their clients. "One of my core goals right now is to help my team create a secure financial future for themselves." 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. 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. Back

MARCINA MAJID heads up SAS Cares which is a subsidiary of Southern African Shipyards. SAS Cares is a skills development, exposure and experience based non-profit organisationMarcina MajidMARCINA MAJID heads up SAS Cares which is a subsidiary of Southern African Shipyards. SAS Cares is a skills development, exposure and experience based non-profit organisationMARCINA MAJID heads up SAS Cares which is a subsidiary of Southern African Shipyards. SAS Cares is a skills development, exposure and experience based non-profit organisation. The organisation was founded on the premise that skills and education go hand in hand in developing individuals and communities. "We want to upskill people and also expose people to the possibilities of careers in the maritime industry," explained Marcina. "It is about getting everybody on the same level." Love for women's empowerment Her journey to establishing the foundation has been varied. "After I graduated, I was employed by a firm of chartered accountants. I was very fortunate in that this was at the time when the black economic empowerment (BEE) codes came out and I started a BEE verification company." Marcina said that she was in the privileged position of having her children and being able to run the company at the same time. However, she then had a two-year hiatus where she took time out of her working life and reflected on what she really wanted to do. She explains further, "It just so happened that I got into the health and fitness industry. I had two gyms that ran consecutively for about six years. During that time, I discovered my love for women's empowerment because I worked first-hand with women. I got to understand the needs and issues in their communities and in their lives as well as the socio-economic impact that they have in society or the lack thereof." These experiences gave Marcina insight into what she wished to accomplish in her own life. Unfortunately, a hip operation put everything on hold, and she had to stop working in the health and fitness industry. My purpose is to help others Consequently, Marcina made the decision to work at South African Shipyards which at that time had became part of the family business. "That is when I started working with my husband, Prasheen Maharaj, CEO of SA Shipyards. We worked side by side in making a success of the business, but I always felt that I worked better when working on CSI initiatives and playing a supporting role in that regard. From that insight arose SAS Cares and I feel that my purpose is to help others." In speaking of her sources of inspiration Marcina explained that she is inspired by women who are go-getters. "I don't like to glorify people as there is a lot of ebb and flow in everybody's lives. To put one woman up in high regard is doing a disservice to all the other women who don't have a platform or who are finding themselves. There are a lot of women who wake up at 4 am in the morning and slog through a hard day - getting their kids to school, getting to work on time, having a hard, honest day. Getting back home, cooking a meal and then getting ready for the next day. They don't get recognition and I am inspired by them." However, she added that she is also inspired by the women who are the chatterboxes; who are the disrupters. "I am inspired by women who are not defined by a box. By women who have a blank slate - the innovators, our local artists, our designers and our scientists. All those females who you come across every day in the media." A seat at the table Marcina believes that women need to approach business differently from men to be successful. "We are set up with so many disadvantages, there are so many things that we need to think about before we take those steps into business. Men have fraternity, they have a brotherhood and a comradery, which is about uplifting one another. With women, we have a small gap to contribute in and we are all fighting to be empowered. Michelle Obama said, 'You can have it all, you just can't have it right now'. It is about taking the time, fighting those causes and making sure that we can get up and have a seat at the table." "I am happy with what I have accomplished. As a person who does a lot of introspection on my life, I monitor what it is that I think and how I approach things. SAS Cares is a stepping-stone that can go further. This business is not about my recognition and ego. The recognition I want is for SAS Cares. I want other people to see the good that comes from this company and that this is going to allow us to take on other partners for our cause." Work-life balance Finding a work-life balance is very difficult for Marcina. "Fortunately, as I have been in the health industry, I try to exercise every day. I like to upskill myself so every year I take a recreational course. These learnings filter into my family life as whatever I have learnt I share." "We go through ebbs and flows where we feel like we are failing as a mom or as a businesswoman, but you do what you can to get through that period." In giving advice to her younger self, Marcina would say drown the noise and don't listen to all the fears that people project onto you. "I would also tell myself to take chances. Every failure is a learning opportunity. You don't ask why something is happening, ask, what are you going to learn from the situation." 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. 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. Back