His first professional role was in industry at Sasol. This experience gave him insight into operational discipline and structure Subscribe Home KZN Leaders Up Up Aven Naidu His first professional role was in industry at Sasol. This experience gave him insight into operational discipline and structure Aven Naidu is the chief executive officer of the Avemel Group, a multifaceted business rooted in logistics, property and construction, and guided by a strong commitment to community upliftment. In his role, he steers the organisation’s strategic vision, inspires innovation and ensures that each division operates with purpose, collaboration and integrity. Aven was born and raised in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. He attributes much of his early development to the values instilled in him during his childhood. “From a young age, I was surrounded by people who worked hard and showed strong work ethic,” he says. This foundation encouraged him to pursue a career that would have an impact beyond profit. After completing his studies, he entered the transport and logistics sector. Aven recalls, “I entered a space that challenged me to think beyond moving goods and toward building longterm, sustainable solutions.” ENTREPRENEURIAL INSTINCT His first professional role was in industry at Sasol. This experience gave him insight into operational discipline and structure. However, his entrepreneurial instinct guided his next move. “I quickly realised that I wasn’t built to stay in my lane,” he explains. “I’ve always had the urge to think outside the box, explore new strategies, and take calculated risks.” That instinct led him to establish his own business, which later evolved into the Avemel Group. Aven’s personal purpose underpins his leadership philosophy. “My why is to create meaningful impact for our employees, our clients and our community,” he says. Aven strongly believes that success should be collective rather than individual. “Avemel was founded on the belief that success is shared. I’m driven by a desire to create opportunities, empower people to realise their potential and build a legacy of integrity, innovation and unity.” One of his core beliefs is that everyone should fulfil their potential. “I can’t stand seeing people waste their God-given talents. My purpose is to help unlock them.” Reaching the twenty-year milestone of Avemel is among Aven’s proudest achievements. He reflects, “From humble beginnings to becoming a respected name in logistics and beyond, our journey reflects two decades of dedication, teamwork and faith.” What he values most is the growth of people within the organisation. “Seeing the people who started with us still growing within the organisation today – that, to me, defines real success.” He has encountered significant challenges throughout his journey. “The biggest challenge was sustaining our business during times of economic uncertainty, especially during the pandemic, while protecting our workforce,” he explains. “We overcame this by staying adaptable, diversifying our operations and prioritising our people. Transparency, communication and versatility became our pillars. By standing together, we came out stronger than before.” BUILDING GENUINE CONNECTION Aven believes the key to motivation lies in building genuine connection. He says, “I take the time to listen, to lead by example and to celebrate both small and big wins.” Even in difficult times, he reminds his team of their shared purpose and the importance of how every individual contributes to the bigger picture. “We focus on solutions, not blame. That approach builds trust, unity and resilience.” Leadership advice received early in his life continues to shape his actions. “The best advice I’ve ever received was: Never forget where you came from,” he shares. “It keeps me grounded and reminds me that leadership is not about authority; it is about service. We must always remember that no single person is bigger than the business.” Aven draws his inspiration from both his family and his team. “I’m inspired by my late grandparents. Their humility, entrepreneurship skills, strength of character and faith in people shaped who I am today.” He also acknowledges the dedication of his employees. “I’m inspired daily by the incredible team at Avemel, who embody the spirit of hard work and commitment. Their drive reminds me that leadership is a responsibility, not a privilege.” Above all, Aven is deeply grateful to his wife, children and family for their unwavering support. “They are my strength and the reason I strive every day. My driving force in life is to build a legacy that my family can be proud of, one defined by integrity, impact and a commitment to uplifting others.” SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION Looking to the future, Aven has a clear vision for the Avemel Group and for business in KwaZulu-Natal. “My vision is for Avemel to become the nation’s leading logistics provider, offering a service that covers the full spectrum of the supply chain,” he says. “I want to achieve this by embracing technology and integrating innovation across our operations.” Aven envisages a thriving economy supported by a strong logistics and infrastructure sector. “I want to see the logistics and infrastructure sector in South Africa flourish. This will create opportunities, strengthen trade and empower communities.” Avemel Group is positioned to contribute significantly to this progress. “We aim to play a central role in that transformation through investment, job creation and infrastructure development.” Relationships and integrity remain central to Aven’s leadership approach. He refers to a belief passed down by his late grandfather: “We make money; money doesn’t make us.” He has built Avemel’s organisational culture around this principle. “We value our clients and relationships above profit. While sustainability is essential, we believe that if we uplift our clients, they will, in turn, uplift our business. Relationships are the foundation of everything.” Over two decades, Aven Naidu has shaped the Avemel Group into a symbol of sustainable impact and purposeful growth. His journey demonstrates resilience, vision and humility. It reflects his belief that leadership is an act of service and an investment in people. His legacy is one of opportunity, empowerment and enduring commitment to transformative business and community development.

Your attitude determines your altitude. Be a sponge. Be prepared to learn at all times. Don’t work with a job description because it limits your growth < Back Thalente Madonda Business Centre Manager for the Hibiscus Coast, Standard Bank KZN Thalente Madonda plays and occupies various roles in her capacity as a woman. Professionally, Thalente is the Business Centre Manager for the Hibiscus Coast area (the south node of Durban). Her current role is in the Business Banking segment, looking after both business banking as well as small enterprise clients. Thalente has been with Standard Bank for 22 years and she has held various roles ranging from junior, middle, and now to senior management. Some of the roles she has held were branch manager, account executive, and small enterprises manager. Speaking of her role she explains, “Being in Business Banking gives me an opportunity to contribute to our economy, indirectly and directly, by assisting our entrepreneurs with their business operations...granting them facilities, short and long term, to fund the growth in their businesses.” “It is an exciting and very rewarding role in a sense that we look after entrepreneurs who are the most important people in our economy. The people that contribute to the growth of our economy. The employers of our professional as well as our ordinary South Africans who contribute directly to the GDP of our country.” On the personal front, a role that she occupies as a woman is being the mother of three beautiful kids – one being a teenager. Other roles are wife, sister, daughter-in-law ... the list is endless. Personal achievements Thalente’s achievements have been based around seeing herself as a ‘young woman’ from Inanda Township who has grown and progressed successfully in a big organisation like Standard Bank. These achievements include moving from junior positions such a teller and progressing to managing a business centre, to looking after a balance sheet of over R6.5 billion with her team. “It is really an honour, and I am grateful to Standard Bank and the team that I work with. Some of my other achievements include winning a Top Performer in Business Banking in 2015 and winning a trip to Portugal with my partner. That was a very special moment.” Shaping the person A number of factors have inspired Thalente to get to where she is today. These include the environment she grew up in, which was a poor community, with a lack of role models, that resulted in girls getting pregnant at a tender age, amongst other challenges. Thalente explains, “I knew that this would not be my destiny as I wanted better. In addition, my mom was my biggest inspiration to achieve.” Once Thalente had joined Standard Bank, she had many great leaders that believed and supported her in her journey. “These were leaders that saw potential in me and helped to shape the person that I am today,” she said. Some of these leaders, says Thalente, are still with the organisation today, while others have left. In addition, much of Thalente’s career in the bank has been driven by her own desire to grow and learn. She explains that after spending a number of years as an enquiries clerk in the bank, she started coming in early to work to learn about other departments. Thalente added, “I used my lunch hour, as well, to get to know what other departments were all about. I started getting invitations to join the meetings in the other departments, invitations to apply for the positions. That’s how I grew...” Challenges faced A major challenge that Thalente faced was when, after being appointed an account executive, she had clients in her portfolio who told her that they would not deal with a black person. “This was an interesting challenge, which I did not take personally because I understood that clients have their preferences. But it was a learning curve for me,” she explained. Thalente dealt with this challenge through engaging with the clients to understand their experiences with black people and their expectations of her as their account executive. The result was that she developed relationships with the majority of these clients through constant engagement and the support of her leadership team. Future goals In the future, Thalente’s goals are to execute her dream, which is to work with young girls in her community around career growth. She has in mind a concept similar to taking a girl child to a business, exposing them to institutions of higher learning such as universities and having career expo days. “I still see young girls showing no signs of a bright future despite education being free now,” she explains. Thalente would also like to do more around growing young women in the workplace. She said, “I play a role of a mentor, sometimes without not even realising it and I would like to continue with my journey of mentoring young women. I am passionate about growing young girls.” “I have contributed to the growth of many young people in my organisation. Because somebody believed in me, I took it upon myself to develop and grow young people in my organisation. Some of the guys are now branch managers, leader of teams etc. Some of the young stars who were not studying and had no reason why not, now have qualifications. It’s a heart-warming feeling.” Advice to young woman In giving advice to young women who may follow in her footsteps, Thalente says that they need to have the right attitude. She concludes, “After all, your attitude determines your altitude. Be a sponge. Be prepared to learn at all times. Don’t work with a job description because it limits your growth. Raise your hand when you are ready for the next role.”

In his current position as CEO of the Group he now has the privilege of leading South Africa’s largest non-bank mortgage lender and the pre-eminent issuer of Residential Mortgage Backed Securitisations in South Africa Subscribe Home KZN Leaders Up Up Rob Kelso In his current position as CEO of the Group he now has the privilege of leading South Africa’s largest non-bank mortgage lender and the pre-eminent issuer of Residential Mortgage Backed Securitisations in South Africa Rob has over 25 years of experience in the financial services A Chartered Accountant by training, Rob has over 25 years of experience in the financial services sector, covering mortgages, insurance, treasury and debt capital markets. Having completed his articles with Deloitte, during which time he achieved the notable distinction of being the top candidate in the country in the final SAICA qualifying board exams, he started his career providing audit and advisory services to a number of large banking and financial services groups, with a particular focus on securitisation and debt origination activities as these markets were first establishing themselves in South Africa in the early 2000’s. Rob joined SA Home Loans in 2005, and in his 19 years with the Group has held various senior executive positions. As CFO of the group for 10 years he led the diversification and growth of the funding platform, and subsequently as COO he had overall accountability for the execution of operational and strategic initiatives across the home loan and insurance offerings of the Group. In his current position as CEO of the Group he now has the privilege of leading South Africa’s largest non-bank mortgage lender and the pre-eminent issuer of Residential Mortgage Backed Securitisations in South Africa, and working daily with the industry’s leading team of home finance, insurance and RMBS specialists.

Recognise your potential, empower yourself with learning and take control of your destiny, it all starts with you.Bashini Mahomed < Back Bashini Mahomed Owner Dynamic Shipping Services Bashini Mahomed is a force to be reckoned with, in the world of transcontinental logistics. As rainmaker at Dynamic Shipping Services, a logistics management company in Durban, she’s more than a businesswoman; she’s a determined leader. After two decades in corporate logistics, Bashini’s entrepreneurial journey began in 2019 at a conference in Hong Kong. An ex-colleague urged her to start her own venture and she was inspired by the challenge. Making the most of one of Hong Kong’s tourist attractions, Bashini visited a temple and threw the mystical Chinese Sticks that are said to offer guidance and spiritual clarity. “Well, I knew what I wanted to do.” Bashini identified an untapped opportunity in the timber industry in Durban and decided to set up a timber packing facility, and with her husband’s support her path was set. Resigning from her corporate job in February 2020, Bashini left the comfort and financial security of a stable career. Five days later, she received a call from a customer in need. His logistics service provider had decided to offer exclusivity to his competitor, and he needed help urgently. “Within less than 24 hours I had the task of setting up a timber packing operation, packing ten containers, and turning them into the Durban port stacks, with a 6 a.m. stack closure. It was a baptism of fire and the beginning of a whirlwind journey,” says Bashini. “In business, your reputation matters, and I delivered.” A couple of weeks later Covid struck but Bashini was able to adapt. The timber industry proved to be a fortuitous choice as it fell into the ‘essential services’ category. A resilient customer base, hard work and dedication helped her navigate the pandemic. Bashini’s journey isn’t just about the path she’s taken; it’s about the unique way she’s shaping her destination, it’s about creating something special. “I don’t like to measure success only in turnover, but I am proud of our achievements,” she said. Bashini started the business on her own, and the headcount has increased to five, but her impact extends beyond this. “I’m very proud that I’ve managed to provide employment in the last three years, particularly in view of Covid, the floods and the riots. And not just directly to my own staff,” she points out. As an extension of the DSS service offering, Bashini has indirectly created employment for 25 to 30 people from the Umlazi- Prospecton area. It’s important to Bashini that her business is contributing to the local economy, creating opportunities, and helping families thrive – a testament to her belief in business as a force for positive change. “One of our core principles,” she shares, “is to build strong relationships with our clients. We want them to see us as an extended family, not just another business entity. We’re not aiming to be the biggest corporate clearing and forwarding company; we want to be known for our family-oriented, customer-centric approach.” That said, the financial metrics are impressive. Within three years, turnover has skyrocketed to more than what was envisioned. Bashini doesn’t care about titles and has no interest in micromanaging her team but expects them to take ownership of their roles. “I’m very open and transparent with my staff,” she explains, “They know exactly where the business is going and what’s expected of them. I’m here to lead my team to success.” Bashini attributes her work ethic to her father. “He was a hard worker, and I keep telling my staff, what you put in is what you get out. I don’t have a degree, but at every company that I’ve worked, I’ve taken every opportunity for training and educated myself in a field that excites me. Hard work, determination and resilience will always churn out results.” Bashini acknowledges she’s faced challenges as a woman in the logistics industry, but she takes pride in shattering stereotypes. She’s confident in her industry knowledge, and her experience and expertise have empowered her. “There is definitely space for women in this field and we can excel and make a significant impact.” Quick to acknowledge the support of her husband, Bashini’s blessed with two daughters, an eight-year-old and a 21-year-old. “I ’d love to tell you I read, but while I read a lot of industry material, when I’m relaxing, I’m more likely to be watching Liverpool on TV or following cricket and rugby.” Bashini leaves aspiring women in business with a powerful message: “Recognise your potential, empower yourself with learning and take control of your destiny, it all starts with you. If you are not empowered, how do you expect to empower others and effect change.”