HENK VAN BEMMELEN, CEO of Blue Security says, "I fell in love with the security business from an early age - it is in my blood. I can't remember ever waking up and not wanting to go to work. If you have a passion for your business, then you can't go wrong." Subscribe Home KZN Leaders Up Up Henk van Bemmelen HENK VAN BEMMELEN, CEO of Blue Security says, "I fell in love with the security business from an early age - it is in my blood. I can't remember ever waking up and not wanting to go to work. If you have a passion for your business, then you can't go wrong." Love what you do and do what you love HENK VAN BEMMELEN, CEO of Blue Security says, "I fell in love with the security business from an early age - it is in my blood. I can't remember ever waking up and not wanting to go to work. If you have a passion for your business, then you can't go wrong." After the completion of his two year South African defence force call up period, Van Bemmelen's experiences motivated him to join a security company. He started as a reaction officer and enjoyed the work involved, as combatting crime has always been an overall concern in South Africa. Over the past 29 years, Van Bemmelen has worked his way up through the divisions and ranks of the security business. Eight years ago, he relocated from Johannesburg to Durban, to take up the position as operations director at Blue Security. Since then he has been promoted to managing director and then in October 2018 to his current position as CEO. He says that his journey through the ranks of the security industry has been enabled by having good mentors. "Having a mentor is a top priority for anyone want to progress in their career. My mentors have become friends and people that I have learnt from beyond the on-the-job experience. A mentor will also push you harder than you do yourself." Van Bemmelen commented that the experience of having a mentor had prompted him to focus on providing mentorship to other employees within the company. "The reality of this job is that it is people driven and it is often hardcore; you really get tested, so support is required," he explained. The main challenges of his role as CEO are firstly to ensure that the Blue Security 'ship' is pointing in the right direction, and secondly to ensure that the company is keeping up with the technological innovations that are driving the security business. Van Bemmelen explained that his leadership style needed to fit the people and their job descriptions. "I like to empower people to make decisions. It is not in my style to micro manage employees, I allow them the space to deliver the goods. I can connect with people and be flexible as I am aware of the different responsibilities of their jobs' demands. However, there are times when I have to be stern." In addition, said Van Bemmelen, the younger generation does things differently. "Consequently, within Blue Security, we have to keep a balance between the younger employees who are pushing boundaries all the time and the senior employees who need to keep up to date with trends such as new communication channels." A major challenge of the security industry is to keep up with change. "The world is constantly evolving; we have to keep up with innovations and we need to ensure that we meet the expectations of our clients. The security business is a disruptive industry, which is not the same as 20 years ago and we cannot stay in our comfort zone but continually need to adapt." Blue Security has invested heavily in research and development to implement top end technologies to improve the security for its residential and business customers. "The business runs 24 hours a day - crime does not wait - and we want to make a difference in the communities we serve," he explained. When not at work, Van Bemmelen spends much time at the gym as he says that staying fit and healthy keeps his mind clear. He is a family man who enjoys the strong support of his family, who understand his passion for his work. Another of Van Bemmelen's loves is his motorbike on which he and his wife have toured South Africa. They have covered many thousands of kilometres together and are currently planning a trip to Lesotho, and on to the Eastern and Western Cape as well as Namibia.

DAISY WHITE is the executive director of Magic Moments Trust, which has been established to teach rural people to discover and develop their creativity through learning fabric painting skills. Her aim is to enhance the lives of people, especially women, who are unemployed and from rural areas.Daisy WhiteDAISY WHITE is the executive director of Magic Moments Trust, which has been established to teach rural people to discover and develop their creativity through learning fabric painting skills. Her aim is to enhance the lives of people, especially women, who are unemployed and from rural areas.DAISY WHITE is the executive director of Magic Moments Trust, which has been established to teach rural people to discover and develop their creativity through learning fabric painting skills. Her aim is to enhance the lives of people, especially women, who are unemployed and from rural areas. Daisy and her mother started the company twenty years ago with the slogan "Teaching the World to Paint". In this time she has taught thousands of people to paint. About six years ago, Daisy started teaching people in rural areas. Says Daisy, "My passion for this project comes from my love of art and I really enjoy working with people in rural areas. There are a lot of 'hidden gems'; people with real talent. By teaching people fabric painting skills, we have created a means to earn an income." "The fabric painting workshops help people develop confidence in their painting abilities, and provide them with purpose and a passion, and, as an outcome, to feel that they are worthy and contributing towards an inclusive society." Practicing new skills Daisy designs the ever-expanding range of unique artwork. The designs are printed onto fabric and are sewn into articles, which include bags, cushion covers, placemats and tablecloths, and prepared for painting. Artists meet weekly for about six-hour painting sessions. At each lesson, they are taught fabric painting techniques and given a chance to practice their new skills. The artists each receive a product to paint and are paid instantly for the work they complete in the class. They also receive refreshments and money for transport. "I really enjoy seeing their confidence grow and the joy on their faces at what they can accomplish in the painting classes," explains Daisy. A constant flow of income The artists are encouraged to be entrepreneurs and are given another product, including paint and brushes, to take home to paint. They can either keep or sell the work they complete to tourist shops or in their communities. Painters are also encouraged to share their new-found artistic skills with family members and others. Consequently, these lessons create the opportunity for people to be equipped with new skills that have the potential to provide themselves with a constant flow of income. Some of the artists have gone on to receive orders from people within their communities to paint bags, cushion covers and tablecloths. "These orders fill the recipients with pride and dignity knowing that people appreciate their skills and are buying their painted products," says Daisy. "We also teach people with disabilities, which is really amazing. When they are sitting around the table, they are just like everybody else. To become part of the economy and earn an income gives them a sense of achievement." The success of the Magic Moments Trust painting programme is evident in that creations have been sold in the Embocraft Training Centre Craft shop, and the 1000 Hills Community Centre shop that sell to tourists and local visitors. In addition, the Centre has received orders from as far afield as Australia and Scotland. The Durban International Conference Centre ordered 400 painted bags in 2017 to give to delegates for a conference in 2018. Such orders provide extra earning opportunities for the painters. The Magic Moments Trust is passionate about helping their artists to become self-sustaining and hopes to continue multiplying the volume of products painted. Expansion into the United Kingdom In line with this drive, the Trust is creating an opportunity for these entrepreneurs to sell their painted goods in London. Mike Miller, the London based founder of SAPRO, a leading importer of South African products into the United Kingdom (UK), has identified with the project. As a result, he is willing to help Magic Moments Trust distribute these products in the UK via his established network through his company's website. In addition, the South Africa High Commissioner to the UK, Thembi Tambo is passionate about what Magic Moments Trust does. "She has invited us to travel to the UK next year to a South African week in order to give painting workshops to people from London, which is very exciting," said Daisy. An expansion into the United Kingdom market, with its strong currency, has significant potential to produce fresh income flows to benefit impoverished rural communities whose members want to 'do it for themselves'. Socio-economic development Through the Magic Moments Trust, companies are offered the opportunity to contribute to this unique and empowering programme. Opportunities exist to enhance a company's B-BBEE status through optimising points allocated to Socio-Economic Development. "We are also working towards a zero-percentage funding model, where we buy the paintings back from the students and then we sell them in the UK. When that money comes back into the Trust, we are able to train more students. In this way we don't have to rely on funding," said Daisy. Magic Moments Trust is also looking for more outlets to distribute these products locally. Says Daisy, "My aim is to help these budding artists grow their dreams and reach new goals as an example to other members of their community. My aspiration is to continue to create sustainable employment for people from rural areas." 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

I am dedicated to providing great service to my clients. I have really found that I can do this best by getting a holistic view of the business I am assisting < Back Laura Kelly Partner Cox Yeats Attorneys Laura Kelly (nee Maitre) is a partner at Cox Yeats Attorneys, a leading boutique commercial law firm. Cox Yeats, which is head-officed in Durban and has recently opened offices in Johannesburg, has been voted the top medium sized law firm in South Africa for the past two years. Laura’s practice is focused primarily on insurance, commercial and international trade law – with a specific focus on petroleum law. She represents various local and global organisations, including the world’s leading independent petroleum storage provider in respect of its southern African operations. Laura grew up in Durban and studied at the University of Cape Town where she majored in both law and creative writing. Following the completion of her studies, she joined Cox Yeats in 2014, where she did her articles, became an associate in 2016 and was appointed a partner in 2019 at the age of 27. In commenting on her journey, Laura says, “In terms of inspiration and how I got to where I am today, it obviously comes down to a lot of hard work, but my family, who are incredibly supportive, and the team that I work with at Cox Yeats have also played a fundamental role. My parents brought me up to believe that I could do anything in life but also to be resilient. As law can be a demanding career, and a tough environment to work in, the self-belief which they instilled in me has certainly helped me progress professionally. Regarding my team, our model at Cox Yeats is that we work closely and in very small teams. This is aimed at fostering collaboration and ensuring the best outcome for our clients and the model has proven to be incredibly successful. However, this, coupled with the long working hours, means that you spend a large amount of time with your team members. Whilst we have since grown, there were three professionals in our team when I started at Cox Yeats and I continue to work with them today – with one team member being Cox Yeats’s newly appointed Managing Partner, Andrew Clark. Not only are they both exceptionally talented lawyers who practice with complete integrity, they are also fantastic people who I thoroughly enjoy working with. They really have played a fundamental role in where I am today.” When speaking about practising as a female in law, Laura expressed that it does come with its challenges. “You can be underestimated and not taken seriously based purely on your gender. It’s frustrating and it shouldn’t still be something which happens. However, you just have to stand up for yourself and treat it as an opportunity to prove them wrong,” she explained. With regards to personal hurdles, Laura remarked that she has had a lot of support in her professional journey and that her main hurdle has been managing stress. “This isn’t a topic that people generally feel comfortable talking about, but I think it is something most people in life have to deal with at one stage or another and I don’t think people should be shy to speak about stress. You just have to ensure that you put yourself in the best possible position to manage it, especially if you work in a challenging job, through exercise, eating healthily and taking time away from work when you can.” Continue learning Reflecting on her goals, Laura says that from a short-term perspective, law is an evolving, dynamic sector that is always changing. As such she intends to continue learning in order to both explore new areas of law and to develop her expertise within the practice areas that she enjoys. From a long-term perspective, Laura enjoys not only dealing with an organisation’s legal requirements, but she has a strong business acumen and provides strategic and operational support for her clients wherever she can. Consequently, she would like to find further ways of using these skills, whilst continuing her legal career. Laura also attributes these skills to her ability to provide effective legal services. “I am dedicated to providing great service to my clients and I have really found that I can do this best by getting a holistic view of the business I am assisting, especially where I am helping an organisation with its commercial work or engaging with its stakeholders. I really strive to ensure that the services I’m providing to them are given in such a way that they can operate as effectively as possible.” Maintain balance When speaking further about her personal attributes and the way in which she assists her clients, Laura commented on her strong interpersonal skills and her commitment to her job. “Our work doesn’t just take place in our office behind our desks, you are required to step in and act as your client’s representative during negotiations or general engagements. I am very comfortable with public speaking and like to believe that I am good at fostering relationships with people. However, what really is key for your client is the ability to be readily available and responsive. We live in an extremely fast-paced world and clients expect no less when it comes to service delivery. It’s also important to identify those times when your client needs you to be available 24/7. While maintaining balance is extremely important, this doesn’t mean that there won’t be times when this level of effort is required of you.” Laura absolutely loves dogs, and her dream would be to start a dog sanctuary one day. “I was actually going to become a vet, but unfortunately my allergies towards certain animals meant that this wasn’t practical and so I chose law,” she commented. In conclusion, the advice that Laura would give to a young woman following in her path, is to not take herself too seriously, to remember what is important in life and to strive to maintain balance. “Work hard but take the time to do the things that you love.”

ABERDARE CABLES < Back Next VISION To be the leading supplier of intelligent inter- connection products and services in Africa. MISSION Through our highly trained and dedicated employees we foster excellent customer relationships, delivering quality cabling solutions, innovative products and value-added services. VALUES Teamwork, Integrity, Excellence, Responsibility, 1nnovation (TIER1). POWERING PROGRESS Aberdare Cables is southern Africa’s largest and leading supplier of intelligent energy inter connection products and services in Africa. Established in 1946, the company offers cable designs, product development, installation support, commissioning and diagnostic testing through their engineering service division. In 2021, Aberdare celebrated its 75th Anniversary and since its humble beginnings, the organisation has grown significantly through mergers and acquisitions. Aberdare Cables has three manufacturing sites in South Africa located respectively in Pietermaritzburg, Gqeberha, and Gauteng. These are assigned to manufacture a wide variety of cables with customer service centres in each province as well as in Maputo, Mozambique. In 2016, Aberdare Cables was acquired by Hengtong, as a majority shareholder. The Hengtong group operates in 147 countries with 11 overseas manufacturing bases and owns seven brands, including Aberdare Research and Development Aberdare is a technology leader driven by cutting edge research and development to provide worldclass innovative solutions. Aberdare positions itself, and has indeed been recognised throughout the world, as a pioneer in technological advancement. This philosophy has been amply illustrated by its success in developing unique solutions to everyday problems faced by an incredibly wide range of industries. In co-operation with the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS - the national standards organisation), Aberdare serves on a number of International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) cable working groups, one of which deals with the development of test methods for cables in fire situations. Aberdare works closely with the South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and various major Universities and Technikons in the quest to continuously upgrade its product range and manufacturing capabilities. Aberdare is determined to retain its leadership in the cable industry through the development of cost-effective solutions to common problems faced by many of the world’s developing nations, and by working closely with customers to meet their every possible need. We are determined to remain abreast of international developments, and indeed set our own goals to maximise our company’s growth. It is this philosophy that Aberdare is determined to follow, now and into the future. Employees The company has highly trained and motivated employees who make it an employer of choice. We actively promote and follow a number of educational initiatives, including apprenticeship training, learnership programmes as well as formal educational assistance, to all our employees. In the year 2022, Aberdare awarded and created more than 200 job opportunities across the country. These positions vary across all the branches, manufacturing sites as well as head quarters. To further develop young professionals who require an opportunity and introduction to the corporate sphere, Aberdare continues to create learnership and trainee positions located in the factory as well as at headquarters. The business continues to be passionate and driven in curbing the unemployment rate in South-Africa, through job creation. This is to further ensure that Aberdare contributes to the healthy economic growth of the country and increasing social cohesion. Socio-Economic Development Socio-Economic Development is an integral part of Aberdare Cables, as the company aims to contribute to the communities in which they operate. They strive to strengthen their commitment to sustainable development by building mutually beneficial relations with their stakeholders and the communities. Aberdare Cables ensures that the identified initiatives and projects in previously disadvantaged communities are properly managed to ensure that the contributions made will continually sustain the community. They are investing in the education of their communities through a variety of projects enabling them to create a brighter future for themselves. Aberdare Cables believes in providing the leaders of tomorrow with every advantage possible. Access to high-quality education in rural areas can be one of the contributing factors to local economic development, while assisting the rural community to adapt to a fast-changing environment. This is the reason Aberdare Cables proudly sponsored a rural high school in KZN, Buhlebethu High School with a mobile science lab that can further assist Science learners in the school with practicals. Aberdare Cables are passionate about community development and the development of future leaders. KEY PERSONNEL Andy Wang CEO CONTACT DETAILS Read More CEO: Andy Wang CFO: Jenny Chen Executive: Technical, Manufacturing & SHEQ: Wayne Munilall Executive Director: Marketing, Sales & Distribution: Mishack Matla Manufacturing Executive: Jian Wang CONTACT DETAILS HEAD OFFICE Physical Address: 1 Corobrik Street, Meadowdale, Germiston, 1614 Tel: +27 (0)11 396 8000 Email: info@aberdare.co.za KWAZULU-NATAL Physical Addres: 67 Gladys Manzi Road, Mkondeni, Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, 3201 Tel: +27 (0)33 845 3207 Website: www.aberdare.co.za Media Releases. Stay updated with the latest business news and articles on KZN Top Business News Blogs It just makes good business sense Previous Media Releases Read More Next