Search Results

< Back Melloney Rijnvis

Embrace change as an opportunity to learn, to improve, to make a difference in others’ lives as well as in your own and to grow < Back Louisa Garland Managing Director, Imperial Armour Louisa Garland is the managing director of Imperial Armour, which was established 21 years ago. Being a woman owned company in the security industry, Louisa is an inspiration to her staff. She takes a proactive approach in being actively involved with all aspects of the company. Louisa is continually motivating her staff and is continually finding new ways and innovative ideas to keep the company moving forward and evolving to keep up in changing times. Louisa’s journey began 21 years ago when she left Belgium to come to South Africa to assist her father who was running his own company making body armour. Unfortunately, a month before she arrived here, with her two children and their father, the company went into voluntary liquidation. It as then a question of whether to return to Belgium, or to establish a new company. Life changing chapter “Coming to South Africa, was already such an exciting prospect and I knew I was ready for the challenge! So Imperial Armour was born!” explained Louisa. “It was obviously a hard road, as firstly, because I knew nothing about body armour; nor manufacturing! I was living in a new country; with no friends or family, but I felt inspired. It was also an incredible life changing chapter of my career.” Louisa comments that much of her journey has been self-driven as she believes in herself and her abilities. She was also inspired by the need to support her daughters. After one year of living in South Africa, their father went back to Belgium, so the family was alone. She explains, “I was incredibly excited to go along this journey and while it was daunting and I was afraid, I still had my two beautiful children, Lara and Emily, and I wanted to make an impression on them and for them to be proud of me.” Louisa started Imperial Armour in a garage in Kloof. In 2008 the company moved to Westmead, Pinetown, which is where all of the personal protection equipment is manufactured. Succeed through learning The biggest challenge that Louisa experienced when she first came to South Africa was to make someone believe that an English lady who has come from overseas can make and sell body armour. “For the first year and a half I did not do very well. But I succeeded through learning and growing in confidence. On this incredible journey, the more knowledge that I had, the more confident I became, which resulted in people believing in me,” says Louisa. At this precise moment in this journey, Louisa is in a fantastic position because the company is doing extremely well. Imperial Armour has doubled its turnover from last year to this year and has orders flooding in and has clients who are supporting them. “We are in a beautiful space. What is even more exciting is that I can still see even more light ahead,” explains Louisa. “I just feel so confident for our future.” The fact is that she is now employing people in different regions of South Africa. Apart from KwaZulu-Natal, this includes employees in Gauteng, Cape Town, and the Eastern Cape. An operations manager has recently been appointed and the Imperial Armour staff complement has grown from 15 to 35 in one year. As Louisa strongly believes that women should be empowered, 98% of the staff are women. Inspiring confidence One of the strengths of Imperial Armour is that Louisa, in addition to believing in herself, has also instilled the same values in the people that work for her. “I believe that training is extremely important so that we grow people. We inspire confidence in them to do better and to become stronger beings in themselves. What is also important is that when employing women of the community, you are not just employing them, you are employing their children, their families, and their friends. So, when they feel empowered themselves, they can share that message to the people that they know. And that is what I believe in.” The result of this ethos is that the company’s retention of production staff members is very high. Many of the employees have had between seven and fifteen years of service at Imperial Armour. In advising other people entering the business world, Louisa would say, firstly, believe in yourself and secondly, to have passion to carry out your goals and the motivation to never give up and keep on going. “It doesn’t matter how many times you stumble; you can get up and you can keep on going. By having that desire and that drive to succeed, you will be able to do it. Never stop learning; to me it is really important to continually grow yourself within.” Love yourself In order to have a work life balance, Louisa loves redesigning both her home, with new colours and using different furniture, as well as her garden. One of her passions is to buy a property and completely renovate it to make it look beautiful. “I love spending time with my daughters, and I now have a grandchild who I am spoiling rotten. I love to scuba dive. I love reading and learning new things. I love travelling and I am a real adventurer when it comes to exploring new places,” she added. In conclusion, says Louisa, “If you at times find it difficult to get back on your feet, remember to love yourself. Remember to do those affirmations in front of the mirror and to say, ‘I - love – you’. How you love yourself is how you teach others how to love you.”

< Back Zululand Chamber of Commerce & Industry 15 minutes Assesment About While the Zululand Chamber of Commerce & Industry is autonomous to the Zululand Chamber of Business Foundation, the Foundation community park continues to provide a home for its associated organisations. The Zululand Chamber of Commerce & Industry continues to enjoy a close relationship with the Foundation while Business Against Crime no longer reports to the Foundation. The Zululand Chamber of Commerce & Industry continues to grow with increased membership and during 2009 the Chamber Executive Committee had 19 sub committees reporting to it.At the Executive Committee meeting held on the 8th August 2007 under the chairmanship of Mr Garth McCartney, the Chamber took the decision to become affiliated with SACCI (South African Chamber of Commerce & Industry, formally known as SACOB). Previous Next

 "My own experience as a competitor has always given me the drive and insight to create events from an athlete's perspective. It guides my decisions on the right events to stage, and the various avenues to pursue in my business." Subscribe Home KZN Leaders Up Up Damian Bradley "My own experience as a competitor has always given me the drive and insight to create events from an athlete's perspective. It guides my decisions on the right events to stage, and the various avenues to pursue in my business." Never one to settle in his comfort zone DAMIAN BRADLEY has always been an entrepreneur. As a schoolboy at boarding school, he earned money cutting hair and running an after-hours tuck shop, so it was no surprise that he opted to start his own business at only 26 years of age. Never one to settle in his comfort zone, after school, Bradley opted to study business management at what is now the Durban University of Technology. Then, in 1995, when South Africa was riding the crest of the Rugby World Cup wave, he was inspired to do a course in sports management for business. After this, he went on to study marketing. After finishing his studies in Cape Town, Bradley decided it was time to travel. When he needed to earn a living in the United Kingdom, he found a position at a law firm. Not exactly what he'd planned as a career move, but he stayed there for two years before returning to Durban to take up a corporate regional marketing position. This rich and varied experience has stood him in good stead in running a sports management company. And in 2004, when he found himself retrenched after a corporate restructure, Bradley decided it was time to start B-Active Sports, with a plan for a single sporting event as his starting point. Before long, Bradley had grown his portfolio to running 20 small events a year, but he realised that it made better business sense to focus on the more successful events, with potential to grow. Building on these allowed him to build on economies of scale, growing his priority events in terms of participants, profitability and reputation. A pivotal point in the growth of B-Active Sports was in 2011, when the company secured its first major corporate sponsorship. This not only provided a new revenue stream, but also opened the door for future growth. But while this marks a career highlight, Bradley gets a great sense of accomplishment from watching competitors in his events grow in skill and competitiveness over time, with several having started as novices and growing into international, professional athletes. As Bradley points out, he and his team have managed to combine their work with their passion, so it's easy to love their jobs and deliver with commitment and dedication. Bradley's focus is on his clients, the athletes they serve, and his team. Damian's leadership style is collaborative. Teamwork is important to him and while recognising his role in creating the company vision and the energy to make it happen, he believes in leading from beside his colleagues. "B-Active Sports is a small company. My goal is to grow the team in terms of confidence and competence. I ensure my staff feel secure in their jobs, but at the same time I keep pushing them to develop themselves. I believe this gives them a powerful sense of purpose and job satisfaction. And that's good for them - and for the business." "Right now, I see potential in events outside of our traditional area of strength, and we'll be looking to expand into new areas." Unsurprisingly, Bradley is a keen sportsman. Before starting B-Active sports, he had been a committed athlete for eight years, competing in triathlon events at national level. This formed his approach to his events. "My own experience as a competitor has always given me the drive and insight to create events from an athlete's perspective. It guides my decisions on the right events to stage, and the various avenues to pursue in my business." While no longer competing at national level, he is still very active with a great love of surfing, mountain biking and road and trail running. Bradley is also a dedicated father of two (his seven year-old daughter and five year-old son), and rates getting married ten years ago as one of the best decisions he's ever made.

The mission of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Social Development is to promote developmental social welfare services and community development to the people of KZN in partnership with stakeholders. Based on its mandate, the Department develops and implements programmes for the eradication of poverty, social protection and social development amongst the poorest of the poor, and the most vulnerable and marginalised. It effectively implements this through its partnerships with its primary customers/clients and all those sharing its vision. The Department's core functions are social welfare services, which focuses on childhood development, child care and protection services, special needs persons, restorative services such as social crime prevention and support, and HIV/AIDS care and support; and development and research, which focuses on youth development, sustainable livelihood, institutional capacity building and support, research and demography, and population capacity development and advocacy. Subscribe Subscribe Social Development MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza Physical: 208 Hassen Haffejee, Pietermaritzburg, 3200 Postal: Private Bag X9144, Pietermaritzburg, 3200 Tel: 033 264 5402 Fax: 033 341 9610 Web: www.kzndsd.gov.za The mission of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Social Development is to promote developmental social welfare services and community development to the people of KZN in partnership with stakeholders. Based on its mandate, the Department develops and implements programmes for the eradication of poverty, social protection and social development amongst the poorest of the poor, and the most vulnerable and marginalised. It effectively implements this through its partnerships with its primary customers/clients and all those sharing its vision. The Department's core functions are social welfare services, which focuses on childhood development, child care and protection services, special needs persons, restorative services such as social crime prevention and support, and HIV/AIDS care and support; and development and research, which focuses on youth development, sustainable livelihood, institutional capacity building and support, research and demography, and population capacity development and advocacy. Back to government departments

Mayor: CLLR M Ngubane KZN Top Business Subscribe Amajuba District Municipality Amajuba District Municipality is situated in the north western corner of KwaZulu-Natal. The district comprises the local municipalities of Dannhauser, Newcastle, and eMadlangeni A Pioneering District Amajuba District Municipality is situated in the north western corner of KwaZulu-Natal. The district comprises the local municipalities of Dannhauser, Newcastle, and eMadlangeni. The N11 highway which runs in a north-south direction links KwaZulu-Natal with Mpumalanga Province. This road serves as the primary corridor and main access route to the district. The R34 also bisects the district in an east-west direction and provides a linkage from the port city of Richards Bay to the interior. Amajuba is positioned within a region that is rich in terms of natural resources including Ncandu and Chelmsford Reserves at the foothills of the Drakensberg. The district is predominantly rural and dominated by extensive commercial farmlands mainly in the form of livestock (cattle) farming. Secondary Node Newcastle Local Municipality is an urban centre with good existing economic development and growth potential, and which services the regional economy. Newcastle town is the main urban centre and economic hub; towns such as Dannhauser and Utrecht serve as secondary service centres. The economy of the area is heavily reliant upon the manufacturing sector. Large operations include heavy engineering, a granite tile factory, steel reinforcement, and a slagment cement plant. Newcastle shows a competitive edge for the manufacturing of aluminiumbased products; leather goods; textiles and textile products; clothing; automotive components; pharmaceuticals; and metal products and machinery. Rural Service Centre Dannhauser Local Municipality is the smallest municipality within the district. Dannhauser functions as a small rural service centre (providing commercial service facilities and agricultural industries and services) and is not a large employment generator. Residents of the municipal area rely on the larger urban centres of Dundee and Newcastle for employment opportunities, higher order goods and services. Unique Location eMadlangeni Local Municipality consists of a vast rural area when compared to other municipalities in the district. The municipality has a low percentage of economic activity. The town of Utrecht, nestling in the foothills of Balele Mountain is unique in that it lies within the confines of the Balele Community Game Park and the Utrecht Community Game Farm. Therefore, it is not unusual to find animals frequenting the outskirts of the town, parks and gardens. This initiative by the local town council in conjunction with Balele Conservancy and motivated by individual residents in the district, has brought about a shift in the town’s focus from industry to tourism. eMadlangeni is the most important wool-producing area in KwaZulu-Natal. Economic Development The Amajuba District Municipality has identified the tourism resources as one of the key potentials for economic development in the district, including: • Cultural and historical • Eco-tourism: birding and hiking • Outdoor adventures • Festivals and sporting competitions Amajuba District Municipality is currently rolling out an investment drive with the view to develop and grow its local economy. Underpinning the programme is the municipality’s strategy of ensuring that the economy creates decent jobs for its people. CONTACT DETAILS Postal: Private Bag X6615, Newcastle, 2940 Physical: B9356 Amajuba Building, Madadeni Tel +27 (0) 34 329 7200 E-mail: info@amajuba.gov.za Website: www.amajuba.gov.za Back

Maharaj reflected, "Going back to our African roots, it is perhaps opportune that we begin to explore the concept and possibilities of the collaborative economy or sometimes called the sharing economy. We cannot continue to condone an environment where we have islands of prosperity in a sea of poverty, unemployment and inequality." Subscribe Home KZN Leaders Up Up Prasheen Maharaj Maharaj reflected, "Going back to our African roots, it is perhaps opportune that we begin to explore the concept and possibilities of the collaborative economy or sometimes called the sharing economy. We cannot continue to condone an environment where we have islands of prosperity in a sea of poverty, unemployment and inequality." Contributing to the greater good of society PRASHEEN MAHARAJ, CEO of the South African Shipyards, career is driven by the African philosophy of "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together". He added that this saying could not be more relevant today than in South Africa. "When I was in business school, I met the Father of Black Economic Empowerment, Dr Don Mkhwanazi, who then shaped my life from a business, political and personal perspective. Ndonga left me with the task of applying knowledge, networking and entrepreneurship skills to address the issues of inequality, poverty and unemployment. As a result, I sit as a council member of the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a member of the board of directors of EThekwini Maritime Cluster and a member of the shipbuilding committee of the Aerospace Marine Defence Industry Body. Through these platforms our task is to fast track the transformation that this country so desperately requires." Another early influencer was investor and financial journalist, Richard Cluver, whose articles and books he read religiously from the age of 11. In his teenage years and young adult life his uncle, Vishnu Sharma, a property mogul, taught him about entrepreneurship and business moral ethics. "I also learnt to be a principled business leader. The Prasheen you meet today will be the same Prasheen you will meet next month. I have a moral code or a set of guiding principles by which I make leadership decisions, which leads to consistency in decision making - leading to less volatility and thus more trust with stakeholders." "Shipbuilding and ship repair are by their nature social enterprises. It's very labour intensive and supports a large supply chain made up primarily of SMMEs. As a conscious capitalist and a socialist at heart, this is the main appeal of the marine engineering industry. The ability to run a business for profit whilst contributing to the greater good of society is a common theme in my business and personal endeavours." Maharaj reflected, "Going back to our African roots, it is perhaps opportune that we begin to explore the concept and possibilities of the collaborative economy or sometimes called the sharing economy. We cannot continue to condone an environment where we have islands of prosperity in a sea of poverty, unemployment and inequality." Co-operation and collaboration must be driven by technology. Therefore, SAS is slowly evolving into a technology organisation, thus creating a space for Black owned SMMEs to participate in the more labour intensive parts of the shipbuilding and ship repair value chain. Marine engineering in South Africa needs to enter the 4th Industrial Revolution. Maharaj says that he is a great fan of long-term financial sustainability versus short term profit maximisation. This outlook has been influenced by great investors like Warren Buffet and Allan Gray. Creating long term predictable, consistent and solid growth is far more respected in the business environment than profits and performance that swing between the extremes. "What this means for shipbuilding and the ship repair is that we need to secure long-term order books for shipbuilding and enter into long term maintenance contracts with our ship repair clients. We also need to look at exporting our services as a technology organisation to the rest of the continent, thus creating a diversified revenue stream beyond manufacturing." This approach requires that the shipbuilding/ship repair industry become more customer centric, project performance orientated, and technology driven. A fundamental shift from the current mindset of the industry that is inward looking is required." Spending quality family time with my better half Marcina and my children Milahn and Mekhai is my escape from the realities of the harsh business environment we operate in. They are not only my pillars of strength but my moral compass by which I execute my day to day business functions.

< Back Jacquie Bhana Jacquie Bhana has spent 30 years working in successful jobs at both local and international companies. Recently, she decided to leave the corporate world to focus on what she loves: helping people develop their skills and grow professionally. Throughout her career, Jacquie has held important roles in marketing and human resources, which means she’s been involved in how companies promote their products and manage their employees. She has experience in many different industries, such as farming, banking, engineering, car manufacturing, and retail. This diverse background gives her a wide range of knowledge, helping her understand different challenges and opportunities in various work environments. In summary, Jacquie is now dedicated to supporting others in their personal and professional journeys, drawing from her rich experience in many fields. Jacquie Bhana The BLOG Read all about it READ MORE

He believes that as the pioneer in banking the unbanked and insuring the uninsured, Ithala SOC Limited has the right ingredients and is all set on the trajectory to become a state bank Subscribe Home KZN Leaders Up Up Dr Thulani Vilakazi He believes that as the pioneer in banking the unbanked and insuring the uninsured, Ithala SOC Limited has the right ingredients and is all set on the trajectory to become a state bank Taking Ithala SOC Limited to a higher level After more than a 100 days at the helm of KwaZulu-Natal’s financial institution that mirrors the aspirations of ordinary folk, especially in rural areas, Dr Thulani Vilakazi, chief executive officer, is ready to take Ithala SOC Limited to the next level as a state bank. He believes that as the pioneer in banking the unbanked and insuring the uninsured, Ithala SOC Limited has the right ingredients and is all set on the trajectory to become a state bank. For far too long, ordinary South Africans have been left out of the transformation agenda, with historically disadvantaged people, especially in rural areas, having to bear the brunt of exclusion from financial services, said Dr Vilakazi. He said banking systems needed to be conducive to serving the interests of everyday South Africans - a role that Ithala has long been fulfilling as a development finance institution. The creation of a state bank would be in line with government’s strategy to transform the financial sector, and will empower communities and accelerate radical economic transformation, he added. Ithala SOC Limited – a 100% owned subsidiary of Ithala Development Finance Corporation, KwaZulu-Natal’s provincial development agency - has a six-decade legacy. As an organisation which puts people before profit, Dr Vilakazi said a state bank would operate differently to commercial banks which invest millions of KZN taxpayer funds outside the province as opposed to investing in sustainable development locally first. “Against the backdrop of the triple challenges of poverty, inequality and unemployment, a state bank could earn additional revenue for the state which could help spur economic development and release vulnerable members of society from the debt trap that so many people find themselves in,” he said. All due processes are being adhered to by Ithala to enable completion of the process of applying for a permanent banking licence. When Dr Vilakazi assumed his position as CEO of Ithala in September this year, his mission was to develop business strategies and plans in line with short-term and long-term objectives; lead and motivate staff to advance employee engagement; develop a high performing managerial team; and, ultimately oversee all operations and business activities to ensure they produce the desired results. He said while the strategy to ensure financial sustainability had paid dividends, the COVID-19 pandemic had posed some challenges and these were being swiftly mitigated. He attributed the current positive trajectory in business performance to the strict implementation of sustainable cost control; promoting revenue growth through marketing brand positioning and expanded distribution channels; and introducing operational efficiencies through system development. “The organisation affirms its ethos of customer-care and community partnership which sustain the Ithala brand, thus differentiating this financial institution from its competitors.” Dr Vilakazi possesses in-depth expertise and experience in banking, financial services and stock exchange industries. He is considered an expert in SME financing, agribusiness, corporate, retail, credit, trade finance and public sector banking. He is a Doctoral level authority in Mergers and Acquisitions. He has also participated in several courses in executive development. A rural lifestyle is not foreign to him - he commenced his primary education at Emfeni School, a farm school in Eston in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands sugarcane fields. He matriculated at Isibukosezwe High School in Hammarsdale. After studying for degrees in education, he commenced employment as a lecturer in the Faculty of Education at the University of Zululand. He then joined the Valley Trust as divisional manager and was responsible for primary health care funding. Here he established over 50 community-based pre-schools. Meanwhile, he continued post-graduate studies in the field of IT and financial services. He attained an MBA from Henley Management College/ Brunel University, London. He entered the banking field with ABSA and became the National Manager: New Enterprise Banking. He then joined Standard Bank Group where was seconded to Malawi for three years as Deputy Managing Director following the acquisition of Malawi’s second largest bank CBM now Stanbic Bank Malawi Ltd by Standard Bank Group. He played a major role in modernisation of the Malawi banking industry. He is a former non-executive director of the Malawian Stock Exchange. Dr Thulani Vilakazi was chosen by the late Dr Leon Sullivan – the first African-American to chair General Motors USA as one of the Top 30 Best and Brightest Bankers in Africa and attended intensive training at Chase Bank New York now JP Morgan Chase, the third largest bank in the US and Mellon Bank in Philadelphia. He gained experience in rental and leasing finance when he joined Rentworks as Deputy CEO and a Director on the Board which was then chaired by President Cyril Ramaphosa. He spent a decade at Nedbank Group (Africa Division) and rose to the position of Head of Strategy, Marketing & Communications. In July 2018, he joined Guidepoint Advisors as a global advisor focused on financial, banking and corporate business services. Dr Vilakazi, a father of two daughters and a son, is a member of the Institute of Directors Southern Africa. He is also a member of the Royal Family Trust of Abambo within Ilanga Traditional Council Authority at Emfeni Great Place which is involved in farming interests for community economic empowerment. He believes educating and giving South Africans the necessary tools to manage their money, can help extricate them from poverty and unemployment. And who better to do that than he who has distinguished himself with academic credentials in both education and banking, with specific reference to small business financing. “By simplifying the conversation about wealth creation, we aim to offer our customers and potential customers a practical formula to accumulate wealth,” says Dr Vilakazi. Ithala has a distribution network of 38 branches in KZN which provide convenient transacting facilities. A comprehensive portfolio of personal banking and insurance solutions is offered. Visit www.myithala.co.za #WealthCreation #MoneyTalks #MoveToIthala #statebank