Taryn Marcus, a South African change-making entrepreneur helping organisations to thrive

May 19, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Taryn Marcus, co-founder, Reinvent CoLab (South Africa)

Taryn Marcus, co-founder of Reinvent CoLab in South Africa, prides herself as a devoted change agent and positive disruptor, with an enterprise perspective. She collaboratively works to create organizations where people perform better, feel engaged, deliver customer value, and have fun - all at the same time. Taryn has a special focus on methodologies that aid individuals, teams, and organizations build mindsets, skillsets, and toolsets to make continuous reinvention a competitive advantage. She brings almost two decades of Human Capital experience in both established and emerging markets, 15 of which have been at Executive management level for listed complex multinational (pan-African, Asia, Europe, Oceania, North American) organizations. Taryn is a registered Industrial psychologist and Harvard Business School Alumnus.

Anastasia Machobane, a South African entrepreneur helping businesses ensure they comply with the laws of the country

May 12, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Anastasia Machobane, founder and ceo, Mashobane Advisory Services (South Africa)

Anastasia Machobane is the founder and ceo of Mashobane Advisory Services in South Africa, a business focusing on providing specialist legal and business administration services to the mostly under-serviced SMME market. She works independently or within team environments, and has a diplomatic/assertive approach in dealing with EXCO and Board members of any organisation. She is passionate about skills development and does this through her mentorship program. The business has created jobs for 5 people.

Mabusang Malotane, a South African entrepreneur building an event and entertainment project management business

May 5, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Mabusang Malotane, founder and ceo, Shai Boi Project Management Pty Ltd (South Africa)

Mabusang Malotane is the founder and ceo of Shai Boi Project Management Pty Ltd, a company founded in 2017 and registered in South Africa, Rwanda, and Mauritius. She is also the founder of Shai Chai Organic Tea, an organic luxury tea brand design and the ultimate in artisan-crafted teas, exemplifying the level of elegant ambiance. She has over 14 years’ of experience in the event and entertainment industry and the financial industry.

Kathryn Malherbe, a South African breast cancer diagnostics innovator

May 5, 2024 Melanie Hawken

MED AI SOl PTY LTD t/a MedSol AI Solutions, a business creating affordable, diagnostic AI and Deep machine learning systems for breast cancer diagnosis

Kathryn Malherbe is the founder and ceo of MED AI SOl PTY LTD t/a MedSol AI Solutions in South Africa, a business at the forefront of the AI-driven healthcare market by utilizing cutting-edge technology and collaborating with researchers to produce innovative solutions. It’s focus is on patient-centered outcomes sets the business apart from other vendors in the market. The company launched in 2019 and today has 10 employees.

Mukundi Lambani, a South African ed-tech innovator improving multilingual learning for children

April 28, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Mukundi Lambani, founder, Ambani Africa (South Africa)

Mukundi Lambani is the founder of Ambani Africa in South Africa, an innovative ed-tech company committed to promoting multilingual education and improving learning outcomes for children. Her journey into producing began in 2010 with the international 48 Hour Film Project. At just 23, she became the first African producer of the competition, organizing film festivals in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, and Gaborone. This initiative opened doors for over 200 filmmakers, some even making it to Hollywood and Cannes, thanks to Lambani's fundraising efforts. The business was registered in 2018 and started operations in 2020, and now employs 10 people.

Lioness Launch / Job Crystal Launches Crystal AI in England, Spearheaded by CEO Sasha Knott

April 21, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Job Crystal, a pioneering force in South Africa’s recruitment industry, proudly announces the official launch of Crystal AI in the United Kingdom. This strategic move marks a significant milestone for the company as it expands its innovative solutions to make recruiting faster, especially for the Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the UK and South Africa.

Kutloano Skosana, a South African creative entrepreneur harnessing the power of storytelling

April 21, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Kutloano Skosana, Creator and Host, Shades and Layers (South Africa/USA)

Kutloano Skosana is a creative entrepreneur from South Africa, now based in the US. She is the Creator and Host of Shades and Layers, a podcast dedicated to the stories of Black and Other Women of Color entrepreneurs across the globe. Kutloano’s media career began in radio journalism after she graduated from Rhodes University shortly after the country’s first democratic elections in 1994. She worked at 702, Kaya FM, Metro FM and SAFM between 1996 and 2008. Alongside her radio career, she was sharpening her entrepreneurial skills with her business partners, Maria McCloy and Dzino at their groundbreaking multimedia company, Black Rage Productions.

Claire Blanckenberg, a South African entrepreneur addressing food poverty

April 21, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Reel Gardening, an innovative business promoting sustainability and contributing towards solving the social and food crisis in South Africa.

Claire Blanckenberg is a visionary and natural-born entrepreneur from South Africa, and the co-founder of Reel Gardening. Her knack for simplifying processes and improving products was evident from a young age. At just 16, she revolutionized vegetable gardening with her invention, now known as Reel Gardening, streamlining the planting process with a patented method. Recognizing the logistical challenges hindering South Africa's future workforce, Claire took action. She developed the Siyaphambili Pre-Paid Taxi App, directly addressing the pressing issue of logistical poverty in the country. An esteemed figure in the field of social entrepreneurship, Claire frequently shares her insights at prestigious institutions like the Wits Business School and the Gordon Institute of Business Science in South Africa.

Vanda Harries, a South African business coach helping women entrepreneurs build personal brands

April 14, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Vanda Harries, founder, The Life Architect (South Africa)

Vanda Harries is the entrepreneur behind The Life Architect, a business coaching and consultancy specialising in marketing and communications and personal brand building in South Africa. She is passionate about helping other women entrepreneurs and non-profits to develop their personal and business brands to achieve their goals.

Thozama Ledidi, a South African security industry manufacturer

April 14, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Unipro Protective Wear, a South African business specializing in the manufacture of bullet-resistant vests for the defence and security sectors

Thozama Ledidi is the founder and managing director of Unipro Protective Wear in South Africa, a business specializing in the manufacture of bullet-resistant vests for the state, security companies, and other private sectors. She graduated from the University of the Free State and has a political Science Degree. In 2014, Thozama established a combat uniform and protective wear manufacturing company. After operating Unipro Protective Wear for 4 years, she then saw a need for defence products, and that’s when she decided to do her research on needed products within the defence industry. She then found her niche in the manufacturing of bullet-resistant vests. Today, her business has created jobs for 26 people.

Lindsey Swart, a South African makeup artist creating interactive workshops for women

March 21, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Lindsey Swart, founder, Pretty You Workshops (South Africa)

Lindsey Swart is the founder of Pretty You Workshops in South Africa, a business creating interactive makeup learning experiences for women. She has been in the makeup industry for over 20 years and has headed up some of South Africa’s finest productions. She has a great passion in making women look and feel amazing. At her interactive workshops, she shares all her knowledge in a fun and beautiful environment.

Lovable Dladla, a South African entrepreneur building a growing bakery and baby food business

March 10, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Lovable Shiro Dladla, founder, Luvast emp (South Africa)

Lovable Shiro Dladla is the founder of Luvast emp in South Africa, the umbrella company for her two companies, Luvast Bakery and Luvast Baby Pureer. Luvast emp started in 2020 and has been growing ever since. Luvast bakery deals with baked goods and also teaches baking lessons and caters specifically for children’s events. Luvast baby food for now just deals with baby food puree, an organic baby food puree with no preservatives or sweeteners. The business makes its baby food in its most natural form, and is currently in the process of being approved.

Roxanne Campbell, a goldsmith and jewellery designer building a luxury goods business in South Africa

March 10, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Roxanne Campbell, founder, designer & creative director, Victoria Orpen Jewellers (South Africa)

Roxanne Campbell is the founder, designer, and creative director of Victoria Orpen Jewellers, a luxury goods manufacturer and sales business launched in 2015 in South Africa. As an entrepreneur in the jewellery design and manufacturing industry, she is a goldsmith by profession. Roxanne recently completed an enterprise development programme in diamond manufacture and processing. Her work experience extends beyond a jeweller and diamantaires bench, to international trade shows in Paris, Miami, and New York, to liaising with clients in Scotland, London, Denmark, New Jersey, and Chicago for new business development and sales within the luxury goods sector.

Lwazikazi Kwaza, a South African entrepreneur designing and manufacturing luxury fragrances

March 2, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Lwazikazi Kwaza, founder and CEO, The Melanin House (South Africa)

Lwazikazi Kwaza is the founder and CEO of The Melanin House in South Africa, an Afro-centric manufacturing powerhouse that currently designs and manufactures specialized luxury fragrances in all categories. The Melanin House was founded in 2020 with the aim to represent the elite African luxury market, where simplicity meets elegance, in an afro-centric, majestic, and fragrant way. The Melanin House manufactures utilizing the highest quality standards guidelines such as the SABS ISO:9001. This ensures high-quality fragrances are manufactured with sustainability in the process through the use of organic products. The Melanin House is committed to producing high-quality fragrances that tell fragrant and majestic African stories, which will remain in the charts of African-conscious business history, through memory.

Buhle Magwentshu, an artisanal coffee roastery business builder

February 25, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Asmara Coffee, a South African artisanal micro-roastery with a vision to make quality, artisanal coffee with wide customer appeal.

Buhle Magwentshu is the founder of Asmara Coffee, an artisanal micro-roastery based in Johannesburg, South Africa and launched in 2018. She is a Food Scientist and seasoned entrepreneur with over 15 years of corporate experience in the FMCG sector. Buhle established Asmara Coffee in 2018 with the vision to make quality, artisanal coffee, which appeals not only to the palates of coffee connoisseurs, but also to those starting out on the exciting journey of exploring coffee.

Refilwe Mongwaketse, an entrepreneur building a personal shopping and styling brand in South Africa

February 25, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Refilwe Mongwaketse, founder, Thuma Mina Personal Shopping (South Africa)

Born in the town of Kanye, Botswana, Refilwe Mongwaketse is the vibrant, energetic, and passionate founder of Thuma Mina Personal Shopping in South Africa. While her career background lies in Architecture and the Construction industry, Refilwe’s heart has always been drawn toward the captivating world of Personal Styling and Interior Design. Based in the bustling city of Johannesburg, South Africa, she has embarked on a journey fuelled by her unrelenting entrepreneurial spirit. For Refilwe, the transformative power of clothes has always been undeniable. She firmly believes that when we look good, we also feel good, allowing us to show up as our highest selves and perform at our peak level. Through Thuma Mina Personal Shopping, Refilwe has been able to ignite that fire within others and that has helped them to fulfil their dreams.

Hleziphi Siyothula–Mtshizana, a South African renewable energy pioneer

February 18, 2024 Melanie Hawken

In Pursuit Renewable Energy, a sustainability-focused South African project development, energy efficiency and alternative power solutions business

Hleziphi Siyothula–Mtshizana is an Electrical Engineer and seasoned Energy Professional with almost 16 years’ experience in delivering small to utility scale infrastructure projects with a focus on Renewable Energy. Her business, In Pursuit Renewable Energy in South Africa was formed in 2017 and today has 8 employees. Hleziphi is a former Senior Project Manager within Arup’s Renewables team overseeing a Lender’s Technical Advisory (LTA) team taking Renewables (Solar/Wind) projects from bid submission, Financial Close and Commercial Operation, Construction Monitoring and Operations Monitoring. She was also a former Technical Manager in the IPP sector developing greenfield projects and leading projects in the C&I space. She has developed and delivered over 3000MW of Renewables projects (Solar, Hydro, Wind Battery Energy Storage) in South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Ghana and UK. Hleziphi also held leadership roles such as COO of Bonang Power & Energy, Principal for Matt&Co Advisory, Arup Education Trust Trustee, the COO for the SunElex Group and Project Development Team Lead for TASEZ Gas to Energy Project. She is also a mother of 3 Daughters, Skills Development Facilitator, Conference Speaker and Moderator.

Palesa Mkhulisi, a South African PR and marketing entrepreneur focused on creating value for clients

February 11, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Palesa Mkhulisi, founder, The Link PR and Marketing Solutions (South Africa)

Palesa Mkhulisi is the founder of The Link PR and Marketing Solutions in South Africa, a business focused on helping start-ups to create value, build long-term sustainability, and bring positive changes to their communities through tailored marketing and PR solutions. She is a 24-year-old entrepreneur with a passion for social development and a commitment to solving real-world problems. Raised in Soweto a township in Johannesburg she developed an early appreciation for the power of community and the impact that businesses can have on society. Beyond her role as an entrepreneur, Palesa actively participates in various community outreach programs and advising young business leaders. She is dedicated to fostering the next generation of socially aware entrepreneurs.

Lisa Munsamy, a South African transportation and logistics industry game-changer

February 4, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Lisa Munsamy, founder, Lisa’s Carriers (South Africa)

Lisa Munsamy is the founder of Lisa’s Carriers in South Africa. She is a seasoned businesswoman with a passion for the transportation and hospitality industries, as well as a passion for Life Coaching. With over 18 years of experience in road freight, Lisa has navigated the ever-evolving landscape of logistics, ensuring seamless and efficient transportation solutions. She has also been the proud owner of a guesthouse for the past 14 years. She holds a Bachelor of Social Science Degree and is also a Certified Life Transformation Coach.

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