Women in Business: Strong, driven and successful

Hibberdene Superspar
039-6991045

Meet the dynamic team from Hibberdene SuperSpar (from back left…)

Cynthia Mqadi – Chef/supervisor. She started at the Spar in 2008 as a chef and was promoted to supervisor for the deli/take away section in January 2019. Cynthia enjoys cooking and trying out new dishes and loves serving her customers. Her off days are spent relaxing and she enjoys being with her children and family.

Phumlie Mqadi – Front-end supervisor who initially started working as a cashier in 2008 and was promoted to supervisor in January 2019.  When she’s not at work, Phumlie enjoys reading and shopping. “I love my job as I get to meet all kinds of people daily. Seeing the smile on a customers face makes my day,” she said.

Annice Angove – Butchery manager. She started working at Spar in August 2018. As a single mother of a little girl, she enjoys learning about the different cultures and personalities in her team. “I am always willing to learn to improve myself. I am hardworking and honest and I love baking with my mum on my off days,” she said with a smile.

Phumzile Zuke – Front-end supervisor who started as a packer in 2010. Realising her potential, Phumzile received training to be a cashier. In 2013 she was promoted to supervisor. As a mother of one, she enjoys dealing with different people daily and seeing happy smiles. “On my days off, I just relax and watch a bit of TV or read my bible,” she said.

Busie Dlamini – Floor manager. She started as a cashier in 2010 and was promoted to front-end supervisor in 2011 and then to her current position earlier this year. “I am a mother of two boys and I love my job as I get to meet new people every day. When I am not at work, I like to spend time with my family and go shopping,” she said.

Devi Govender – Started in July 2018. “The store was purchased by my brother Selwyn Govender and he asked me to assist him as he has another business in Durban that also requires his attention. I took the job because I love a challenge. I had no knowledge of retail, as I had previously worked in the automobile sector. Luckily I am a quick learner and it wasn’t long before I knew how this sector of the industry operated. Every day is still a learning curve and I challenge myself to learn more daily,” she said.

Juraisha Pillay – Started in September 2018 as an assistant to the Grv clerk and now manages the Tops Bottle store and goods received. “On my off days, I love to relax watching TV and reading. I challenge myself to learn new things every day which enables me to be more equipped in my job,” she said.

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Head Office Hair, Nail and Beauty 
039-3150511

It was voted Best Hair Salon for seven years and won the Best Beauty Salon for the last four consecutive years in the Readers’ Choice Awards, Best of South Coast. Manager Richard Smith attributes this success to the hard work and dedication of the amazing team of women who work there.

“It’s a collective effort by all the friendly staff, hairstylists, nail technicians, beauticians and last, but not least, the operators who work hard at spoiling every client.

At this salon, we consistently deliver results above the client’s expectations and offer affordable prices. It’s a place where they can relax in a spacious setting,” says Richard.

“I am hugely proud of this team of women, enjoying their work and striving to please our ever-growing clientele.”

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Wilma Wolvaardt
Go Zone Water
072 8011733

Born and raised on the North Coast of KZN, Wilma moved to the South Coast three years ago. “My husband Chris is working in Zimbabwe and we started Go Zone Water in December last year in the hope that he will be home permanently,” she said.

“I used to be very passionate about food/cooking, but nowadays the shop takes up most of my time. I have four children, four adorable grandchildren and three little furry kids.”

Wilma said her father who had a big heart, was her mentor in life. She copes well with adversity and when she needs to relax she enjoys sitting on the beach with a good book. Going on a cruise ship is Wilma’s ultimate dream holiday, but she and Chris often go to the Drakensberg in winter.
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Andisa Madikizela
A. Madikizela Dental Therapy Smiles
039-6822757

Andisa, a dental therapist, who has been in the business for 21 years, opened her private dental practice in Port Shepstone 16 years ago. “I have always liked working with people. What drew me into the dental field is that beautiful smiles always fascinated me,” she said.

“I am passionate about teaching people how to care for their teeth and assisting them so they can smile with confidence.” Her previous employer was her mentor with whom she still has a good relationship.

Even with her busy lifestyle, she manages to raise two boys and when she finds the time to relax, she likes to read and do beadwork. Her advice to young entrepreneurs is to be consistent and patient.

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Nokubonga Radebe
Nokubonga Radebe Hearing Care- AUDIOLOGIST
071 6085780

Twenty-nine-year-old Nokubonga Radebe completed her honours degree in audiology at the University of Pretoria in 2013.

She is married with a daughter and passionate about assisting those who are hard of hearing. “I opened my hearing care centre in July 2017 and the biggest obstacle has been to change a patient’s traditional way of thinking. They think I’m too young.

“What gives me joy is to see how improved hearing changes people’s lifestyles for the better,” she said.

“Sleeping helps me relax and I also unwind with friends. I like to travel and meet new people and my favourite holiday destinations are Hong Kong, Spain and Thailand.

“If I wasn’t an audiologist, I would be a DJ as I enjoy listening to new music and going to concerts.”
Her advice to budding entrepreneurs, “Don’t give in to the pressures of a fancy lifestyle.”

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Fatima Sarigat
SmartXchange Centre of Excellence
039 6820631

Fatima taught accountancy and business studies at Port Shepstone Secondary School for eight years and, during that time, she studied for her B.Com and MBA. “It was long hours, late nights and hard work,” she admitted.

“I joined SmartXchange in 2015 when the branch in Port Shepstone first opened. This is an NPO that is governed by a board of directors with the Durban branch being in operation since 2004.

“It is a business incubator in media, ICT (information communication technology) and electronics. SmartXchange aims to develop business to become self-sustainable and promote job creation and growth. It’s all about helping small businesses understand costing, labour, tax, etc.

“We offer training that is relevant to their business needs, work with different organisations and expose SMMEs to various aspects of business management skills.

“We also encourage and support innovation, which assists in job creation and helps the economy overall. At the moment we are working with five exciting new innovations. So if there are people out there with creative and original ideas, we will help fund them and equip them with the necessary skills to get their businesses off the ground and be successful,” said Fatima.

“SmartXchange recently received a mayoral award from Ray Nkonyeni Municipality for our contribution to SMME development,” she said proudly.“Looking back, I realise that life is not about challenges and failures, rather about the opportunities that present themselves and lessons learnt that help us to become better and stronger,” she said.