ORIGINALLY from Pretoria, Melinda Louw describes herself as a business-orientated and values-driven person.
In January 2010 she was appointed as Financial Manger at Okapi in Isithebe outside Mandeni.
The company manufactures and distributes pocket and utility knives and agricultural hand tools such as cane cutters.
Her passion for excellence, attention to detail and her ability to work under pressure with tight deadlines, ensured her success.
On 1 June she was appointed Managing Director of Okapi, one of 11 companies in the Southey Holdings Group.
Melinda’s post is a high-pressure one requiring her to work closely with her team leaders.
She starts each day on a positive note.
‘I believe how you start your day determines how the rest of the day will flow.
‘So I make sure I am the best in the morning to help the team kick-start the day with confidence’.
‘A supportive, positive work environment makes it easier for us to deal with the pressures of the day and handle challenges that arise’.
Melinda’s other passion is people. She always tries to discover the best in people and every situation.
‘I choose to focus on the best in people and I am often positively surprised’.
Okapi is a well-known brand and sought after.
‘Our focus is on our core products and to develop it to its fullest potential’, she says.
Melinda is also a family person and lives in eShowe with her husband Nick, who is an electrical contractor.
Their son Ralph lives in New Zealand where he completed his degree with a double major in accounting and finance at the Massey University in Auckland.
He is now pursuing his dream as a forex options trader for a well-known investment company.
Melinda is also proud of her daughter from her extended family, Nandi Henderson and her soon to be son-in-law Corné Aspeling.
She believes in a holistic, balanced approach to health. When she has an opportunity to relax, she spends the time with family and friends.
She will also be found in her mostly indigenous garden or caring for her home-grown vegetables and herbs which she readily shares with others.
