Mia le Roux made history on Women’s Day last week when she took home the crown as the first deaf woman to win Miss South Africa.



“It was such a big pinch-me-moment; almost too big to comprehend. It was such a big dream, and then my brain had to take it all in at once,” Le Roux, born in Sasolburg in South Africa’s Free State province, tells FORBES AFRICA in an interview a few days after the contest.



The 28-year-old, who is deaf and wears a cochlear implant, is the first differently-abled finalist in the history of the Miss South Africa pageant, and she competed against nine other contestants on August 9, at the SunBet Arena at Time Square, in the nation&#8217;s capital Pretoria.



Currently pursuing a part-time bachelor’s degree in commerce and marketing at the University of South Africa (UNISA), she has also worked full-time as a marketing manager with a startup business.



Having wowed South Africa with her stage presence, it was ultimately her stance on inclusivity that had most of the arena loudly rooting for her.



“I am a proudly South African deaf woman and I know what it feels like to be excluded,” Le Roux said on stage on Saturday.



Currently based in Rosebank, Cape Town, Le Roux was diagnosed with profound hearing loss at the age of one. When she was only two, her community, friends, family, and even strangers, helped raise funds so they could gift her a cochlear implant. This operation was what Le Roux called “a life-changing opportunity” that allowed her to hear; an opportunity that would give her the courage to take part in Miss South Africa and subsequently win.



“I did definitely have fear [coming into the competition],” she says. “But also, my challenges were like a fuel and fire beneath me. It really has been what has driven me, because I was just telling myself I cannot continue to go through life with all these barriers and all these challenges, when I know I am capable, I am intelligent and that I can achieve my dreams. But I just needed to break some barriers in order to get there, because we do deserve to have a similar baseline to work from.”



Stephanie Weil, the CEO of the Miss South Africa pageant, said that Le Roux embodies the ethos of the organization fully: “Our ethos being that if you can dream it, you can achieve it. She also embraces and personifies the organization’s four pillars – duty, championship, empowerment and beauty, so I can think of no-one more fitting to wear the crown and we can’t wait to see what she achieves during her reign.”



“We are leaving way too many South Africans behind,” Le Roux said in her final answer before taking home the &#8216;Mowana&#8217; crown. “I am here to teach the included how to be inclusive towards the excluded and empower the excluded with tools so they can reach their full potential. Because [we are at our] strongest when unified.”



The run-up to the Miss South Africa pageant had been met with social media buzz as another contestant in the race to the crown, 23-year-old law student, Chidimma Adetshina, stepped down from the pageant earlier last week. Her entry came under fire when questions arose regarding her nationality, owing to her father and mother being of Nigerian and Mozambican descent.



In the wake of this issue, the Miss South Africa organization stated that they celebrate South Africa’s rich, inclusive culture and diversity.



“We uphold the spirit of Ubuntu-Botho and are committed to contributing to the self-belief, self-confidence, and fulfillment of the aspirations of all girls and women in Africa and worldwide,” the organization said in a statement.



According to reports, Adetshina’s pageant career does not end with the Miss South Africa debacle as she has now been extended an invitation for the upcoming Miss Universe Nigeria 2024 competition.



Le Roux, on the other hand, will be competing for the Miss Universe crown in Mexico in November.



“I really do hope that I will be able to break barriers there as well,” she tells FORBES AFRICA.



“I do believe that [fighting for inclusivity] is my life&#8217;s calling. It’s what I was meant to do here, and I will always have that passion. A passion is not something you can just get, it&#8217;s something that is born within you and also grows because of your life&#8217;s experiences. And I have had my entire life to create this passion within me. So, I definitely will be taking that with me [to Miss Universe].”

Miss South Africa 2024 At Sunbet Arena.

The Sounds Of Success: As A Deaf Contestant, How Miss South Africa 2024 Broke Real Barriers

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



The reigning winner of the Miss Universe beauty pageant, Andrea Meza, said Wednesday the next edition of the competition set to be held in Israel shouldn’t be politicized, amid pressure for contestants to set aside their hopes for the crown and boycott the event in solidarity with Palestinians.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



Meza, a 27-year-old who represents Mexico,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-travel-lifestyle-boycotts-middle-east-d55495b4c920b2e9b708e4425fcc2699" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told</a>&nbsp;the&nbsp;Associated Press&nbsp;she wouldn’t fault women who boycotted this year’s pageant, but said she had no problem with it being held in Israel, stating that “it’s just about embracing other women.”



Palestinian activist groups like PACBI, a founding&nbsp;<a href="https://bdsmovement.net/pacbi" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">member</a>&nbsp;of the movement for a cultural and academic boycott on Israel, called on contestants to “do no harm to our struggle for freedom, justice and equality by withdrawing from the pageant.”



Meza will hand over the crown in December when the 70th Miss Universe pageant takes place in Eilat, Israel.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chief-critic">CHIEF CRITIC</h2>



The South African government&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/government-withdraws-support-miss-south-africa-resisting-israel-boycott-2021-11-15/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">withdrew</a>&nbsp;its support for Miss South Africa on Monday after the local pageant organizer and the most recent winner, Lalela Mswane, refused to pull out of the competition earlier this week. Malaysia announced it would not send a representative due to Covid-19, but the country has been a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-malaysia-israel-ban/malaysia-imposes-ban-on-events-involving-israelis-idUSKCN1PA0MA" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">supporter</a>&nbsp;of Palestinian rights, the&nbsp;AP&nbsp;reports.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



Paula Shugart, president of the Miss Universe Organization, said Israel has been in contention as a host country “due to its rich history, beautiful landscapes, myriad of cultures and appeal as a global tourist destination.” The BDS movement, which promotes boycotts, divestment and sanctions of Israel, has had mixed results in recent years, with some singers like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/dec/25/lorde-cancels-israel-concert-after-pro-palestinian-campaign" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lorde</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/aug/31/lana-del-rey-pulls-out-of-israeli-festival-after-backlash#:~:text=Del%20Rey%20had%20come%20under,to%20play%20in%20apartheid%20Israel.%E2%80%9D" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lana Del Rey</a>&nbsp;cancelling shows in the country, while Irish author Sally Rooney&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/teakvetenadze/2021/10/12/author-sally-rooney-turns-down-israeli-publisher-in-solidarity-with-palestinians/?sh=5cdbde0e3f0d">declined</a>&nbsp;to have her most recent book translated into Hebrew until she found a publisher complaint with BDS’ “institutional boycott guidelines.”&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-travel-lifestyle-boycotts-middle-east-d55495b4c920b2e9b708e4425fcc2699" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">In Israel, Miss Universe says pageant no place for politics</a>&nbsp;(The&nbsp;Associated Press)



<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/government-withdraws-support-miss-south-africa-resisting-israel-boycott-2021-11-15/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Government withdraws support for Miss South Africa for resisting Israel boycott</a> (Reuters)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/annakaplan-1/"></a>By Anna Kaplan, Forbes Staff



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/annakaplan-1/"></a>

The 69th Miss Universe Competition

Miss Universe Says Pageant In Israel Shouldn’t Be Politicized Amid Boycott Pressure

If it hadn’t been for the pandemic, Miss Universe Zozibini Tunzi would have been traveling the world on assignments. The South African relates how her reign has been diffferent, as she works from her current home in New York, continuing to advocate for gender equality. A special read as her home country celebrates Women’s Month.



What have the last few months of being a Miss Universe been like, with the hovering pandemic?&nbsp; My reign as Miss Universe has been a different one from the usual. Like everyone else, I have also had to social distance and work from home, which is very out of the norm for a Miss Universe.



What has been the best moment of your reign so far? It was getting to go home for the first time after winning. I had a whole week of ‘welcome back’ celebrations. To see the faces of young girls and women when they looked at me and seeing a possibility that their lives too can change in an incredible way was heart-warming. Before I won, I had said I wanted to win because I want young girls to look at me and see their faces reflected in mine, for them to see that their dreams too are valid. To actually go home finally and see it happening is a blessing I will never forget nor take for granted.



As Miss Universe, what are some of the main aspects of your job? The biggest part of the job is traveling the world doing different work, from charity work to entertainment and speaking engagements. Every Miss Universe has a different social cause close to her heart. We take the year to address those issues, be it educating or raising awareness.With the travel ban all over the world due to the pandemic, I have not been able to travel. My last trip was to Indonesia in March. Even though I have not been able to travel, I have still done most events virtually. I have used all my social media platforms to continue championing gender equality and issues of race and racism using a hashtag we created #UniverseUnited. With this hashtag, we have been able to open conversations about different social issues, we have been able to educate and entertain each other from every corner of the world.



When you won the crown, there were some negative comments about the win. How have you been able to rise above them? When you challenge the status quo and go against the grain, people will always have mixed comments and emotions so I cannot say I did not expect some resistance. For me, the most important thing was, and is still today, to fight for inclusion and representation. I want to live in a diverse, inclusive world. When I won, that was a victory and a win for representation and inclusion. That is what helps me rise above the negativity; knowing that there is a bigger picture that matters, and not focusing my time on non-entities that have no contribution to progress in this world.



People, particularly here in South Africa, are still celebrating your victory as Miss Universe especially because you advocate ‘natural beauty’. Why do you think it is important for representation of people of color in media and business? It has been said many times before that we can’t be what we can’t see. For me, this is one example of many on why representation is important. If the media continues presenting horrible stereotypes of black people or people of color, there is no progress happening. We need more positive messages and images of black people out there, for young people to see a possibility of what they can become. Seeing a black, natural-haired Miss Universe as a young black girl growing up in a rural area is enough to spark a fire inside someone to want to strive for more and be more. To see a black president is enough to steer a young black man to the direction of his incredible dream to influence and change the world in a beautiful way. To see a woman leading a nation or company is enough for women to recognize the power that they have within them, it is enough for them to not be scared to step into their power and take up space.



Given everything happening in the world where society is highlighting racial and gender inequalities across organizations, platforms and sectors, what would you as Miss Universe like to see changed before your reign is over? Conversations have been heard. I would now love to see more action and implementation. Companies and platforms have tweeted, and they have said amazing things about progress when it comes to systemic racism, now, I would like to see more of them actually doing something. Most of the world is functioning on systemic racism, I would like to see in the future [beyond my reign], the dismantling of these problematic systems from the ground-up.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="796" height="1024" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Zozibini-Tunzi-796x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-47067" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Zozibini-Tunzi-796x1024.jpg 796w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Zozibini-Tunzi-scaled-300x386.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Zozibini-Tunzi-scaled-600x771.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Zozibini-Tunzi-233x300.jpg 233w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Zozibini-Tunzi-768x987.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Zozibini-Tunzi-1195x1536.jpg 1195w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Zozibini-Tunzi-1593x2048.jpg 1593w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Zozibini-Tunzi-scaled.jpg 1991w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 796px) 100vw, 796px" /></figure>



What do you say to people who regard pageants like Miss Universe as ‘anti-feminist’? We are all entitled to have different views and opinions about things. Miss Universe started as a swimsuit competition, which some may regard as objectifying women, so it’s not far off or shocking that some people feel this way. However, just like everything else, the pageant has evolved and is continuing to evolve every day. I have seen women come on this platform and champion a variety of social issues. I have seen them being empowered and empowering other women. As a Miss Universe, I have been able to amplify my message of gender equality and gender-based violence through incredible partnerships and relationships. I have been able to challenge and open conversations about beauty stereotypes that have been pushed on to women for many years. For me, it has always been about what I can do with this platform to influence positive change, not only in my community, but throughout the world.



Female empowerment is something you champion; can you tell us why this is so important to you? And also draw on how you would like to continue to empower women even beyond your reign as Miss Universe. I believe in the empowerment of every different kind of woman, regardless of gender or race. It is important because we need to get to a place where every gender is equal, one where we are not bound by patriarchy and inequality. Not only is it killing our future, but it is killing countries and economies. Women are just as capable as anyone else to get the job done, so let them do the job. It’s also not asking for special treatment — just equality.



Miss Universe is about sisterhood. Have your predecessors given you any advice during your reign and who has given the best advice (and what was the advice)? Yes, absolutely. The former winners have given advice whenever I speak to them. I think the one common advice they have given me is to focus on things that matter and what I want to achieve during my time as Miss Universe and to cancel out all the noise. Pageant fans can be brutal and toxic so it’s important to know why you are there and not lose focus.



You currently live in New York City, how has it been? What do you miss most about South Africa? It’s quite unfortunate I have not been able to experience New York extensively due to the pandemic, but the little that I have experienced has been great. What I miss the most about South Africa is my family, the diversity of my people and the food.



Looking at your recent partnership with 1st for women, what attracted you to the brand? It is the belief that 1st for women has in women; the belief in our resolve and power, and that we have space in this world to thrive just like everyone else. I also share these beliefs, and so that is why this is the perfect partnership.



Finally, what next after Miss Universe? Most of my plans I cannot disclose yet. What I can say though is that I will always champion gender equality and women’s rights even beyond my years as Miss Universe.

Empire State Building Hosts Miss Universe 2019 Zozibini Tunzi

Miss Universe In The Time Of Covid-19: Zozibini Tunzi On Influencing Positive Change

In December, Zozibini Tunzi made South Africa – still euphoric after the rugby world cup win – proud again by winning the Miss Universe pageant in Atlanta. She also campaigns against gender-based violence and believes the world is ready to embrace a different narrative of beauty. 



From the quiet village of Tsolo in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa to the catwalks of the world, Zozibini Tunzi is the newly-minted Miss Universe, the first black South African to win the global pageant. In this interview FORBES AFRICA conducted with her before her historic win, while she was still Miss South Africa, she conveys the struggles of being a woman in her home country.



What does it mean for you to carry the title of Miss South Africa?



South Africa is a democratic country; that means it [must]
not discriminate against anyone, it should give everyone living in it equal
opportunity. The reality is that being a woman in South Africa is still a
struggle. We have come so far from the Stone Age and a lot has changed but more
can still be done. We find that women are still trying to shatter the glass
ceiling and I hope one day we won&#8217;t have to do that. 



It means that I am a representation of South African women.
I want women and young girls to look at me and see their faces reflected in
mine. 



What is the one thing you would like to change about the beauty industry?



For the longest time, the assumption of beauty has been
one-dimensional and westernized. There hadn&#8217;t been a wide range of
representation in the beauty industry for women. It has taken a while for the
world to recognize being African as beautiful. We are now slowly moving into a
space where black and being curvy is also beautiful just at it has always been.
It needs to change at a faster pace. I&#8217;m hopeful that we will soon get there.



Any anecdotes from the New York Fashion Week you attended ? 



It was one of the greatest highlights of my Miss South
Africa journey. What people may not know is that I have no background in
modeling, so for me to do a fashion show at that level, was mind-blowing. I
remember seeing the models I knew from America’s Next Top Model and thinking,
‘geez, Zozi, you&#8217;re really here doing this’. I am forever grateful to have been
able to experience that, especially with South African designers.



Who are some of your role models?



Mama Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and Harriet Tubman. What
these women have in common is their ability to be very firm in what they
believe in. They are fighters and they are fearless.



What are some of the values you live by?



Humility, kindness and respect. They are the core of
everything I live by.



What message would you like to leave young African women inspired by you?



My message to them is to never compromise on who they are and what they believe in. They should not be afraid to bend the rules even if just a little. All the greats in the world have had to fight for what they believe in so we shouldn&#8217;t be scared to do it too.

The 2019 Miss Universe Pageant – Show

‘Don’t Be Afraid To Bend The Rules’ – Miss Universe

Here’s a clichéd question: does femininity have a place in the corporate world?
Melinda Bam, Miss South Africa 2011 and brand ambassador for Veet, says it absolutely does. Along with her business partner Anja Van Zyl, a model and media personality, she launched ‘Womentality: A Fearless Feminine Program and Workshop’ in 2013 to inspire and instil in young girls, mothers and working women that femininity and confidence are a woman’s greatest assets.
It was during her reign as Miss South Africa that Bam found her true purpose: to inspire women in the corporate space.
“We think we have to offer up our femininity and disregard that aspect of what it means to be a woman in order to be taken seriously,” says Bam.
“We saw women who didn’t want to be women, who wanted to sacrifice too much of themselves because they thought they were going to get ahead. We want to coach women back to being themselves, and finding that their strength comes from that.”
Her workshops focus on the frivolous and the fun, while still tackling issues women struggle to discuss with men.
“There is [nothing] more intimidating in the corporate world than a beautiful, strong and confident woman,” says Bam. More than anything, the workshops are forums of discussion.
“Femininity has no age, it has no face, it has no color; it sees no boundaries. It’s something that should just be embraced,” says Bam. Touché.

Melinda-bam

The ‘F’ Factor

Miss South Africa 1996 Peggy-Sue Khumalo started her life cleaning houses before training to be a beauty queen, and finally ending up as an investment banker in Johannesburg.
How so? For this, we will need to rewind to her past.
Born to a single mother in the northern region of KwaZulu-Natal, Khumalo grew up on the farm where her mother toiled as a domestic worker. Her greatest desire was to be educated and be able to turn around her fortune one day.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-29952 alignleft" src="http://www.forbesafrica.com/app/uploads/2017/05/IMG_1991-280x300.jpg" alt="" width="280" height="300" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_1991-280x300.jpg 280w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_1991-300x322.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_1991-600x644.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_1991.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 280px) 100vw, 280px" />
While she was still a young child, her mother moved to Johannesburg leaving her in the care of her grandmother, and in search of greener pastures to finance her only child’s schooling.
“It was not a private school education but it was a good education,” says Khumalo today.
After primary school, she was sent to boarding school, where for the first time she experienced running water, electricity, tar roads and the city life. But the family was still poor. After high school, Khumalo joined her mother in Johannesburg, to help clean houses with her.
“I hated every moment of that and I think I was reminded every day that life can’t repeat itself. And every day my mum kept telling me ‘don’t mess this up, take it as an opportunity, because if you mess this up, where do you think we are going to live’?”
After two years of this drudgery, Khumalo headed to town to find a ‘proper’ job. She started out washing hair at a salon. Atleast that provided an entry point to other more glamorous endeavors. She soon found herself doing small modeling jobs and finally, taking part in – and winning – local beauty contests.
“At that moment I thought to myself ‘life can’t get any worse, it can only get better’.” Not long after, she enrolled for the Miss South Africa pageant.
“I didn’t think I had a chance, I met the most amazing young ladies, some well-known, I thought there is no way nobody knows who I am,” says Khumalo.
She was wrong. She made it to the finals and won Miss South Africa that year.
It was a joyous, tearful moment.
“I didn’t even know how to present myself, I just cried and ran on to the stage.” The very next day, she received a call that changed her life.
“The following morning, Doreen Morris [former owner of Miss SA] said to me, ‘Mr Mandela has called and would like to see you for tea at his house’. I thought no way!” President Mandela opened doors she didn’t know existed.
“I got a call from Zelda [his assistant] saying ‘Tata would like to see you’. It was a Sunday, when I got there, he said to me, ‘Sue, we are waiting for our guest’. I thought Tata was trying to marry me off. And in walked Stephen Koseff, the Chief Executive Officer of Investec.”
Mandela persuaded Koseff to send Khumalo to the UK for higher studies., which he did. On completing her studies in finance abroad, Khumalo started her career with Investec as a credit analyst. Today, she sits on the executive board for South African businesses and manages some of the top names in corporate South Africa. From cleaning houses to donning tiaras to running the boardroom, Khumalo couldn’t have asked for more.

The Magic Wand Named Mandela

A Tuesday night in early October marked yet another victory for African women with the launch of this publication in
Johannesburg, South Africa. The bold monochrome cover and red lettering of the inaugural issue sent the message that African women were seated at the boardroom table and ready to make their voices heard.
But even in the atmosphere of affirmation and optimism, the keynote speaker, businesswoman Cheryl Ca-rolus, pointed out that women still face many challenges, from the kitchen to the office.
“Even Superman had a mother,” said the Gold Fields chairperson, reminding the room full of powerful women that their ancestors had played a key role in men’s success for centuries.
What then about Wonder Woman? The iconic comic book character is a demigoddess who battles other-worldly villains with little more than a lasso of truth and a tiara of tele-pathy. Today, Wonder Woman would be wearing a business suit, multitasking her way through the corporate world with a personal digital assistant. But even she would probably buckle under the pressure.
In her book, Wonder Women: Sex, Power, and the Quest for Perfection, former Harvard Business School professor Debora L. Spar explores the demands on women.
She notes that women may have broken through the glass ceiling, but they still face a plethora of obstacles in the corporate environment, which have not adapted to the professional and domestic demands of working women.
Referring to the impossibly high standards that women in the American workplace hold themselves to, Spar says the woman in the perfume advertisement has become the icon of the working girl: “It conveyed this image of this sort of effortless combination of work and motherhood and sexuality and professionalism and ease.”
As an increasing number of African women become a formidable force in business, a reinterpretation of traditional family values seems to be neces-
sary to ease some of the pressures on working women.
“If someone were to ask me what makes successful women, it’s about the infrastructure. But it’s also about love and the giving spirit,” says Basetsana Kumalo. The beauty queen-turned-media maven attributes much of her success to Agnes Mofokeng, the woman who has lived with her since she was 10 days old.
“She’s an extension of my mother. For me, she epitomizes grace, kindness. A good soul, who, in all my years, has been with me. She has always just been the rock for my family. My husband and I often ask each other what we would do without her.”
Shared child care is a common fixture in African homes, but not for Kumalo. “I don’t see her as an employee. It’s never been about that. We have a mutually respectful relationship and it’s about family. They say it takes a village to raise a child and she’s part of my village.
“It goes beyond employee-employer. It’s about being in a village and having an elderly person in my village helping me raise young men who will hopefully be trailblazers, world shakers and history makers,” says Kumalo.
Mofokeng agrees: “This doesn’t feel like work to me… sometimes I have to remind myself that she’s my boss. But often I feel like she’s my daughter –  having watched her grow and go through the different phases of her life.”
However, Mofokeng emphasizes the importance of trust in such a close domestic setting. “If you’re in my line of work, you need to respect your job, take it seriously and be professional. You must know why you’re working and throw yourself in.”
Meanwhile, performer and businesswoman Unathi Msengana describes her decade-long relationship with her project manager, Colene Arendse, as one that relies on this trust.
“I think, because there’s a lot of trust, and I know her intrinsically as a person and she knows me as a person and we know each other’s value systems and how we want to do business with dignity… It’s a huge trust that she has in me because her company is a corporate commodity,” says Msengana.
Currently Arendse is working toward launching the first music and business conference in South Africa next year. And Msengana is acutely aware that her professional behavior directly impacts on Arendse’s business. “It just takes one bad spell to tarnish her company.”
The usually shy Arendse, who prefers to work behind the scenes, jumps in: “It’s her brand, it’s my company. I take my hat off to her. She’s in music, on radio, on TV and not everyone will like you. The only place she’s not criticized is at home.”
As business partners, they are aware of each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Where Msengana excels at sales, Arendse closes the deal with a watertight proposal and streamlined logistics management. It’s also a business model built on family values. “You identify strength in someone because you know that person and you use that professionally because trust is intrinsic in the relationship,” Msengana explains.
“Professionally, you know they have the capability. But personally, there’s that trust and if you betray it, it would not only destroy the professional relationship, but it would destroy families. We know there’s a lot at stake if we disappoint each other.”
The pair is also planning a series of wine and music festivals across the continent, modeled on the Soweto Wine Festival. The event aims to introduce South African blends to new audiences, while simultaneously promoting South African musicians. Msengana is not only a business partner but will also perform at the events.
When Kumalo began building her career, she knew she wanted Mofokeng to be a part of her life. After she won the Miss South Africa beauty pageant in 1994, Kumalo moved from her family home in Soweto to an apartment in northern Johannesburg. At the age of 20 and alone in the city, Kumalo asked Mofokeng to live with her and help manage her life in the public gaze, with the demands of being a beauty queen.
A year later, that beauty queen relaunched her career as a businesswoman, becoming an equal partner in Tswelopele Productions. The company would later merge with Union Alliance Media and was listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.
Kumalo’s latest venture is the acquisition and redevelopment of abandoned buildings to create new urban spaces. But when she was building a family, Kumalo again turned to the woman who had helped to raise her and her siblings.
Kumalo and her husband, Voda-com CEO Romeo Kumalo, insist that their two sons speak Sesotho at home. And, with Mofokeng’s help, the children are taught to respect traditional values.
“When I look around, this family hasn’t changed much from the atmos-phere in the Makgalemele home. These families have the same values,” says Mofokeng, comparing Kumalo’s home to that of her parents.
“If she comes home late and leaves very early in the morning she will call and say: ‘would you please sort out this and that in the house?’ She’ll ask: ‘how are things going?’ and so on. I also give her feedback when she’s not around… There’s constant communication between us,” explains Mofokeng.
Kumalo values these regular updates: “There is an amount of guilt, when you feel: ‘I wasn’t there for this and that milestone in my child’s life’. I think guilt will always be there. As mothers we’re nurturers, we want to be there, we want to raise our children, but times have changed…
“People may say I’m a workaholic but it’s who I am, as well as a mother, and it makes me a happy mother.” Msengana believes her close relationship with her project manager has enabled her to be a better mother.
“I remember, in the first couple of meetings, Colene said: ‘You need to let go, you need to let go’. Because I used to micromanage. It’s allowed me to be more present as a mom.”

Tag: Miss South Africa