WOMEN'S MONTH

ABOVE & RIGHT: Mondli’s kaftans, hats, masks and bags are proudly South African, available online at Encouraging Eco and at Claire’s Concepts in Mackeurtan Avenue in Durban North.

providing many homeless people with a sustainable way of earning a living and getting back into society.

To support those attending the workshops, Connected recently launched its online e-commerce platform, Encouraging Eco, where products made at the workshops are sold. “Connected’s ultimate hope is that Encouraging Eco becomes an online shop for local gifts, giving us an opportunity to support local entrepreneurship and upliftment,” adds Jodie.

As Connected has grown, so have their success stories. Two years ago Mondli was living on the streets. Today he is a chef at 9th Ave Bistro, with his own clothing and accessory range on the side. Mondli was the first to get a job, get off the streets and now is one of the Connected team. Although his life has changed and improved dramatically, he still visits his friends on the streets and doesn’t ever feel he is better than them. Connected passionately believes that through their upskilling workshops and selling of locally made products, proverty can be alleviated. But, Connected needs the community to support their efforts to make it a success.

By giving a hand up rather than a handout, Connected’s initiatives really have the power to bring many out of homelessness and allow them a more dignified and decent life. * How can you help?

 Do you have a skill you could

teach at a workshop?

 Do you have space to become a stockist (a hairdresser, coffee shop)?  Do you have materials to donate (beads, needles, threads, material)?  Can you donate a Thursday evening

meal, books or blankets?

 Support the homeless on Encouraging

Eco or at Claire's Concepts.

FOR MORE INFO

W Follow Connected, Encouraging Eco and Claire’s Concepts

Boitumelo Sebambo

CEO OF 3SIXTY BIOMEDICINE

Boitumelo Sebambo is the CEO of one of South Africa’s most exciting and dynamic companies in the healthcare sector, 3Sixty Biomedicine. Apart from continuing the legacy of positioning the business as experts in herbal based and natural medicinal products, this accomplished businesswoman also has aspirations to put African traditional medicine on the global map.

Boitumelo has risen through the ranks, having first joined 3Sixty Global Solutions in 2019 when it was still known as 3Sixty

Financial Solutions. During her threeyear journey, she has seen the company transform from a purely financial group into the powerhouse it is today – a company that is committed to creating global solutions across the spectrum, all the way from financial services to biotechnology.

Boitumelo is proud of the work 3Sixty

Biomedicine has achieved to date, providing more natural solutions to the SA market with one of their ranges, Salome, focusing on management of common women’s health issues.

Inspiring WOMEN

THIS WOMEN’S MONTH WE CELEBRATE FOUR SUCCESSFUL WOMEN FROM OUR COMMUNITY AND SHARE THEIR STORIES

Janna Strang

OWNER AND DIRECTOR OF PROMOTE COMMUNICATION

This owner and director of the dynamic one-stop communications company,

Promote Communication, accepted a

Crisis Communication PRISM award in 2020 for their exceptional efforts for

Tsogo Sun Amashova Durban Classic’s 2019 race. This year she followed that award up with a special mention for their outstanding PR campaign to launch the new Salome range of products in the 2021 PRISM Awards.

Born and raised in Durban, Janna said her communication-focused degree at UCT is where her 19-year love affair with PR and communications started.

Janna leads a team with experience in reputation management, marketing, crisis management, advertising and design, and although based in KZN on the North Coast, they work with clients and media all over

South Africa and abroad. Although most of their clients are diverse in industry and nature, Janna believes the common thread is the passion and belief she shares with her clients in their products and stories.

Noleen Turner

AUTHOR, PROFESSOR OF AFRICAN LANGUAGES AND OWNER OF ONLINE BUSINESS ZULU ZONKE

A retired African languages professor after 32 years of active teaching and now a current Honorary Research Professor for UKZN, Noleen is also a published author and owner of a successful business – Zulu Zonke. In 2020 her business took to digital platforms to offer interactive online Zulu courses, teaching conversational Zulu and providing insights into Zulu culture for the business sector and society in general. In addition, she still offers translation services from English into Zulu for businesses.

Noleen’s latest book, Zulu Bird Names, is based on ground-breaking research in the ornithological and linguistics fields. The initial Zulu Bird Names project initiated by Professor Turner in the early 2000s and recently converted into a book, is deemed to be “the first project of its kind globally” by past Chairman of Birdlife International, John Fanshawe. Published by the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund.

Donna McCulloch

DEALER PRINCIPAL OF CMH MAZDA, SUZUKI AND ISUZU UMHLANGA

Wonder Woman has nothing on our superhero Donna McCulloch, who won the

CMH Group Dealer Principal of the Year award for the second year in a row while running a multi-franchise dealership based on uMhlanga Ridge.

To be a top-class Dealer Principal requires the mastering of several varied business disciplines – warehousing and distribution (parts), production (workshop), sales and marketing (vehicle sales) – along with the

PR, HR and financing issues that come with these disciplines. Donna has mastered these skills through hard work, attention to detail and ensuring her staff follow the systems and procedures that make a dealership successful.

Donna started with the CMH Group 15 years ago as a F&I Manager, then became

Sales Manager before being promoted to

Dealer Principal. Not only has she won the Dealer Principal of the Year award twice, but has also won overall CMH Dealer of the Year on two occasions. Away from work Donna is a wife and mother of two young boys.