Top 12 influential young women to watch out for in SA

THE SERIAL ENTREPRENEUR: DR. CHERISE DUNN

Status: Chief Operations Officer & Founder of the Africa Makes 3D Printing for Development Initiative

Industry: Digital Healthcare

Top Accolade: Top 200 Young South Africans: Business and Entrepreneurship (2019)

She’s a pioneering woman in 3D Printing Development, making additive manufacturing, and innovative education for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) accessible for the average South African. Aged 33, Dr. Dunn was celebrated as one of the 50 most inspiring women in STEM in South Africa for 2019 ─ awarded by Inspiring Fifty SA (an initiative by the Kingdom of the Netherlands). Last year, she was also selected to present a TED Talk during the TEDxCapeTownWomen event.

With a Doctorate in Cancer Biology, obtained at the University of Cape Town, Dr. Dunn has been recognised by the U.S. Department of State as a 4IR world leader ─ she is the only techpreneur representative from SA ─ and was also picked for the International Visitor Leadership for Women in Entrepreneurship. She has, congruently, been involved in the formation and endorsement of the Durban chapter of Future Females ─ an organisation geared towards empowering female entrepreneurs.

THE BIO-EXPLORER: YOLANDI SCHOEMAN

Status: Founder of Baopod and Baoberry

Industry: Ecological Engineering

Top Accolade: The Global Cleantech Innovation Programme (GCIPSA) Award Winner for 2016

Yolandi Schoeman is a 37-year old, internationally acclaimed transformation leader in the ecological engineering space, and anchor of the Biohacker Show. She currently works as an External Lecturer and Examiner at Monash University, and is the founder of various biotechnology companies, such as Baopod and Baoberry, which recently attained the bronze award in the 2019 Eco-Logic Awards, for the Waste Management and Recycling category, as well as the Catalyser Award at the 2019 SEED Awards.

As an award-winning company, Baoberry provides ecological engineering and biotechnology services and products to NGO’s, governmental organisations, the private sector and to the public, locally and globally. Today, Yolandi is a Mail and Guardian 200 Young South African 2015 Alumnus, and holds a Doctorate in Environmental Management, double Masters Degrees, and is currently completing her PhD in Economic and Management Sciences at North-West University. She has created multiple ecological, engineering, and biotechnology innovations that concentrate on some of South Africa’s most testing environmental issues in a sustainable way and promotes clean living, such as Awetbox, BaoSphere and Aqueouspheres.

SAFETY FIRST: CHARNÉ KARAOLIS

Status: Managing Director at MSHEQ Health and Safety Consultants & Founder of Women in Health and Safety, SA

Industry: Occupational Safety and Health

Top Accolade: Top Woman Young Achiever - Standard Bank Top Women Awards (2020)

This year, Charné Karaolis, who is the Founder and Managing Director at MSHEQ Health & Safety’, was chosen as a finalist for one of the Standard Bank Top Women Awards categories, namely the Top Woman Young Achiever category. She won the award from amongst a group of very worthy women, all of whom have played an integral role within their respective companies, working to advance women in the workplace. Born and raised in Welkom, Free State, Charné is passionate about providing high quality workplace health and safety services, especially for women.

Today, she is an esteemed member of chief organisations within her field, such as the South African Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (SAIOSH) and the Institute of Safety Management (IOSM). A project that is very close to her heart, and has been well recognised over the past two years, is the Women in Health and Safety Initiative, which is a rising network of women, who support gender equality and encourage women to thrive in our profession, hosting periodical events with the aim of connecting women in the occupational health and safety industry, as well as offering annual support through their online platform.

CREATIVE COUTURE: ZAMABHELE NTSHANGASE

Founder of Belle Couture

Industry: Fashion

Top Accolade: Emerging Designer- 2019 DFF Recognition Awards

Emerging local Fashion Fundi, ZamabheleNtshangase, grew up in Pietermaritzburg,KwaZulu-Natal, before moving to DurbanCentral to pursue a career in the SouthAfrican fashion industry.

She discovered her love for fashion when she was doing her internship at the BatCentre, in 2009. She completed her studies at Lindiwe Khuzwayo Academy of Fashion Design, and today designs the most vibrant collections for both men and women, under her label titled BelleCouture. Zamabhele’s unique style is a mixture of glamour and ethnic influences which define the lifestyle of her grandiose target market.

She was crowned as one of the RisingStars at the DFF Recognition Awards in2018, after participating in The Fashion Development Programme, which forms part of the highly-anticipated annual Durban Fashion Fair (DFF). Prior to achieving this momentous accolade, the textile lover was part of the Mr Price local pre-production Mentee Programme in 2018, which propelled her career to new heights.

Today, her garments are worn by celebrities across Africa as her brand continues to make waves in the industry.

GRAPHIC GURU: KARABO POPPY MOLETSANE

Status: South African Illustrator and Artist

Industry: Creative/Arts

Top Accolade: Made the Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 List: Creative Category (2019)

Born in Vereeniging, a mining town where studying art is quite unheard of, Karabo Poppy Moletsane quickly decided to move to the city to study visual communications at Pretoria’s Open Window Institute.

The Johannesburg-based illustrator, then turned her artistic hobby into a business in 2015,founding her own organisation called Mother Tongue-Creative House, which is now trading under her own name, Karabo Poppy. Her mission is to work alongside other black creatives in trying to redress and reimagine African representation in the media and contemporary design spheres. To date, Karabo is known for being the artist behind the tagging of the Soweto Towers, which has become a local symbol of kasi (township) pride. Karabo is also celebrated for designing the basketball courts in the ZooLake public park, in Johannesburg, which was an initiative built in collaboration with Nike. This partnership then led to Karabo becoming the first South African artist to team up with Nike for an Air Force 1 collection – one that is largely inspired by her local roots rich culture.

Most recently, the quirky graphic designer had the opportunity to work with internationally-renowned fashion designer, Rich Mnisi, on a highly anticipated capsule collection, named ‘RunningErrands’. The combination of their artistic styles has been well-received thus far.

BANYANA ACE: THEMBI KGATLANA

Status: South African Football Player

Industry: Sport

Top Accolade: Made the ForbesAfrica 30 Under 30 List: Sport Category (2019)

Born and raised in Mohlakeng, a township west of Johannesburg, Thembi Kgatlana is known for her success within the South Africa’s Banyana Banyana Women’s Football Club, and for playing for the Beijing BG Phoenix FC, in the Chinese Women’s Super League. She’s had world class experience, previously playing for the Houston Dash in USA’s National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), which accelerated her growth in the international sports sector.

In 2018, she won the CAF Women’s Player of the Year Award. And to date, Thembi has accumulated 17 goals in55 senior international caps for the South Africa national team, since her debut in 2016, which was when she was still studying under the University of the Western Cape (UWC). Generally celebrated as one of South Africa’s most gifted footballers of the century, her recent transfer to Eibar marks a massive step up in the career as a female footballer.

DIRECTOR’S CUT: KEITUMETSI QHALI

Status: Director at Darling Film

Industry: Film/Motion Picture

Top Accolade: Made the Forbes Africa30 Under 30 List (2020)

Keitumetse Qhali is a director and motion picture enthusiast from the Eastern Cape, and was raised in the tradition of storytelling. Keitumetse graduated from AFDA with a BA in Film making majoring in 2011. She later completed a variety of short courses, such as editing at City Varsity, and photography at the College of Digital Photography. Making her mark as a recognised director, she has achieved much experience in documentary, short film, music video and TV show genres. In 2016, her short film, The Initiate, was bought over by Showmax, and was later premiered at the Cascade Film Festival in Portland, United States. She directed a music video for the artist Emmy Gee, titled Rands and Nairas, which won Best Video at the 2014 Nigerian Entertainment Awards. One of her biggest achievements came, in 2017,when she was selected as one of two headlining female directors from South Africa to travel to Toronto Canada and be mentored under the BET and Blue Ice Pictures Mentorship Programme. More recently, in 2019, her culture conscious documentary, Kick It, won a SAFTA award for Best Factual and Educational Programme.

VIRAL HITMAKER: SHO MADJOZI

Status: South African rapper

Industry: Music

Top Accolade: BET Award Winner for Best New International Act (2019)

Born Maya Christinah XichavoWegerif, Sho Madjozi’s rise to local and international acclaim as a musician, has been an exciting unforeseen journey. Renowned for rapping in both Xitsonga and English, she’s earned two wins at the 25th edition of South African Music Awards for Newcomer of the Year and for Best Female Album. She was also nominated for additional categories, such as Best Music Video for Huku and for Best Kwaito, Gqom & AmaPiano Album for Limpopo Champions League. Today, Sho Madjozi is widely celebrated for her massive hit titled John Cena, which has brought her unprecedented recognition from the international wrestler and actor himself. Receiving well-over a million streams on Spotify, her music has quickly gained traction, with the likes of artists such as Beyoncé and Ed Sheeran keen to have shared the Global Citizen Festival stage with her in 2019. Unsurprisingly, the female rap sensation was just signed to Epic Records, an American record label owned by Sony Music, meaning she’ll be backed by the cream of the crop in her future endeavours.

SOCIAL MEDIA MAVEN: MIHLALI NDAMASE

Status: Multi-Award Winning Content Creator and Co- Founder of Siyasizana Foundation

Industry: Lifestyle/Media

Top Accolade: One of 2019’s 100 Most Influential Young South Africans -Advance Media (1, 2 million followers)

Mihlali Ndamase, South Africa’s most followed and adored Digital Content Creator, has been making waves where she invests her time and efforts. A Brand Strategist, certified Beauty Guru, and the Co-Founder of the Siyasizana Foundation, she is a jack of all trades, making a major impact in the media and through her charitable initiatives. Mihlali’s content is both aesthetic and empowering, inspiring young women across the nation to pursue their dreams and fondest ambitions no matter how many times they’re told ‘no’. YouTube sensation and blogger, Mihlali has made her mark on a plethora of publications, such as being on the cover of HelloJoburg Magazine, and gracing the first-ever selfie-inspired cover on Cosmopolitan Magazine SA. In 2019 she was awarded the Socialite of the Year at the Feather Awards, as well as the Cosmo Influencer of the Year Sparkle Award. She was elected as the ambassador and face of the Johnsons & Johnsons Fresh Hydration range, and is the First South African Face of the prestigious Swedish brand, Daniel Wellington.

HIGH COURT: NOMLAYO MABHENA

Status: Attorney, Notary and Conveyancer of the High Court of South Africa

Industry: Legal/Property Law

Top Accolade: Youngest-ever Black female attorney admitted as a conveyancer

Nomlayo Mabhena is known for being the youngest-ever black female attorney admitted as a conveyancer. She was just 23 years old when she successfully completed her qualification at the University of Pretoria. During her time in university, she was placed on the Pretoria Law Faculty Dean’s Merit List for her excellence in studying the practices and policies of the South African legal sphere. She completed her articles at Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr back in 2017.

Over the years, Nomlayo has gained valuable experience in the Dispute Resolution, Employment as well as the Real Estate and Conveyancing practices. Nomlayo was appointed as an Associate as of 2019. Bornin Olievenhoutbosch, a township in Centurion, south of Pretoria in Gauteng, Nomlayo has navigated a fruitful career, thus far, that is based on an acute appreciation for justice and equality. Her personal mission is to use her career to play an active role in transforming notions surrounding black female practitioners in the industry.

SCIENTIFIC FLAIR: KIARA NIRGHIN

Status: South African inventor, scientist, and Stanford University Sophomore

Industry: Agricultural Science

Top Accolade: Honours at the Google Science Fair

Kiara Nirghin, the young Stanford University student part of the class of 2022, is celebrated world-wide for having invented a unique polymerth at can sustain crops, keeping them hydrated during dry, drought spells. Her innovative research has generated global recognition, including receiving the Community Impact Award, and Top Honors at the Google Science Fair in 2016. Kiara has been recognised by both The Times and the Guardian publications, on their coveted annual Top 30 most influential Teens lists. She has previously been selected by Forbes and TED to host in depth talks regarding her impactful work in the field of Science.

She was also recently named one of the United Nations Young Champions of the Earth, as well as receiving an accolade for being one of the 50most inspiring women in technology. Last year, Kiara published her first book, titled Youth Revolution, a story aimed at promoting the value of saving the environment, and inspiring young women to get involved in this environmental project.

DRIVING SOLUTIONS: DINEO LIOMA

As the Chief Operations Officer at CapeBio Technologies, Dineo Lioma believes it’s imperative to generate impactful solutions that will alter the status of health care in Africa, benchmark products against the best in the market, and remember the commercial element of science. At present, Dineo is focusing on utilising Artificial Intelligence (AI), in the field of medicine, as a tool for preventing the spread of viruses, such as TB andCovid-19, in the future.

Previously, she was chosen as one of Forbes Africa’s Top 20 Wealth Creators, and recently made the Mail& Guardian 200 Young South Africans List. With a background in Metallurgical and Material Engineering from Wits University, backed by a Masters Degree in Micro and Nanotechnology Enterprise, from The University of Cambridge, its no surprise that she is also a fellow of the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation, an organisation committed to the development of future high-impactentrepreneurs.

In short, Dineo is an innovative scientist and astute businesswoman with the repertoire of a true change-maker!