Over the past 10 years, I have written stories of bold and courageous ladies who have built their businesses, established a brand and added value to others. Here are three of these stories, updated in celebration of Woman’s month.
Buhle Lindwa of Lindwa Communications
Established in 2019, Lindwa Communications is a digital marketing agency and academy. We offer website development, brand development, digital marketing and digital skills training based on our core services.
Our core team has remained strong and consistent with the same people. We’ve grown in reach from serving Cape Town clients, through the years we’ve managed to serve clients nationwide. Including reaching clients in Europe and America offering our services.
What is your most valuable lesson you learnt in this time:
Trust the process. It might not always look good but the more you’re consistent – things will shift. Also don’t depend on your understanding alone, seek counsel from trusted advisors. Even when things look obvious, always ask God to show you which route to take. It can save you from troubleshooting problems later.
What encouragement would you give to women in entrepreneurship in SA?
Let’s fix each other’s crowns and debunk the tired narrative that we’re always in competition. We can be our sister’s keeper — by serving one another, uplifting each other, and fixing each other’s crowns.
Terine Lott Cupido from Empowerlink Services
This August, EmpowerLink Services proudly celebrates nine years since its official company registration, coinciding with Women’s Month in South Africa. Founded by Terine Lott-Cupido, the business began operations in 2017 with a mission to provide accessible, flexible Human Resources (HR) expertise for small to medium-sized businesses (SMEs) that need support on a once-off, part-time, or project basis.
Over the years, EmpowerLink has supported entrepreneurs and SME owners through tailored HR solutions while also fostering internal growth. Eight youth have been mentored through internships within EmpowerLink Services over the years, with two, Wela Mfenyana and Kim Floris-Davids becoming integral team members who have contributed to their company growth, for more than six (6) years to date, together with their company’s trusted implementation partners.
Each client’s needs are addressed through an initial HR gap analysis enabling bespoke HR solutions.
Services, they have supported their clients with include HR legal compliance, employment contracts, employee relations, employment equity, HR policy development, conflict mediation, health and safety audits, disciplinary processes, performance management, employee engagement surveys, HR training, and employment vetting checks, but to name a few.
Key entrepreneurial lessons, Terine has learned include: investing in effective marketing, understanding client challenges to offer relevant solutions, and maintaining strong financial oversight.
Terine’s encouragement to female entrepreneurs is to embrace the right opportunities, participate in pitching competitions, join supportive networks, collaborate with value-aligned partners, and consider freelancers to help scale before insourcing roles.
Looking ahead, EmpowerLink remains committed to empowering business owners and their teams, unlocking potential and delivering value through bespoke HR solutions, one SME at a time.
Happy Women’s Month to bold steps, brave women, and the next chapter.
Wendy Turton and Sonja Kloppers from Elcarbo and Ekamant
Elcarbo Industrial Supplies is a supplier of abrasives, engineering tools and consumables as well as PPE and has been in existence for 26 years.
Ekamant South Africa is a converter of abrasive products and has been supplying the South African national market for 16 years.
Over the last ten years the combined turnover of these two companies grew by 250% and the employee count more than doubled.
In 2016 a BEEE transaction was concluded allowing Elcarbo and Ekamant to achieve a level 1 BEEE rating on generic qualification. We continue to achieve these rating because of not only beneficial ownership but also large investment in various development projects as well as a passion for transformation and improvement.
Elcarbo recently moved into a new building covering just short of 3000sqm.
The product portfolio for Elcarbo has more than doubled in the last decade, currently totalling more than 100 000 SKU’s.
Both companies are in the process of changing ERP systems to align the companies strategically with improved customer service and productivity via AI.
I have learnt in the last 26 years that every great and commanding moment starts with some enthusiasm and passion. Never underestimate the learning of a new skill.
What encouragement would you give to women in entrepreneurship in SA?
Every day that you are out there building a business, you do not just build income, you build a legacy. Find yourself a mentor and trust your instinct.
Keep going – you are doing far more than building a business – you are rewriting the future.