After scouring the country in search of the top and most deserving female entrepreneurs, on 19 August in Johannesburg, popular South African women’s glossy magazine FAIRLADY announced the winners of their inaugural FAIRLADY Women of the Future Awards, in partnership with Santam.
Boitumelo Ntsoane, Managing Director of Afrilink HealthCare, was awarded the FAIRLADY Women of the Future 2015 title at a glittering luncheon in front of 100 VIP guests at The Maslow Hotel in Sandton on 19 August, one of the entrepreneurial highlights of South Africa’s National Women’s Month . Ntsoane, who owns a primary health care service in the country, was elated with her win, stating that it further reinforced the feeling that she is on the right track to expanding her business empire.
“It is an affirmation that I am stepping into my purpose, and that I should just keep going. I feel that I don’t just have a job, but that I am living my purpose.”
- Boitumelo Ntsoane, Managing Director of Afrilink HealthCare, South Africa
The FAIRLADY Rising Star 2015 Award was presented to Amy de Castro, owner of Bamboo Revolution, a producer of unique bamboo and leather wristwatches. Whilst she feels the cash prize will obviously be helpful, for her winning the FAIRLADY Rising Star Award is more about the title, the acknowledgement and the platform it gives her to inspire others.
“Hopefully I can inspire young entrepreneurs – particularly women. There’s so much opportunity out there – you just have to grab hold of it. It’s a challenge being a young woman entrepreneur. I learned quickly to have a strong backbone and not to take things personally. You have to look at the challenges as opportunities to grow and learn.”
- Amy de Castro, founder of Bamboo Revolution, South Africa
The two inspiring winners were selected from a pool of amazing entries by a respected panel of successful and pioneering judges from all walks of life in South Africa which included Public Protector Thuli Madonsela; Santam executive head of Brand, Yegs Ramiah; author, motivational speaker and former PA to Nelson Mandela, Zelda La Grange; television presenter, MC and businesswoman Gerry Rantseli Elsdon and FAIRLADY editor, Suzy Brokensha.
“Being on the judging panel for the FAIRLADY Women of the Future Awards was really rewarding,’ says FAIRLADY editor Suzy Brokensha. ‘It wasn’t only the business ideas that were inspiring – although there were so many really smart ideas. The women themselves were incredible! South Africa produces formidable entrepreneurs, but these women were in a league of their own.”
- Suzy Brokensha, FAIRLADY editor, South Africa
FAIRLADY Woman of the Future 2015 winner Ntsoane received R50 000 in cash, a R7 500 online shopping voucher from Spree.co.za, an invaluable mentoring session with one of the judges, a GALAXY Note 4 and GALAXY Tab S from Samsung. She was also presented with a Buren ladies watch and a fragrance hamper from S Bacher & Company, an Elizabeth Arden hamper and a R5 000 part-time Damelin bursary.
“The entrepreneurial spirit, the drive and sheer determination displayed by each and every participant instils a sense of pride in the women of our nation – they are true trailblazers. The high calibre of their business ethics and quality of their operations has earned our winners their titles.”
- Yegs Ramiah, Santam executive head of Brand
FAIRLADY Rising Star 2015 winner De Castro received R20 000 in cash, a R7 500 online shopping voucher from spree.co.za, an invaluable mentoring session with one of the judges, a GALAXY Note 4 and GALAXY Tab S from Samsung. She too was presented with a Buren ladies watch and fragrance hamper from S Bacher & Company, an Elizabeth Arden hamper and a R5 000 part-time Damelin bursary.
For more information about the FAIRLADY Women of the Future Awards, visit their website womenofthefuture.co.za
About Afrilink Healthcare
Boitumelo Ntsoane, Managing Director of Afrilink HealthCare has a vision to transform township and rural healthcare. The company’s mission is to establish accessible24 hour HealthCare Centres of Excellence nationally in targeted township and rural areas. She feels this vision is achievable through the company’s current health systems that continue to produce positive health outcomes. The service offerings are relevant to the National Development Plan and National Health Insurance in South Africa. The company’s core services focus on the supply and distribution of medicines; wellness screening services utilizing mobile clinics; health campaign roll-outs in different sites i.e. Workplaces, schools; and home-based care services utilizing experienced nursing teams. To find out more, visit their website - www.afrilinkhealthcare.co.za
About Bamboo Revolution
Amy de Castro is the co-founder and current owner of Bamboo Revolution (Pty) Ltd. At 22 years old, Amy started Bamboo Revolution with 5 of her classmates, as part of a postgraduate diploma in Entrepreneurship in 2012. In February 2013, Amy bought out her partners to pursue the business with a new team and is focused on building an international brand. The concept was born out of the University of Cape Town’s Postgraduate Entrepreneurship Programme in 2012. Bamboo Revolution is one of the first wristwatch companies to develop a watch face made entirely from bamboo, with a genuine vegetable tanned leather strap. Each bamboo wristwatch produced has unique characteristics including an all bamboo-engraved watch face and a once-off serial number. The brand aims to disrupt the traditional wristwatch market, in that a wristwatch made from bamboo can be a modern and stylish accessory, for both men and women, from all walks of life. To find out more, visit the website - www.bamboorevolutionsa.com