Just days ahead of the Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Awards on July 17, six women imbibing the tenacious and ambitious spirit of Madame Clicquot were announced as finalists.
The Bold Woman Awards commemorate trailblazing women who are not only successful but have cemented themselves in their fields and are at the helm of entrepreneurship.
The awards ceremony has two categories, the Bold Woman Award and the Bold Future Award, which will see three finalists each, vying for a win.
The Bold Woman Award recognises today’s trailblazing businesswomen, celebrating those with a proven track record of success, who have demonstrated evolution and transformation in their fields.
Morongwe Mokone — Co-Founder, Mo’s Crib
Co-founder, creative director and head of business development of Mo’s Crib, Morongwe Mokone said the awards are important because they encourage, evoke and shape a woman’s willingness to constantly invest in her personal growth.
“Through the stories of other bold businesswomen, you can find courage and inspiration. If she can make it, then so can I,” said Mokone.
As a self-taught artisan, designer, and environmentalist, Mokone’s business uses recycled materials to produce goods. She wanted to make a positive change in her community while promoting environmental awareness.
Tshegofasto Molefi – Co-Founder & Director, Moli & Mela Group
With a media and journalism background, Molefi left her career in search of greener pastures, where she co-founded the Moli & Mela Group with her best friend.
Boasting an all-female and black-run staff, Moli & Mela is an eco-friendly business in the North West that aims to advocate for and provide innovative and sustainable recycling solutions to reduce waste in landfills.
With eight trucks in the bag and 60 permanent employees, Molefi explained that a “bold woman” is one who is brave and optimistic in spite of challenges.
“Being bold means having unshakable faith backed up with action. Faith is the evidence of things not seen; therefore, you need boldness to manifest your vision and chase after your goals. Being bold means having the courage and grit to maintain consistency even when you don’t see results,” said Molefi.
Ndiambane Magadagela – CEO & Co-Founder of Everlectric
Climbing the corporate ladder has seen co-founder and CEO of Everlectric Ndiambane Magadagela making boss moves as a former principal in mergers and acquisitions, who is now making her mark in logistics and motoring.
Everlectric is an electric vehicle-leasing business and the first South African company of its kind to package leading international electric vehicles, charging infrastructure and innovative finance solutions.
The Bold Future Award celebrates the female leaders of tomorrow, honouring those with a growing track record of success who have demonstrated transformation and evolution in their fields.
Refilwe Sebothoma — Founder, Hakem Energies
With a career spanning 12 years as an entrepreneur, award-winning speaker and strategist Sebothoma believes entrepreneurship is imperative for social development in creating jobs and impacting the lives of others, women in particular.
“Entrepreneurship is a tool to change the lives of others. I have seen first-hand that when women are positively impacted in their careers they return to their communities to replicate that impact,” said Sebothoma.
Sebothoma is the founder of Hakem Energies, which makes liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) accessible to marginalised communities as a safer and cleaner energy solution for cooking and heating. It produces LPG in small, portable 5kg cylinders while offering “pay-as-you-use” refills. They have partnered with local businesses as part of their business model.
Rapelang Ramatlhodi — Founder & CEO, Solarev Solutions
Ramatlhodi believes entrepreneurship denounces the stereotype of a black woman, who is prone to an unsuccessful career, with no support from family and the community.
“As a young black woman in business, you tend to have a fear of success because in the community where you come from, you rarely see success for women. You see hard-working women who are making a living to survive, but they’re not making it to the top. It’s important to have bold women in business and in your community because they are an example of what success looks like. You can mirror that,” she said
While the world was on lockdown during Covid-19, Ramatlhodi established Solarev Solutions, an operations and maintenance company specialising in solar panel cleaning and maintenance within the renewable energy industry. They service residential, commercial and industrial solar PV systems across South Africa.
Lufuno Rasoesoe — Founder & Managing Director, Tosh Detergents
Rasoesoe’s passion for sustainable manufacturing and rendering eco-friendly cleaning detergents pushed her to start the formation of Tosh Detergents in 2021, using her mother’s soap recipe and a secret indigenous plant extract to create a range of detergents that are gentle on users and the environment. Rasoesoe is the personification of “cleanliness is next to godliness”.
