Director Woman Fastrack, March 2022

NOITIDE 2202 HCRAM ENIZAGAM NAMOW ROTCERID fastrackTHEBOSSBABEEDITION DIRECTOR WOMAN MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2022 EDITION MOC.LRIG4EPYT.WWW NO ELBALIAVA NOITIDE EBAB SSOB EHT MORE MEET THAN MMINA THE CAPABLE BOSS BABE, OF DW'S FIRST +SUCCEEDING MAG + \"I ENVISIONED MY WEBSITE BRAND TO BE ON COLUMNIST THE SHELVES OF LEADING RETAIL RESTORING STORES.\" & cementing An Afrosundae identity \"BEING RAPED CHANGED MY WAY OF THINKING.\"\" SANE IGBOANUGO

CONTENTS March 2022 16 10 MWENYA C. COVER STORY S O L' 4 FAITH + FASHION BLOG 7 NAOMI MOSIANE MMINA GABOURY FOUNDER , BOSS BABE COLUMN NAOMI M FOUNDATION DISCLAIMER Copyright 2022 type4girl. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or otherwise, without the prior written and explicit permission by Director Woman or Director Woman Fastrack Magazines or type4girl. While due diligence, i.e research, has been performed to ensure accuracy and credibility, any advice and information given or presented to readers for consumption in any article contained in this Issue or Edition, whether generated and written internally by the Director Woman Editorial Team or an external contributor, the Chief Editor, Editorial Team, Contributors, Director Woman and Director Woman Fastrack Magazines and type4girl cannot accept responsibility for any damage, inconvenience or loss that may arise therefrom. disclaimerPlease read this with our Feature and Submission Policy available on www.type4girl.com.

DW ED'S NOTE BOSS BABES MAY WE READ THEM Enter the Boss Babe Column. HEY THERE DIRECTOR WOMAN, Another month, another 'damn it she's amazing!' I'll raise you Naomi Masechaba Mosiane. An absolutely phenomenal woman who's taken it upon herself to transform the lives of children and women. Her inspirational feature is on page 7. On the next page, you'll meet Mmina Gaboury, our new columnist! I know, I'm just as excited to see what she has in store for us. Incase you're wondering, we welcome women with corporate and business experience looking to share their knowledge and opinions with our growing community of rocksters. Say hello, [email protected], I'd love to hear from you. So then, we'll chat again next month. The very best, Masekane N. CHIEF EDITOR Director Woman Magazines 3 l MARCH 2022 www.type4girl.com

new MMEETMOUINR ^CAOLbTUosMHsNbEIaSbTe MMINA GABOURY HAS OFFICIALLY JOINED THE DW + TYPE4GIRL EDITORIAL TEAM AS A COLUMNIST AND WEBSITE CONTRIBUTOR FOR THE YEAR 2022!

DW MMINA GABOURY m mina Gaboury is on www.type4girl.com the brink of making her entrepreneurial debut after a stellar career in business management and consulting. The self-proclaimed 'woman binge- celebrator' will write the Boss Babe Column in monthly editions of Director Woman Fastrack as well as on www.type4girl.com for the year 2022. \"I love engaging with and educating like- minded women about things like women empowerment, business management and especially Digital Marketing. Although the bulk of my career was spent in Business Management, I actually started out as a Digital Marketing Intern after acquiring a short course certificate during my 2nd year at varsity. After graduating I moved on but Digital Marketing is something I always kept up with,\" she says. To help you get to know Mmina, we asked her a few questions! SUMMER OR WINTER? Defs winter, no bugs! YOU'VE LIVED IN CANADA, HOW DOES SA COMPARE? I was born and raised in Canada until I was around 12. My father is Canadian and my mother is South African. We moved here after my grandmother fell sick and we liked it so much we stayed... I guess. SA is a lot more colourful, with everything. Culture, food, music and even the dance styles. PINEAPPLE ON PIZZA? Anyone who hates it, has a terrible personality, sorry. HOW DO YOU SPEND YOUR WEEKENDS? Saturday are for bad decisions and Sundays are for meditation and reflection. 5 l MARCH 2022

@MMINATHEBOSSBABE x Director Woman Magazine Follow the Boss Babe Column in Director Woman Fastrack and on www.type4girl.com

DW NAOMI MOSIANE sufferNEVER EVER SILENCE. “SPEAK UP, SEEK HELP. REFUSE TO BURY YOURSELF IN YOUR PAIN. IT WILL NOT BE EASY, BUT EVENTUALLY YOU WILL FIND THE HELP YOU NEED.” - NAOMI 'MASECHABA' MOSIANE

DW NAOMI MOSIANE n aomi, aka fight him because I was thing, you jump in where Masechaba, previously exposed and there is a gap, you always is a dynamite understood what was about want to make sure that all in the truest to happen.” your children’s needs are sense of the Naomi shares with us that met.’” word. The 37 over the years, she has undergone a total of 7 HAS BEING RAPED & year-old is the founder of operations to undo the ABUSED CHANGED YOU Naomi M Foundation and damage caused by her OR YOUR WAY OF the brainchild of the rapists. Currently, she THINKING & LIVING? Kananelo M Trust. She is a survives with one lung due to courageous rape survivor an incorrect medication “Being raped definitely turned survivors advocate prescription when she was changed my way of thinking whose dedicated her life diagnosed with TB. and almost destroyed my to transforming the lives life. of children and women. WHERE DOES THE NAME Emotionally I was caged in a MASECHABA COME prison that I struggled to GROWING UP NAOMI FROM? break out of for years. Mentally, I was always at war Born and bred in Zeerust, “Masechaba comes from the with myself, stuck with Naomi spent her early questions with no answers. childhood raised by her work that I have done and in Physically, I hated my body, I grandmother. At a tender hated living in it because age, she was raped by a discovering my purpose. men felt the need to do as family friend and church they please with it. [cont] member. “I remember Someone once asked me that day like it was yesterday,” she recalls. “I what I advocate for, and my adored him because I saw him as a [surrogate] answer was ‘as a mother you father.” Three years after continuous sexual abuse cannot advocate for one and neglect, she moved to Johannesburg to live with thing her parents. “I remember thinking I’m finally free,” she shares. But that move would prove to be a worse nightmare. “My father was an abusive alcoholic and a shebeen owner and my mother was a nurse and often worked night shifts,” She says. Naomi would often be left alone to operate the shebeen, opening her up to more abuse. Repeatedly she was raped by drunk men. When the first offender at the shebeen raped her, Naomi recounts, “I didn’t 8 l MARCH 2022 www.type4girl.com

DW EYODWA KUPHELA WHAT ARE SOME STIGMAS THAT wwwww.type4girl.com CONTRIBUTE TO OR PERPETUATE RAPE CULTURE? “Intimate partner violence - a man has a right to assert power over a woman/wife because he married her; girls are responsible for controlling a man’s sexual urges e.g. if you wear tight or short skirts ‘you asked for it’; sexual violence such as rape is shameful for the victim, which hampers disclosure.” TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR ORGANISATIONS “The Naomi M Foundation’s mission is to educate and advocate against child and women abuse and rape by working closely with other NGOs and schools to prevent the violence against women and children, help survivors get justice and support and contribute to the rehabilitation of perpetrators. The Kananelo M Trust focusses on offering women pre- and post-natal or premature birth support and aims to educate and change attitudes surrounding female fertility and infertility.” WHAT WOULD THE TITLE OF YOUR AUTOBIOGRAPHY BE? “Restoring & Cementing Identity.” HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED? “I would like to be remembered as an individual who lived a selfless life, a person full of life and one who saw potential in each and every individual.” WHAT IS THE YEAR 2022 ALL ABOUT FOR YOU? “I have entered Mrs Township SA and I am looking forward to growing with the brand and collaborating with more local brands in our township to fight poverty in our communities. I look at assisting at least 10 women with fertility issues by the end of 2022. Above all I look forward to a new year of endless possibilities & growth.” [cont[ 9 l MARCH 2022

DW NAOMI MOSIANE WHAT WOULD www.type4girl.com YOU SAY TO 13- YEAR-OLD NAOMI? “You don’t have to have it all figured out, you don’t have to hide your pain and scars. Seek help and forgive yourself, it was never your fault. You did nothing wrong.” WHAT ARE YOUR BIGGEST WINS? “I was crowned Mrs. Africa Worldwide 2022, Mrs. Africa Universe Personality 2021 and I’m currently a Mrs. Township SA 2022 semi-finalist. In 2018 I was nominated as Woman of the Year at the VitaBasadi Awards hosted by Gauteng Legislation and nominated as Most Influential Individual at the Mogale City Youth Awards. In 2019 I was nominated again as Most Influential Youth. I’m currently selected for the BEA Awards in the Best Brand category.” FOR SURVIVORS “Never ever suffer in silence, speak up, seek help. Refuse to bury yourself in your pain. It will not be easy, but eventually you will find the help you need.” ¶ 10 l MARCH 2022

MY RESILIENCE INSPIRES ME. \"ONCE I’VE PUT MY MIND TO SOMETHING, I GOT FOR IT! I DON’T SEE LIMITATIONS; I DON’T BELIEVE IN IMPOSSIBILITIES AND I DON’T ENTERTAIN ANY DOUBTS.\"\" - SANE IGBOANUGO, FOUNDER - AFROSUNDAE

DW SANE IGBOANUGO S ane, as the rising natural hair entrepreneur is affectionately It was important to me that Afrosundae known, is the proud founder of formulas where also safe to use on kids 100% natural hair care brand because I believe it is important that we give Afrosundae. our kids the opportunity to really embrace WHAT’S THE AFROSUNDAE STORY? their natural identity in the most painless manner and find beauty in their natural “For as long as I can remember, I’ve always crown.” had a love-hate relationship with my hair. WHEN DID ENTREPRENEURSHIP From a young age I was blessed with the BECOME REAL FOR YOU? most luscious, gorgeous, thick long black hair. Unfortunately the easiest and quickest “Oh this is a hard one to answer because I way for my mom to maintain my natural hair cannot pin point a specific moment. From was to chemically straighten it and keep it up day one of Afrosundae I’ve always seen it to in protective hairstyles. [This] always be more than capable of succeeding and required a hot burning session under a breaking into new limits. I envisioned my hairdryer and I hated every minute of it. brand to be on the shelves of leading retail Although I stopped straightening [my hair] in stores like Clicks, Dischem, Pick n Pay etc… my 20s I had no interest in ‘going natural’. So … And in doing that I’ve always made sure I I would keep my hair covered in weaves, but looked the part from my branding to the they always made me feel like an imposter. packaging and how consumers viewed us on The strands of fake hair flying all social media platforms. over my face was super annoying “ HOW MUCH In everything that I do and eventually I decide no more - I and in every decision that was going to embrace my natural KNOWLEDGE YOU I make I always have the hair. Little did I know that that was GAIN DEPENDS end goal in my mind. [only] the beginning of a bigger ON YOUR Secondary to that, I problem. remember receiving an All my life I had never been taught WILLINGNESS TO order from a lady in JHB. how to nurture my natural hair, I LEARN! I ALWAYS We did not know each didn’t know what to do or what to MAKE SURE I other and I think she had use [so] started researching a topic MAKE MYSELF found us on Instagram most black women hardly even VULNERABLE TO and then ordered the full spoke about. I started learning range. I remember about natural ingredients and oils INFORMATION feeling so humbled that a that where great for ethnic hair, AND OPEN TO stranger trusted my the do’s and don’ts of natural LEARNING NEW brand enough to buy the haircare and mixing my own hair THINGS DAILY. entire range for her first formulas. I however still struggled purchase. I felt really find products that where right for my 4c hair proud and I knew it was too late to give up texture. Although there where options, most now.” were marketed for type 3 hair and never WHAT ABOUT WHO YOU ARE, INSPIRES YOU? nourished my hair enough, that’s how and when I decide to found Afrosundae. “My resilience inspires me a lot, I don’t give Afrosundae is for people like me, a 100% up easily, especially for the things I believe in natural product, with all the right nutrients most. Once I’ve put my mind to something, I to nurture my hair and make it easy to got for it! I don’t see limitations; I don’t maintain and of course smelt good too. believe in impossibilities and I don’t entertain any doubts. I’m very much a [cont] 12 l MARCH 2022 www.type4girl.com

people’s person and that allows me to engage www.type4girl.com with people from all walks of life. I learn a lot from peoples’ stories and life experiences because they help me navigate my own life. I’m a big dreamer, my husband often lightly jokes that I live in my own fantasy world which may be kind of true LOL. I’m a mom to two amazing boys and wanting to give them all that my parents gave me and more inspires me to work and push harder until I make it.” WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST ASSET? “Knowledge!!! Knowledge is power. Information is power. You can have all the physical assets you need to run a business but without knowledge on how to go about it, which doors to knock on, or even what not to do, you will without a doubt fail to sustain what you’ve started. The tricky part about knowledge is that it can’t be bought. You can use money to purchase books, go to school, seek a better degree, and learn from other people; however, money is never going to be able to take that knowledge and put it into your head. How much knowledge you gain depends on your willingness to learn! I always make sure I make myself vulnerable to information and open to learning new things daily. I love reading about other peoples’ success stories and finding out what they did to get to where they are today and how I can apply that to my own personal journey.” WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR IN YOUR FIRST YEAR OF BUSINESS? “In [my] first year of business I was more excited to be in business than worried. I didn’t have many fears, but I did encounter a multitude of challenges, the biggest being attracting new customers. I was convinced my products would fly off the shelves, but I quickly learned that consumers generally stuck to what they knew and my job was to prove otherwise. As a young black female entrepreneur, you work twice as hard for people to believe in you. Especially when you are competing with more established brands. Sometimes it can feel like you’re fishing in a huge ocean but catching no fish.” [cont] 13 l MARCH 2022

DW SANE IGBOANUGO WHAT DO YOU BLACK It can open the door to highly HOW WOULD YOU LIKE WOMEN NEED MORE OF? AFROSUNDAE TO BE influential people that you REMEMBERED? “Mentorship. We live in a wouldn’t otherwise be able to world that is ‘every man for himself’ especially so in find. Your growth is largely “We are in the business of business. Fortunately for me restoring the natural beauty dependent on talking to of a women’s crown and people and making I came from a retail and connections. BLACK impacting a rising global supply chain background which really helped me with WOMEN, LET’S CONNECT!” wellness consciousness the fundamentals of starting WHAT WOULD THE TITLE centered around embracing OF YOUR AUTO- BIOGRAPHY BE? the beauty of ethnic hair. a business. But even with “DREAM TO DARE. The usual Just like our slogan “Hair is that I can recall numerous saying is ‘dare to dream’ Strength”, Afro Sundae aims times when I would come which speaks to the ability to to provide premium across a stumbling block and think beyond reality and products created to nourish dream big. But my lacked the necessary philosophy is a little and strengthen natural hair guidance to overcome it. different… Dream beyond resulting in healthy hair and Women tend to be so reality then DARE yourself to THAT is your strength. competitive and not always pursue everything you’ve Afrosundae’s product range dreamed of.” forth coming with is infused with natural ingredients, like beeswax, information or guidance. black seed oil, shea butter and coconut oil, which all Sadly, I’ve also met the most influential men that were more than willing to mentor contribute to the wellbeing me but in exchange of some of ethnic hair while assisting sexual gain. I have learnt in the prevention of a many lessons the hard way growing pandemic of hair but with every mistake you conditions such as Alopecia, make, you grow wiser.” hair loss and scalp eczema.” WHAT DON’T WHAT DO CUSTOMERS ENTREPRENEURS TALK APPRECIATE THE MOST ABOUT ENOUGH? ABOUT AFROSUNDAE? “Networking is a sorely “Our Afrosundae hunnies underrated concept but has definitely love our packaging and branding. Our brand crucially become so image offers consumers a important in growing your luxurious solution to ethnic business especially now mid- hair care. The most pandemic. It is important to enjoyable feature of our products is our secret floral turn to different forms of scent, makes wash day a delight! brand building and All Afrosundae products are 100% natural and suited for networking is one way. We as all skin types. Our hair care range is also black women tend to be suitable for children and the products are formulated to judgmental of each other and hydrate, soften, help hair that often creates a barrier retain moisture and ease that almost makes it detangling. Qualities that impossible to network and help prevent breakage.” collaborate. There is so much power in collaboration, your network is your net worth! Networking allows you access to opportunities you might not be able to find on your own. 14 l MARCH 2022 www.type4girl.com

DW SANE IGBOANUGO WERE YOU ALWAYS new challenges. My vision is bottles of each product and ENTREPRENEURIAL? to make Afrosundae a replenished as I sold. My household brand, not just in first tip would be to save. “Yes, since high school! The Africa but around the globe. I This may be the longest first business I ever started would love to expand our route but there’s a certain was a loan shark business in product offering to other level of accountability that school. I didn’t know hair care product needs. In kicks in when your business anything about profit 2022 I want to live in is self-funded. The second margins and interest rates so gratitude, and in tip is to seek an investor, my my return on a loan was appreciation of where I am first choice would be a family always double, if you borrow now but also focused on member or close friend who R2, you’d pay back R4… And I where I want to be.” believes in your vision. This made a killing for as long as way you avoid the red-tape it lasted! While studying WHAT ARE YOUR TOP of formal funding plus, it’s Fashion Design I launched FUNDING + BIZ FINANCE common for friends and my own fashion line, InSane TIPS? family investors to accept an Designs, which premiered on interest-free arrangement Fashion Tv Durban. “I was really blessed to have because they want to see you Unfortunately soon after the my husband buy into my succeed. launched I relocated to Cape vision. I funded Afrosundae As a startupreneur you are Town to further my studies with his investment and my usually your own financial and discontinued the line. savings. I didn’t want to start manager and in control of Years later I then founded Afrosundae with a debt, so I every income and expense. Bibleblahblah, an evangelistic started small with just 20 In the beginning I had a lot t-shirt and accessories of cash customers, and I business, sharing God’s love would find myself spending through fashion. This was that money on personal probably my first serious needs. I then decided to get business venture and it myself one of those piggy taught me a lot about the banks you need to break supply chain. It helped me open to get to your money. implement everything I My cash sales would go into learned working in corporate the piggy bank and the rest and tested my ability to run a into my business account. It successful business. helps to keep your business 9 years later I founded and personal accounts Afrosundae. By then I knew I separate. This makes your was called to be an finances easier to manage.” entrepreneur. I had gained a lot of knowledge and had a FOR BLACK GIRLS better vision of what kind of business I wanted. I was ““Girrrl what are you waiting more prepared than I had for!” Those are literally my been in the past.” words to every woman I THE YEAR 2022? came across that question “2022 is my year of evidence! I do not only want to work starting their hard but I want all the fruits of my labour to be evident in entrepreneurial journey. You my business and personal life. I’m all about growth this will never know until you year, I’m ready to push my take that first step but most own boundaries and explore importantly and right at the top of my advice list - you don’t have to have it all together before you start! People always tend to [cont] 15 l MARCH 2022 www.type4girl.com

DW SANE IGBOANUGO want to wait until they have the perfect picture, all the answers and resources before making that first move. Yes, you must to some degree have a good base to start but don’t let unnecessary excuses, fears and doubt stop you. Time waits for no one!” FUN FACTS “I love a good vibe - I love to dance and I’m a huge amapiano fan; I cannot and I refuse to live without God!; one day I would love to be an adoptive parent.” ¶ 16 l MARCH 2022 www.type4girl.com

DW MWENYA x S O L' MWENYA CHITAMBALA: SHE PLANNED AND GOD LAUGHED Picture: @limbikani_phiri_photography B ubbly, passionate and grounded in Christ, that’s how Mwenya describes herself. She is the founder of S O L’, a blog she started in 2014. “I started [the] blog on Tumblr and called it Untitled. Yes, it was literally called that because it never had a name! And then one day a good friend of mine gave me a bit of a push so I decided to find the meaning of ‘salt’ in different languages. Funny enough I liked the Russian [translation]. I wound up shortening and stretching the word sol’ out and named my blog S O L’ which comes from the Bible verse Matthew 5:13-16,” she explains. S O L’ became the first ever content partner for type4girl.com and after a short brand profile last month, DW dug deeper to find out more about the face behind the brand. WHAT ARE YOUR FONDEST CHILDHOOD MEMORIES? “My earliest childhood memories are of my mom working very hard. I remember back when we still used payphones - we would walk to a booth and as she made her calls, she would hold my hand tightly so I did not go running away whilst keeping clam talking to the person on the other end. Now looking back, I thought that was pretty cool and a testament of how amazing my mom is.” 17 l MARCH 2022 www.type4girl.com

DW MWENYA x S O L' WHAT TRENDS DO YOU SEE Picture: @limbikani_phiri_photography EMERGING IN FASHION THIS YEAR? “This is a good question. I know we take a www.type4girl.com lot of our lead from the west and looking at current events such as award season in the US and Paris fashion week which just wrapped up, what I see coming is cleaner looks that hold power. The heels are not as high and the bags are smaller but they make a statement. I’d say statement pieces are key now.” WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE STAGE OF YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS? “Making women feel beautiful. People may think being a creative is easy but it’s not. It’s scary because you are putting yourself out there and hoping that people resonate with what they read. The feeling you get when you achieve a relatable moment with a reader is priceless.” WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR STARTING S O L’? “My biggest fear was that no one would like what I write. I had to later realise that it’s not about me - it’s about the doctor who can put on a cute outfit and look like a million bucks, or the double major student who wants to help the world feel confident in monochromatic colours. I didn't want to create a brand that people fall in love with and then 3 years later it disappears. Look I get that people evolve and things change but I wanted the community to be behind the brand forever, and it behind them. I wanted people to tell me stories of how confident they felt because they tried an outfit in their own way or that an article reminded them that joy does come in the morning even when things are tough. The longer I create, the more I realise I do it for myself too. I want the likes and community, but I love to create, I really do and I love to remind myself especially, that God’s got it and He does.” WHAT DO BLACK WOMEN NEED MORE OF? “Very good question. I think black women need more self-belief. Damn y'all [cont] 18 l MARCH 2022

DW MWENYA x S O L' are amazing! We may not be first WHAT CAUSE ranked or thought of, and we DO YOU STAND may be ignored in board rooms FOR? but we need to believe in ourselves. The story is not always “A cause I stand by going to be awesome but with our brains and beauty, girl we got is poverty it. I heard this from an Instagram audio reel - “it doesn't matter if alleviation. I don’t one million people are doing this, the space still needs you because understand how no one can do it like you, believe in yourself.”” the world has so HOW WOULD YOU LIKE S O much potential to L’ TO BE REMEMBERED? feed everyone yet “S O L’ should be remembered to be a magazine that not only had does not feed the pretty pictures and ads of perfumes and expensive hungry. This handbags, but was also a source of strength or a place to find something I am relaxation, a place to remind you that you are never alone and that extremely God will always be there, that your beauty will always be passionate about.” celebrated no matter your shape, size or colour.” WHAT IS THE YEAR 2022 ALL WHAT IS THE BEST PIECE OF ABOUT FOR ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED? YOU? “My editor once asked me, if you “I think it’s all had all the money in the world what would you do with your about creating time? Funny enough that question was the seed to the good content and creation of S O L’. Also a very close person to me making sure that told me recently, “you have to be great on your own and then more people know others will see the greatness and follow you.” about S O L’. I have So ultimately, do something that makes you happy whether it always been proud brings you a billion rands or nothing (a billion is always better of the work that though) and be great at it and others will follow. It may not be has been created, masses but if you can influence someone's life and allow them to now it’s about think positively about themselves or something, that’s great, isn't getting the word it?” out there. No man is an island so it’s important to collaborate with people who believe in your work, you and theirs.” SURPRISE FUN FACTS! “I love jumping photos; I have a big sweet tooth (my dentist makes a lot of money from me); I want a doctorate; I actually love to be alone; and I think the time 11:11 is Picture: @limbikani_phiri_photography pretty magical.” ¶ 19 l MARCH 2022 wwwww.tywp.ety4pgei4rl.gciorl.mcom

MOC.LRIG4EPYT.WWW NO ELBALIAVA NOITIDE EBAB SSOB EHT NOITIDE 2202 HCRAM ENIZAGAM NAMOW ROTCERID