Aviwe Gxotiwe, an award-winning farmer in the Eastern Cape, has a go-getter attitude. He believes in pushing himself to new heights – mediocre is not an option. Lindiwe Sithole, host of African Farming Season 2, gets to experience his infectious passion for business first-hand as she talks to him about his big dreams for the farm Soutvlei. 

Gxotiwe strongly believes in creating jobs and helping his employees to reach their full potential by investing in various training and skill-enhancing programmes.

Experience has shown him that most farmers have a wealth of information ready to be shared with those who need it. These farmers simply need a platform and resources to enable them to share what they know.

Lizemari de Klerk, a marketer from Vleissentraal, says building good relationships with various experts and sharing knowledge play a critical role in growing a farming business. “At an auction, farmers get the opportunity to do just that.” 

According to her, the selection of good genetic livestock is the foundation on which a farmer delivers better-quality products. “At an auction a farmer can talk to an array of experts who will share knowledge of the animals presented during the auction.”

She says this will enable a farmer to make a better choice regarding the selection of good genetic material to breed better animals. She believes the best way to enhance the genetic make-up of a herd or flock is the process of selecting the best possible animals. “The better the product a farmer delivers to the market, the more opportunities the farmer has to make more profit. 

De Klerk says auctions are an easily accessible platform that a farmer can use to explore all the available selection options. “Begin by identifying the shortcomings of your herd or flock, and then try to select animals that will improve your animals.”

She says most farmers who visit auctions are open-minded and love to share information on what works for them. This makes an auction the ideal opportunity for emerging farmers to build a network with livestock industry leaders who can help them grow their business. 

For more information about Vleissentraal visit www.vleissentraal.co.za.

Tell us a little about your team

We have a continent-wide network of artisans. Such as Mamadou who makes our Batik in Cote d’Ivoire; the cooperative of women who make our Bogolan in Mali; our brass-maker in the slums of Kibera, Kenya; Senait who makes our bags in Addis Ababa; and many more. We also have a production manager and 4 tailors working in our Addis Ababa workshop.

Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?

I am an interpreter by trade, though I did go to business school before I graduated from interpretation school. Interpretation was always my passion and I have enjoyed it for the past 20 years. I have worked for major international organizations, the last one from 2012 to 2017. I did, however, need a creative outlet. I did some soul searching and understood what I wanted to create, and that is how Afropian came about. I wanted to do something creative, focusing on Africa and Africans, telling our stories in our own voices. I wanted to make Africa shine, while enjoying the process.

What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?

I want to become a household name in African sustainable luxury and be present in major brick and mortar stores.

Kids Dialogue started off as an experiential telemedicine platform in South Africa to empower parents and children from a mental health perspective. However, co-founder sisters, Candice Lambert and Kim Bergh, saw needs that existed hinging on mental health, such as behavioural optometry, occupational therapy and research. Their ground-breaking business mental wellbeing offering is unlike any others that have featured in their market. They have seen the linear models that are implemented and that don’t create long-lasting sustainable results. Additionally, families are at home predominantly due to Covid and so there is a big need to create boundaries but empower and grow into a powerful CONNECTED network or family. Kids Dialogue has products and services that transcend the normal way of looking at wellbeing. For Candice and Kim, it not just about sitting in therapy, it’s about actively working at and grappling with what the future requires of us and our kids.

Kids Dialogue is now launching Edu-Bump Support, whatsapp support group for moms-to-be and even Moms-to-be for the 2nd, 3rd or 4th time; including those who are planning to adopt a child. Speaking about the launch of this exciting new offering, Candice says:

“For the most part, becoming a mother is filled with excitement and loads of researching on google about various topics. We found ourselves tracking every movement and bodily or mood change, rubbing out belly and connecting with the inside womb world where baby/babies are forming their bonds and linkages with the outside world. We count the days to their arrival as we go for 4D scans and pick out the right colours for the baby room! However, often this journey could induce anxiety, as we may worry about what type of mother we will be, “will I have enough love for the second as I did for the first?” “How do I juggle being a wife and a mother?” “How do I raise a child in a pandemic?” Medical research shows that transitioning to becoming a mother – whether first-time mom or second or third… the transition has its own set of challenges.
These common parenting challenges coupled with an already stretched mental state in our nation could be catastrophic. Kids Dialogue is here to assist!”

The Kids Dialogue Occupational Therapist, Minky, who is passionate about mental health especially those of moms-to-be will be managing a Whatsapp group that will support you during this time. Please prioritise your mental wellbeing and that of your soon-to-be little world-changer by joining this new group and engaging. There will be scheduled workshops with various professionals from time to time based on the requirements of the group.

Various practitioners in specialist areas may be able to run online workshops to assist moms in certain areas and answer questions such as: “Can I exercise when I am pregnant?”, “How should I make the decision of natural / C-section birth?” “What activities and routines should I out in place in order to maintain good mental health and support within my current network?”, “How do I raise a child as a single parent?”

What makes this new service offering different is that it is run by moms who have gone through various journeys and have backgrounds in medical / healthcare. Providing practical and sound advice during times when moms cannot attend workshops, receive new and updated information from family (due to covid restrictions and health requirements due to potentially being pregnant). This is all FREE of charge. The whatsapp group will go live and be active from 1 August 2021.

Speaking about her aspirations for this new initiative, Candice says: “We want to reach as many moms as possible during this time and help them function optimally during this time for the health and wellbeing of themselves and their child / children / family.” 

She adds: “There is an African Proverb that goes, “It takes a village to raise and child” and at Kids Dialogue, one of our biggest assets is our community and far-reaching network of people, knowledge, care and love.”

To find out more, send an email to info@kidsdialogue.com or Whatsapp the team at Kids Dialogue on 071 561 3813 / 072 614 1086 to join and they will add you to the group.

Visit Kids Dialogue at their website www.kidsdialogue.com or check out their social media platforms:

FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE

Book Review

For all those women entrepreneurs who have built a business and a brand, but for whatever reason now need to plan their successful exit, help is at hand thanks to the great new book Poised for Exit: A Woman Entrepreneur’s Guide to Business Transition by Julie Keyes.

Author and entrepreneur Julie Keyes believes that regardless of your age, gender, industry, or company size, you will eventually need to exit from your business. How well you exit is largely dependent upon how well and early you plan. Julie’s new book, Poised for Exit: A Woman Entrepreneur’s Guide to Business Transition, is meant to help prepare you and your firm for an exit based on your own terms.

Your business exit will likely be the biggest financial transaction of your life, and for the majority, you have one shot at doing it right. The tools and checklists in Poised for Exit: A Woman Entrepreneur’s Guide to Business Transition are meant to help you lay some of the groundwork. It will also give you a guide for what comes after an exit.

Author Quotes

This book is meant to help prepare you and your firm for an exit based on your own terms.

Regardless of your age, gender, industry or company size, you will eventually need to exit from your business. How well you exit is largely dependent upon how well and early you plan.

Your business exit will likely be the biggest financial transaction of your life, and for the majority, you have one shot at doing it right.

About the author

Julie Keyes is a national speaker, teacher, business consultant and Certified Exit Planner. As a life-long entrepreneur, and current faculty member for Hoopis Performance Network and the Exit Planning Institute, she brings an uncommon set of skills and talent to every speaking and consulting engagement. Julie is the owner of KeyeStrategies, a small business advisory firm, and she has recently launched her own podcast show titled Poised for Exit. Her mission with every reader, client or audience member is to unpack the mystery of Business Exit Planning, explain the process and provide a road map for succession that owners can understand, and advisers can implement. Her mission is to help entrepreneurs exit on their own terms and not someone else’s.

www.poisedforexit.com or www.keyestrategies.com

by Josefa Massinga

We are living in difficult and new times, where overnight our lives and activities have changed. It is time for each one of us to think about developing some new activities and acquiring new good business opportunities.

Below are some tips on how to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and win good opportunities with your business. 

1. Always know where you want to go

One of the big mistakes made by those who want to start up in business is that they do  not have a defined objective. What is your main objective? If you want to be a reference  point in the clothing sales area, for example, you can start with studies of ideal materials, where to find the best sales channels, initiate contacts with the public, and improve your products. This will help you to keep in mind where you want to go and then how to set small goals that will move you closer to achieving your goals.

2. Be persistent

Keep in mind that there is a viable solution to your problem: just find it! In the business world, the professional depends on several external variables. In some moments, unforeseen events occur that can provide reasons for discouragement, but what differentiates and highlights the great entrepreneurs is their persistence.

3. Don’t be afraid to take risks

Knowing how to start a business is already the first step, but it is also a big risk. From there, look for ways to stand out from the competition and offer something that carries your performance as a differentiator. It is okay to take risks and learn from this endeavour! Even mistakes are excellent opportunities for sustainable and healthy growth.

4. Do more than expected

Sticking to the basics can yield some growth for the business, but to embrace growth it is necessary to have something that actually engages customers and allows for expansion in the market (niche market) a solution that fills the main gaps that these consumers notice in other products and services they need.

5. Seek knowledge incessantly

As we’ve seen, the entrepreneurial mindset requires courage and dedication on the part of the entrepreneur — these are the real keys to success. Trends change, as do challenges in your field. So, nothing is better than studying hard to anticipate these issues and, when they arrive at your business, make the right decisions in favour of growth. Finally, know that every journey, in business or in life, requires a good deal of knowledge. So keep learning.