KWT homegirl makes it to Top Young 200 list
A rural Eastern Cape woman has made it on to the revered Mail and Guardian Top Young 200 of 2020 list.
Amanda Qunta, 31, who was born in a King William’s Town village, could not contain her excitement at being a finalist in the civil society category.
“You need to be resilient because life will knock you down fast and hard — you need to be able to push back.”
Those were her words when she spoke to the Dispatch in an exclusive interview on Thursday.
“This is a coveted platform. I’m blessed to have been chosen out of so many people — it’s going to be a rollercoaster ride.”
Qunta is an entrepreneur who owns The Fam Event Concept Agency, which has three platforms; Buka Arts (visual arts), Bona Kude Films (panAfrican documentaries, short films and animation) and Tint Talks (an online talk show).
She said the nod from the panel of judges showed much promise.
“This is a stamp of approval from the corporate world which will make people stop and pay attention. The work we do is amazing and will go even further than where we are right now,” she said.
“I only got excited on Wednesday [the day before the announcement] and it started to sink in that this is happening. This is about being credited for my work, and creating a space for people of colour who don’t have a market to showcase their work.”
Although all three platforms are her pride and joy, close to her heart is her newest one, Tint Talks.
“It’s a safe space to gather, to be free to interact without fear of ridicule and prejudice. The main driving force is to see how people interact with each other,” she said.
Covid-19 forced Qunta to look at hosting her programmes on virtual platforms, and she said the audience had grown “organically” throughout the lockdown period.
Qunta is working on hosting sessions in the Buffalo City Metro region to pay homage to her rural maternal home of eZeleni village outside King William’s Town, and looks forward to collaborating with serious people.
Entrepreneurship is in her blood, and she started with a small business at Kingsridge High School, selling chocolates and freshly-made curry bunnies. “In my matric year, I entered the 2005 Absa Top Entrepreneur Competition for high school pupils and university students, where I reached the top 10 nationally. That was 15 years ago and I feel as though I’ve come full circle.
“I entered my business, in which employees helped sell the chocolates and got a cut of the profit. I sourced the chocolates directly from the factory,” Qunta said.
Her advice to upcoming entrepreneurs is: “You need to have consistency as it breeds results. You must be determined and believe in what you’re doing — and be able to stand up for it.”
I’m blessed to have been chosen out of so many
— it’s going to be a roller coaster ride