RISING STAR

These women are under 30 and have passed the six-month milestone! We believe their businesses will flourish beyond the critical 1 000 days.

WHO: Andrea Smith COMPANY: Work Wanderers WEBSITE: www. workwanderers.com

After years in the corporate industry, Andrea Smith struggled with the rigidity of an 8-to-5 lifestyle. After getting a taste of working remotely while travelling around Europe, she knew this was the only way for her to earn a living, and her close friends agreed. ‘We researched various way in which to work remotely and travel,’ says Andrea. ‘I came across co-working and co-living companies, and was intrigued by this concept.’

Andrea funnelled everything she’d saved over six years to get her business up and running, and in August 2018, launched Work Wanderers, which provides bespoke travel and work experiences for remote entrepreneurs and freelancers.

‘We provide one-month co-living, co-working retreats in emerging tech hubs around the world, bringing together like-minded innovators for a shared experience of learning, sharing and career development,’ she explains.

WHO: Mpho Mohaswa COMPANY: Precious and Pearl Brands WEBSITE: preciousandpearl.co.za

Ghemere is a gingerbased drink traditionally enjoyed at social gatherings such as weddings and funerals. ‘Our slogan is “going back to our roots” – when you take a sip of ghemere, you should be transported to your childhood, enjoying your grandmother’s ghemere,’ says chemical engineer Mpho Mohaswa.

Mpho wanted to make the beverage a household brand that can be enjoyed anytime,

anywhere. With her colleague, Kelebogile Pearl Makoko, they created Precious and Pearl Brands, under which to sell ghemere using the same recipe (but with a few added preservatives to ensure a longer shelf life).

‘It’s great to know that we’re preserving the recipe for future generations,’ says Mpho. She hopes the brand will spread throughout SA and to Lesotho and Botswana, where she says there’s been keen interest.

WHO: Nondumiso Sibiya COMPANY: Boombadotmobi WEBSITE: boombadotmobi.co.za

Boombadotmobi connects waste generators to waste removal, and ensures the waste is disposed of responsibly.

Seeing the mounds of waste around her in Diepsloot in Joburg, where she grew up, was depressing for Nondumiso Sibiya. ‘Illegal dumping was common and soon public spaces were overrun; kids had to play in the streets, which led to car accidents,’ she says. Nondumiso wanted to make her community safer and waste-free.

In 2017, with the help of

funding from the Wot-If? Trust, Boombadotmobi was launched.

Catering for homeowners as well as commercial, construction and private companies, they work with farmers, who receive all-green waste for composting, and community leaders, who use rubble and construction waste to rehabilitate township streets. ‘In the next three to five years, we hope to be the go-to waste collection company in Gauteng.’