Ntsiki Mkhize, social entrepreneur, speaker, author and founder of MentHer, a global mentorship network supporting female social entrepreneurs. I’ve been in the entrepreneurship space since undergrad when I ran CREAM with a friend and launched our first comic book; Young Hustla. I worked with several non-profits and social enterprises and hosted some shows on TV and this year decided to officially launch my own business combing my passion for mentorship and social entrepreneurship. Perhaps most interesting about me is that I’m a farm girl at heart, having grown up and lived on a farm most of my life.
#Zazise
Ntsiki Mkhize, social entrepreneur, speaker, author and founder of MentHer, a global mentorship network supporting female social entrepreneurs. I’ve been in the entrepreneurship space since undergrad when I ran CREAM with a friend and launched our first comic book; Young Hustla. I worked with several non-profits and social enterprises and hosted some shows on TV and this year decided to officially launch my own business combing my passion for mentorship and social entrepreneurship. Perhaps most interesting about me is that I’m a farm girl at heart, having grown up and lived on a farm most of my life.
What do you love most about what you do for a living?
I really appreciate the gift of pursing what I love each day and getting to share my gifts and talents to inspire and empower others. Even when times are tough, I’m always reminded that the challenges I face are on a path I’ve chosen. I also especially enjoy thinking of something and bringing it to life, it’s always great when an idea finally shows up in some tangible or engageable form outside of you.
#Organisation / Business – Tell our readers about your organisation / company and what you are doing to make a difference in society?
I recently launched MentHer, a global mentorship network supporting female social entrepreneurs. Our focus is working with women who currently run a non-profit/ NGO and would like to create sustainability in the work they do or women thinking of launching a business with social impact. Our aim is to support them in starting and growing their social enterprise.
Our pillars of focus are to inspire, connect and empower. We inspire through informing women about social entrepreneurship and sharing the stories of women making a difference. We connect by linking women to other social entrepreneurs in their locality and to mentors from different parts of the world. We empower through workshops and online courses and resources on self-confidence and running a social enterprise.
Do you have any role models? If so, who?
I have many role models, right now I’m most inspired by Prime Ministers Angela Merkel of Germany and Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand. Both women have led with such integrity and taken decisions that put people first even though other leaders or members of society may have not agreed. It takes bravery not only to lead, but to make a difference especially when that change goes against the norm.
What advice would you give to young Student Living women readers wanting to enter your industry or wanting to be Fempreneurs by building their own Fempire?
Start! No idea is ever to small or silly, you never know until you try. Be open to feedback and ask for it. Don’t be shy to charge what you or your product is worth. Don’t be afraid that things don’t work out, you’re not defined by falling but in your ability to get up – if you’re going to fail do so quickly so you can figure out what works and keep working on that. Don’t worry about who’s on your team or not or who says what – some things you just have to go at alone, and that’s okay.
What can be done to encourage positive changes in relation to the low representation of women in decision making roles across all sectors.
Everyone needs to be an advocate for hiring women in those roles and nominating women to be considered for C-Suit and board positions. Externally, society needs to put pressure on companies with low representation.
You’re a successful businesswoman. How do you keep a balance?
I learnt a lesson from my mentor Koo Govender about juggling a glass ball vs a rubber ball. Rubber ball things bounce back at some point if you drop that ball, but if you drop a glass ball it’ll shatter or break and that’s difficult to put back together. So I make sure I don’t break the glass ball, of course I focus on those things that are rubber ball items, but never at the expense of glass ball items.
How do you think South Africa can help in the fight against GBV?
There needs to be a nationwide re-education programme around non-violence, the long-term effects of violence, gender freedoms and equality. Women need to be taught that abusive relationships aren’t love and given safe spaces to go, especially if they are not economically empowered. Government needs to make sure more women are economically empowered so they are not dependent on men in an abusive relationship. They also need to make sure safe spaces are actually safe, so police stations and police officers must not judge or shame and women must be able to feel safe and protected by them. Men must be taught that rejection is a part of love, life and relationships and that violence is never an appropriate response. How men perceive gender roles and the authority they have must be addressed to centre around equality and manhood needs to be taught to hindge on other things apart from financial provision. Everyone in society needs to be accountable to keep each other safe and speak out when they see abuse happen on any level. Overall the country needs to heal from the trauma of our abusive part as that in itself is a seed that breeds violence in perpetuity.
Please give motivation and closing remarks to our readers.
Be bold and go fearlessly in pursuit of your dreams. Set goals and actively work to pursue them, the success and life you want won’t happen by chance. It’s up to you to change the world and create your future; no one is going to do it for you.
