Women in business, influencers and innovators gathered for a TSIBA Business School networking event on Friday 25 August, aimed at aspiring entrepreneurs and anyone intrigued by the “meteoric rise of influencer marketing” and “side business hustles”.
The event featured a panel of accomplished entrepreneurs and industry pioneers that included businesswomen Thobela Mfeti, Yonela Msutu, Nuriyah Gallo and Kim Terry.
Msutu, a TSIBA alumnus who hails from Masiphumelele, says she loves motivating young women to be “whoever they want to be”.
“I am career-oriented and love motivating young people. I’ve learned that communication and how you sell yourself for a job or opportunity is very important.”
The 26-year-old, who matriculated at Fish Hoek High School, says she learned early on that having one job in today’s economy was simply not enough.
“I have side jobs as well as a corporate 09:00 to 17:00 job. I started waitressing at a young age and the way the economy is as well as being the only breadwinner, you must have side hustles, and I would like to inspire young girls to do the same.”
She says her biggest role model has always been her mother, who worked as a domestic worker to raise her and her sibling.
“My mom inspired me. I grew up with my aunt in the Eastern Cape.
“Most of my life my mom was a domestic worker because she never had a matric certificate.”
Musutu explains that she lived in the Eastern Cape from the age of five until Grade 9.
“When I came back to Cape Town and went to Fish Hoek High School, at the time there were fewer black kids at the school and many people wondered how I got there.
“My mom did her best and put me in that school. She is my role model because she was bold enough to say that although she is a domestic worker and tea lady, she would give me that education.”
As a teenager, she started selling sweets and waitressing and learned how to make a profit.
“In the Eastern Cape I was an entrepreneur and sold sweets, everyone thought I would be the biggest entrepreneur.
“In Grade 12, I started waitressing, and my mom couldn’t afford everything but gave me everything she could.”
The young woman says she worked hard, and it taught her to take hold of her life and the environment she was in. After matric, she enrolled at TSIBA Business School, where she graduated.
Her advice to young people is to learn how to sell yourself, starting with your CV.
“The first step is your CV and how you sell yourself. Secondly, when you are networking, talk about yourself and your five-year plan, where you want to be and what skills you have.
“You also need to look at your appearance and ask yourself whether you are dressed for the event. Most people shy away from selling themselves.”
She adds that young aspiring entrepreneurs need to see what works for them.
“In this generation, it is not a must to build a business, you can see what works for you, such as being a Youtuber and being paid for campaigns or having an idea for a product and getting funding for it.
“We need to move away from only having one job.”
Meanwhile, fellow panelist Mfeti says the exponential changes in technology have changed the game for everyone, from businesses to individuals.
“Change is the only constant; however, the rate of change is not constant. Businesses are being disrupted and individuals are household names.
“As I continue to build my personal and professional brand, I remind myself to be open to change and growth.”
