The society is one the largest in South Africa, representing its members (Industrial and Organisational psychologists across the country) and making sure that the industry is constantly improving its scientific knowledge.

Now, for those that are a bit confused on what it is that the Eersterust native does: She is hired by companies to set up strategies and tactics to make sure that employees and managers are happy and productive.

Not only that, but she is the founder and head of SigniFYER, one of the most respected ‘work psychology’ consultancy companies in South Africa.

Natasha’s resume includes a PhD in Organisational Psychology (University of Pretoria) and she has spent most of her professional life serving as a senior manager and management consultant to large, multinational corporations.

These corporations include KPMG, Anglo American, BHB Billiton as well as the local Transnet, to name but a few.

As noted above, she is the country’s best Organisational Psychologist and this is no exaggeration.

Last year, she was awarded the title of South Africa’s “Organizational Psychology Practitioner of the year” and in 2018, her academic paper was named as the best at the British Academy of Management’s Annual Conference (which was held in Bristol, UK).

She also holds memberships of the British Academy of Management and the European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology, and she is a sought after speaker; delivering papers, keynote speeches, master classes as well as serving on professional panels locally and abroad.

This year, she was asked by the ‘Centre for Global Inclusion’ to serve as one of 114 expert panellists from around the world.

She is one of two South Africans who have been invited and their job will be to look into the ‘Global Standards and Benchmarks’ for organisations all over the world.

In other words, she is part of the group of people who looks at the international rules of how companies and other organisations are supposed to conduct themselves in a legal and ethical manner.

Always looking for a new challenge, Natasha’s next role will be that of a senior lecturer, teaching Organizational Behaviour and Leadership as part of the MBA and post-graduate programs at Stellenbosch University’s Business School.

This is however not her first foray into teaching, since she already serves as a part-time faculty member and external examiner for the Universities of Pretoria and Johannesburg as well as supervising Masters’ research students and Industrial Psychology Interns.

During her spare time, Natasha is very community orientated, choosing to participate in activities for her local church and raising funds for the local school’s feeding scheme.

She is also fitness orientated, not only enjoying her jogging routine, but also participating in half marathons (she has already completed 11 of the Two Oceans half marathons).

As to her becoming president of the society, she says that she hopes to use this position to focus on issues that she feels will have a positive impact on the industry.

She says that she had not aimed for the position of president and had not expected to be nominated and elected.

However, she thinks it is because she is always vocal about the issues that she feels strongly about and the members seemed to have appreciated her views.

To those who want to follow in her footsteps, she advises that it is a long road that includes having maths, completing a masters degree and doing a 1-year internship.

She also says that kids should do research in what this highly specialised field of science (there are only 3000 registered Industrial and Organisational Psychologists in South Africa) entails by speaking to people and ‘googling’.

You should also find a mentor and join a professional body to become part of a network early in your career.

The post Dr Natasha Winkler-Titus Becomes President of ‘Society for Industrial & Organisational Psychology’ appeared first on Coloured South Africa .

The coach has been nominated three times over the last three years and has only this year managed to clinch the well-deserved honour.

The awards form part of the ‘gsport4girls’ initiative, which was launched in 2006 with the goal of covering the daily sporting achievements of women.

The award itself aims to identify the female sportspersons who have contributed significantly to sports in general.

This is not her only award for the year.

At the beginning of 2020, she won the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) ‘Women’s Football Coach of the Year’ award, for the second year in a row.

Last year, Coach Ellis made history by becoming the only coach to lead Banyana to its first-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification.

She is also the first South African to win the Cosafa Cup Championships as both a player and a coach.

The post Coach Desiree Ellis Wins ‘Coach of the year’ Award appeared first on Coloured South Africa .

Now, for those that do not know, a backyard dwelling is an informal structure that has been erected in a backyard, much like a shed. In this case, Melene spent the first nine years of her life in the backyard of her aunt’s Bellville South home, in what was essentially a zinc house. Given that the house was made of the same thin metal zinc sheet used to place on top of roofs, it was not exactly luxury accommodation. Hot in summer, cold in winter and with no plumbing; Melene admits that it was bleak and not the kind of place where a kid could dream big.

Despite all of this, Melene still managed to excel both in academics and sports. In fact, when she was eight, she attended her first national athletics event in Pretoria where she won her first gold medal. Running barefoot, it made her realise that if you work hard, anything is possible. She says that it was sports that taught her about discipline and how to keep your eyes focused on your goals.

When Melene was nine, her mom, Deserie, managed to earn enough to rent a house and a few years later, at the age of 40, she could finally afford to buy a house of her own. This is one of the two most important parts of Melene’s story. Deserie’s determined and disciplined attitude to buying a house and making sure that her two daughters went to bed with full bellies, formed the basis for how Melene lived her life and who she would become.

After matriculating, she went on to study law at the University of the Western Cape, quickly finding her place as an activist and elected as a member of the Student Representative Council (SRC), all by the age of 18. She eventually graduated with a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) in 2006, and worked for a law firm as a Candidate Attorney. This is where she discovered that she is just like her mother.

Now, to understand what is meant by, ‘she is just like her mother, you have to know the second most important part of Melene’s story. Her mom, Deserie, was that aunty in the neighbourhood who took in anybody that needed help, especially abused women and children. It did not matter how little they had or whether they lived in a zinc shed or brick house, as far as Deserie was concerned, there was never an excuse to not share. When Melene started working, she did not know how much like her mom she is really is.

As a candidate attorney, her job included giving legal advice and charging a fee for that advice. Instead, she spent most of her time giving legal advice to people who could not afford it and did not have the heart to charge them. She also felt guilty for not charging her clients, so she used her own salary to cover the fees. If she was ever going to stand a chance of putting food on the table, this was not going to work. She needed another plan.

The following year, she became a legal researcher at the Constitutional Court of South Africa, where she worked for the struggle icon and Constitutional Court Judge, Albie Sachs. Her reputation for being a hardworking and competent young person propelled her into the Office of the Presidency in 2010 where she was appointed as the National Cabinet Committee Secretary responsible for Justice, Crime Prevention and Security as well as Governance and Administration. She then went on to work as a Special Advisor to the Minister of Sports and Recreation and Media Liaison for the Minister of Tourism. As her professional CV grew, so did her salary and she was finally able to make her mom’s life a little bit easier. She did not stop there however.

During this time, Melene also graduated with a Masters degree in Public and Constitutional  Law, graduating in 2012. She also completed Diplomas in Media Studies (Institute for Journalism South Africa) and through the prestigious Mandela Washington fellowship, she completed a course on Governance and Democracy (University of Virginia) and Leadership (William & Mary – Raymond A. Mason School of Business).

Melene’s future was secured. She was a highly experienced and highly respected professional with several qualifications and a network of influential contacts right across the world. Although she appreciated the opportunities that was given to her, she was still just like Deserie, that auntie in the neighbourhood that was always helping people.

In 2017, at the age of 32, Melene created the ‘Women Lead Movement’, an organisation that empowers women and girls through mentorships and human rights programmes. Now, creating an organisation to help people is not as easy it sounds. She had to use her own money so resources were tight. However, despite its humble beginnings, Deserie’s daughter worked hard to rapidly turn it into a highly effective organisation.

In less than 3 years, the movement has managed to empower more than 2000 women and young people and has been recognized by local and international human rights agencies. It has expanded internationally, opening an office in Madagascar with plans to open another office in Namibia. Although it focused on women empowerment, it also runs projects to teach boys and young men about the rights of women so that they can become better adults.

Melene’s work with the organisation led to international recognition. She has already been selected as an Inaugural Obama Leader in Africa, a Future Africa Forum Leader and a Mandela Washington Fellow. She had been selected by the International  Advocacy Organisation,  ONE Global Campaign, to feature in three of their global campaigns (“Progress not Promises”, “ Yours  in Power” and “Pass the Mic”) and she has had the honour of meeting former President Barrack Obama (as an Obama Leader). As a Future Africa Forum Leader, she has written and spoken extensively on Democracy and Governance in Africa and generally sought after to speak at international conferences (which include being the moderator at the Global Gender Summit in Rwanda).

This year alone, she had been selected as one of the JCI’s 2020 ‘Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World and a JCI ‘Ten Outstanding Young Persons of South Africa’ (nominated for her ‘Contribution to Children, World Peace and Human Rights’). More recently, she was selected as one of Africa’s ‘100 Most Influential Women’, in the category of Philanthropy. She is listed among African powerhouses such as Graca Machel and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

These days, when she is not running the movement, she is doing the thing that started her on her current professional course: she gives free legal advice to those who can’t afford it. She is also running around doing multiple interviews and being asked to speak at various events.

Yes, Deserie’s daughter did quite well for herself but that’s not the moral of the story. The moral of the story is this: a little person grows up to be the culmination of many influences, the most important being the one who raises and cares for them. Deserie is hardworking and so is her daughter. Deserie is kind and so is her daughter. Of course, as an adult, you eventually make a choice as to what you want to be. Thank goodness that little Melene Rossouw grew up and chose to be just like her mom.

The post Melene Rossouw: From Backyard Dweller to Lawyer to International Award Winner appeared first on Coloured South Africa .

The 35 year old clinical psychologist’s star continued to rise when she was recently appointed as the Head of Psychology at the University of Johannesburg.

Born and raised in East London in the Eastern Cape, Melissa first made headlines in 2016 when she completed her Clinical Psychology PhD at the age of 31.

In that same year, she was received her faculties ‘Teaching Excellence Award’, which basically means that she is really good at her job.

In fact, she is so good at her job, that in the following year of 2017, she was awarded the University’s ‘Vice Chancellor’s Teaching Award’.

Last year, she was again in the headlines when the Mail and Guardian included her on its prestigious list of top 200 young South Africans.

Melissa began working as a lecturer for the university in 2011, after working for 2 years as a clinical psychologist in the psychiatric ward at Helen Joseph Hospital.

As a lecturer, she teaches developmental psychology, abnormal psychology &  psychodynamic theories.

Her academic research focuses on Psychodynamic therapy process, public mental health and psychopathology.

Besides teaching, Melissa has her own highly successful psychology practise that she has been running for the past ten years.

Melissa’s students describe as tough but fair; and when they speak to her, they find someone that is kind, sweet and willing to listen.

When her students are asked to evaluate her, they generally describe her as “brilliant”, “witty” “strict”, “knowledgeable”, ‘passionate’, “ready to go the extra mile” and inspiring.

Melissa feels that being a teacher should not be about having complete control over everything in the classroom but allowing everyone’s voices to be heard.

She says that it is often the case that their voices contribute to the learning process and they help her develop her curriculum through their questions and opinions.

She believes that the only way to strive for excellence is when everyone’s voices are heard.

The post Dr. Melissa Card Appoint Head of Psychology at University of Johannesburg appeared first on Coloured South Africa .

In March of this year, the University of Cape Town celebrated the 91 year old Johaar’s 70 year long career with an Honorary Doctor of Music Degree. The aim of honorary doctorates is to “pay homage to individuals who have contributed immensely to the development of society at large”.

Not only has Johaar contributed significantly to society, but he also broke down barriers which, at the time, seemed unbreakable. It was especially unbreakable if you were a poor kid who was born in the deeply conservative era of 1928, and coming from an even more conservative Muslim family.

As the eldest of 10 children, Johaar was expected to get married and get a normal job. It was not any easier outside of his home. If he told anyone, including his teachers, that he wanted to do ballet, they would laugh at him.

There were many times when Johaar was ridiculed and mocked to the point where he felt that he wanted to sink into the ground. Although it did not feel nice, he was not about to let mean comments stop him from getting onto the world stage.

A deeply determined Johaar was the school’s star gymnast and also acted in the school’s pantomimes which were held in the Cape Town City Hall. His raw, undeniable talent caught the eye of many who wanted to throw money and opportunities at the young dynamo.

At the age of 19, he was offered the opportunity to train for three years at the UCT Ballet School. This was the sort of thing that was discouraged by the white minority administration and they made a point of showing him how unwelcome he was.

As the only person of colour, the then 19 year old had limited access to classes and was constantly the subject of racist taunts. It was obvious that the racist establishment would make his life difficult, and he had to find another solution.

The solution came two years later when he auditioned to be accepted into London’s Sadler’s Wells Ballet School. The auditions were held at Cape Town’s whites-only Alhambra Theatre, which meant that he was not allowed in. However, with the help of his many supporters, he was smuggled into the theatre and this set in motion the wheels of his internationally acclaimed career.

Johaar was accepted into the ballet but of course, his conservative Muslim parents were still against the idea of him becoming a ballet dancer. It took the intervention of his two sheikhs at the Azzavia Masjid in Walmer Estate, to convince his parents to let him go. They asked him to dance for them and were so impressed, that they advised his parents that if he gets an opportunity to go overseas, they should let him take it. The sheikhs just made him promise that he would never forget his religion.

So, with the financial help of his many supporters which included the Progressive Muslim Society, he left South Africa for the UK and quickly rose up the ranks. He joined Sadler’s Wells Theatre Ballet Company in England and became a soloist in 1956, principal dancer in 1960, and senior principal dancer of the Royal Ballet by 1965. And of course, he danced for the new Queen of his new home country.

After having spent 25 years in the UK as one of the most iconic and successful ballet dancers in the world, Johaar decided that it was time to return home. However, before he returned, he enrolled for and became one of the first dancers to earn a Professional Dance Teaching Diploma from the Royal Academy of Dance.

Back home, he wanted to focus on contributing to the development of ballet in the Coloured community, and subsequently accepted the position of Inspector of Schools for Ballet under the Administration of Coloured Affairs. However, despite his focus on Coloured areas, he wanted to help anyone who wanted it and needed it. After realising that he was prohibited from helping members of other races, he quit his job.

Johaar had started his own ballet school but was soon shut down by the apartheid government for his determination to never discriminate against anyone. His school was multiracial and at the time, that was illegal. Despite the determination of the regime to make him toe the line, he refused and continued to teach and help develop ballet to everyone, regardless of race.

Over the course of his career, Johaar has been the recipient of many awards, including the Winston Churchill Award (1975), Queen Elizabeth II Gold Jubilee Medal (1977), Western Cape Arts, Culture and Heritage Award (1999), Western Cape Premier’s Commendation Certificate (2003), Cape Tercentenary Foundation Molteno Gold Medal (2005), and the Arts and Culture Trust Lifetime Achievement Award for Dance (2016). Most recently, he was presented with The Order of Ikhamanga in Gold by President Cyril Ramaphosa in March 2019. And of course, there is the matter of an honorary doctorate.

Many years ago, it was virtually unheard of for a Muslim to become a ballet dancer. And then Dr Johaar Mosaval came along and decided to become one of the world’s greatest ballet masters. He also kept his promise to never forget who he was and that is perhaps, what made him so special. A man who achieved much but found great joy in just being himself, that poor kid born on the dusty streets of District Six, the one who became a star.

The post Iconic Ballet Master, Johaar Mosaval, Receives Honorary Doctorate appeared first on Coloured South Africa .

Performing as the final contestant for the evening, the 43 year old Belinda stunned the judges and had the audience on their feet as she flawlessly belted out the Whitney classic.

At the end of the song, the audience erupted in applause with the judges, Simon Cowell; Amanda Holden; Alesha Dixon and David Walliams, all standing up in awe of Belinda’s magnificent performance.

The episode aired Friday night in Britain and was the final round of Britain’s Got Talent auditions.

To the die-hard Whitney Houston fan, Belinda is already a well-known performer, having travelled the world as a top Whitney tribute singer.

Despite having achieved international success, Belinda felt that she wanted to take the next step in expanding her career, and saw ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ as a way of that just that.

She however did not want to brag about her already successful career, so when the judges asked to tell the audience more about herself, she just said, “I’m a singer and I do Whitney Houston songs.”

When she started to sing however, it became apparent that she is a very gifted professional.

This is however, not Belinda’s first time performing on a talent show in the UK.

In 2017, she was chosen to perform on the BCC show, ‘Even Better Than The Real Things’, where 5 tribute singers compete against other for the top prize.

Not only was she chosen among the 15000 singers that auditioned, but she also won.

The auditions were had been recorded before the COVID outbreak, so it is not clear when the main part of the show will continue.

Being a professional performer, Belinda also had several scheduled tour dates across South Africa and the UK, but it is once again not clear when she will continue with her tours.

Until then however, you can watch Belinda blow away the audience in the video below:

The post Belinda Gets Standing Ovation at ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ Show appeared first on Coloured South Africa .

Dr Ross was nominated for the prestigious National Science and Technology Forum-South32 Awards, in the category of ‘Emerging Researcher’ (formally known as TW Kambule-NSTF Awards for Emerging Researchers).

This category is basically for those younger researchers who have been working as researchers for less than 6 years, and who have contributed significantly to their field during that time.

Dr Ross currently works at the University of the Western Cape as a chemistry and nanochemistry lecturer, as well as supervising Masters and PhD students.

Coming from the small fishing community of Hawston, Dr Ross has a passion for the environment and has been a rising star in sustainable energy research.

She focuses her area of research on Electroanalytical chemistry (trying to find environmentally friendly sources of energy) and has published several papers in academic journals.

She is also a research group leader at UWC’s Department of Chemistry ‘SensorLab’.

Congratulating the nominees, UWC’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, Prof Jose Frantz, said that Dr Ross has contributed significantly to educating the public on issues related to the environment and energy.

Of the award, Dr Ross says that being nominated has motivated her to “work even harder to achieve success” so that she can “make a positive contribution to society”.

She also says that she is honoured to be nominated alongside fellow scientists who have also contributed significantly to their fields of science.

“I believe it is important to nurture and applaud emerging researchers,” says Dr Ross.

“Recognising the significant contributions of young scientists will certainly catalyse further career achievements and contributions to knowledge creation and capacity development in South Africa.”

Note: If you want to know more about Dr Ross, check out the article we wrote of her, by clicking HERE

The post Dr Ross Nominated for Top South African Science Award appeared first on Coloured South Africa .

The announcement was made on the company’s social media accounts and the company also noted that all Grillfather branches would be closed for the day.

Born and raised in Houtbay, Shane’s love for good food started with his mother who was known to the community as Auntie Henna.

Auntie Henna’s mouth-watering foods were known to all in the community, her famous curries and brownies being in huge demand at the parties she catered to.

Her son Shane however, first had to find his own way before he got back to what he was meant to do, which was to make mouth-watering foods like his mom.

After completing his studies at Cape Technikon, Shane’s taste for adventure and opportunity took him into many professions, businesses and countries.

He started by working as a supervisor at Hout Bay Fishing before venturing into the nightclub industry as a bouncer and then as a manager at the Wynberg Sports Club.

During this time, his beloved mom died and being the good son that he is, he moved back to Hout Bay to be with his dad.

When he was 30 and had experienced a wide variety of what South Africa had to offer, he decided that he needed to look beyond South Africa, moving to London where he worked as a bouncer and hotel porter.

He eventually moved back to Cape Town where managed a Stones Bar, eventually investing into nightclub franchise.

However, he exited the nightclub industry when he realised that questionable elements were starting to move in and he was a good kid that did an honest day of work.

At his home in Mitchell’s Plain, he started doing spit braais, catering to companies who liked what he had to offer.

He eventually transformed his garage into a kitchen, word spreading of his delicious burgers and meats.

Seeing an opportunity to expand, he found a bigger space on business premises in Mitchell’s Plain and opened his first restaurant, The Grillfather.

In just 4 years, the astute businessman went from operating his business in a garage to owning two restaurants in Mitchell’s Plain and Woodstock; and another on its way in Kuils River.

After the news of his passing broke, condolences started pouring in, most notably to his wife, Tina who had started the business with him.

He has been described as a kind and generous human being who believed in others and made them believe in themselves.

It is clear that he was a beloved figure and will be missed by his family and by those whose lives he has changed for the better.

The post The Founder of The Grillfather, Shane Swiegelaar, has Died appeared first on Coloured South Africa .

Now, when you look at Ezlyn’s CV, it is hard to pinpoint what she does for a living. She does however, seem to excel at everything she puts her mind to. The Kuils River born and bred achiever had initially intended to develop a career in marketing, completing a Higher Diploma in Marketing Communications from the AAA School of Advertising and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from IMM. She had also begun building an impressive resume, having worked as an accounts manager on various marketing projects which include managing parts of the advertising accounts for companies such as L’Oreal Paris, Garnier and Dark & Lovely. In 2009, the then 25 year old Ezlyn began working for Matchworld, where she was the accounts manager for the 2010 FIFA World Cup Special Projects. It was also in 2009 that she became an Executive at her father’s NGO, the DAD Fund.

Ezlyn’s father, Lyndon Barends, also has an interesting story to tell. He grew up in a shack in the Cape Town township of Crossroads and worked his way to becoming a CEO at Primedia, one of Africa’s largest media and advertising groups. Because of his history, he wanted to start a fund that would help young people rise above their circumstances through education. Prior to Ezlyn joining the DAD Fund, it was mostly just Lyndon using his own money to fund the education of promising young people. However, Ezlyn wanted to take the fund to the next level and decided that she would professionalise it.

One of the things Ezlyn did was add additional programmes which included offering bursaries, internships opportunities, entrepreneurship training and development and community-based work. She also approached several large companies and convinced them to become sponsors. Of course, given the deep passion she has for empowering women, one of the programmes she set up was the Dreamgirls initiative. She called up a few professional women in her network who she knew; all had a shared passion for empowering women. After an initial meeting, they set up a plan and on 20 November 2011, The DreamGirls Academy was founded with Ezlyn becoming one of its founding directors.

The DreamGirls Academy aims to empower girls and young women through mentorship programmes that place an emphasis on education as a means of becoming financially independent. It also assists in getting them access to education, professional and personal development information and opportunities. The academy had initially started with 30 girls in Johannesburg but soon expanded to include almost 800 girls in Cape Town, Welkom and Polokwane. As it grew and started getting more corporate sponsors, its ambitions grew and one its most ambitious projects is DreamCode BootCamp. The Bootcamp encourages young females to pursue careers in science and technology by providing them with digital skills and teaching them how to code. After having dedicated several years to the DreamGirls Academy, Ezlyn had to get back to paying the bills and like before, the dynamic young professional worked on several projects at different companies.

In 2014, she was a Technology Startup Consultant for the UK investment firm, Kobo Funds, and the following year, she became a consultant for the education investment firm, Innovation Edge. Also in 2015, she started working for Microsoft as an accounts manager for their mid-size business clients followed by a promotion to Business Applications Solution Specialist where she worked with the company’s public sector clients. Right now, her passion for helping communities are being utilised by Amazon, where she works as a Public Sector Account Manager. Her job description is to consult with non-profit organisations, educational institutions and government institutions on how to modernise their technology. Of course, the main theme of Ezlyn’s story is education and she did not disappoint.

In addition to her other qualifications, she completed a Certificate in Impact Investing at the University of Oxford in the UK and in 2014, she completed a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) at Henley Business School, also in the UK. She also acquired a Digital Transformation Certificate in Financial Services from Microsoft and Cloud Practitioner Certificate from Amazon.

Ezlyn’s ability to excel at any job she does was recognised by Microsoft when she received the ‘Microsoft Digital Transformation Award’. She was also selected as one of 2019’s ‘InspiringFifty which is an initiative that aims to identify incredible women from around the world that are the key driving forces behind top businesses in the technology industry. It was however her commitment to empowering girls and young women that won her the most accolades.

These accolades include being recognised as one of 2013’s ‘Brightest Young Minds, 2014’s ‘Mail & Guardian Top 200 Young South Africans’, 2015’s ‘Top 20 Inspirational Youth in South Africa’ and 2015’s ‘Spark* Cape Town Change Maker of the Year’. These accolades are generally given to young South Africans that have done remarkable things, have become leaders in their areas of expertise and have proven that they contributed to the development of South Africa.

Of her Dreamgirls initiative, Ezlyn says that she wants “to see an Africa where the youth live inspired, prosperous and purposeful lives”. “For this reason, I work hard to effect positive, beneficial change in the communities in which I work,” says Ezlyn. She believes that “with education, hard work and faith in a purpose and vision bigger than ourselves, anything is possible.” She also believes that “Education is Freedom” and should be a right and not a privilege for the few that can afford it.

As a kid, Ezlyn noticed that every time her dad finished a degree, their family’s standard of living improved. She applied what she had learnt to her own life and built up a remarkable set of educational qualifications as well as an impressive professional resume. However, she was not satisfied with just improving her own life. She wanted to improve the lives of others and she did. She started an academy, allowed others to dream and when the world becomes a better place because of educated women, one of the people we can thank, is Ezlyn Barends.

The post Ezlyn Barends: MBA, Technological Innovator and the One Who Empowers Girls appeared first on Coloured South Africa .

Born and raised in Worcester, Tania is the youngest of 3 siblings, a rebellious kid whose mom and dad were both teachers. She might have been rebellious, but she was by no means, a bad kid. The Worcester Gymnasium learner’s dedication to maintaining high academic standards was on full display when she matriculated in 2001 with 6 distinctions.

Being a rebel, she wanted to study something different from what was expected of her. She loved science and nature, so she studied towards a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, focusing on Viticulture and Oenology with Chemistry. This basically means that she focused on the science behind grapes and the creation of wine. She graduated in 2005 and went on to complete a Masters degree. She confesses that she did not think that the study of grapes would be hard but she was wrong and to this day, she is still learning.

While completing her Masters, she also applied for jobs and as every graduate knows, it was not a pleasant experience. She managed to secure two job interviews, both of which she did not get. However, being someone who always sees the positive in every situation, she states that “God’s timing was perfect in this regard”. “My mom passed in 2007 and if I were to get one of those jobs, I wouldn’t have been able to spend as much time with my mom while she was sick,” says Tania. Three months after her mom passed, she was interviewed at Spier Wine Farm and starting her new job as an assistant red winemaker.

Tania spent the next 5 years working hard to prove herself and her efforts were rewarded with a promotion to ‘Quality Control Manager and Oenologist’. This was followed by another promotion to the position of manager for the organic winemaking process. After a while, she wanted to get back to being a winemaker and asked her boss if she could be appointed to the position of organic winemaker. This is a job that requires a specific attention to detail and Tania had built a reputation as someone who is meticulous. She started her new job as the organic winemaker in November 2015 and has not looked back.

Tania’s first range of wines has already received the kind of recognition that is only afforded to the country’s top winemakers. The 2019 Platter wine guide awarded four-and-a-half stars to her 2016 Spier Farm House Organic Rose and five stars for her 2016 Spier Farm House Organic Chenin Blanc. Five stars are the highest rating awarded to wines. The now prominent winemaker was also asked to act as a judge at two national wine competitions.

The 36 year old Tania is still a rebel and not afraid to speak her mind. She feels that the industry is dominated by white males and that the industry’s few women and persons of colour have already brought substantial change and creativity. She goes as far as calling the industry a ‘white boys club’ but she does feel that things are changing. In the very least, she hopes that her presence will open up doors for the new generation of women and people of colour. Of course, Tania’s contribution to the transformation of the industry might not have happened, had her great grandfather not made that ‘very important decision’.

At a family reunion, she was told of how her ‘groot oupa Visser’ (great-grandpa Visser) gave up drinking. Petrus ‘Pietman’ Visser worked in the vineyards in McGregor and like most farmworkers at the time, he was paid with the dopstelsel. The dopstelsel was a system during apartheid whereby, instead of wages, farmers forced their workers to take alcohol as payment. They were ‘paid’ with a tot of alcohol, once every day, at the end of each working day. This resulted in mass alcoholism and the effects of this system are still evident in the Coloured community.
One evening, Petrus’ sister saw him drunk and said that she doesn’t want to see him like that again. Her words filled him with shame and it was in that moment that he gave up drinking. It was this one decision that led to his family becoming a beacon of success. Petrus eventually became a preacher at the Methodist Church and made sure that all of his kids became educated and more importantly, made sure that none of them worked in the toxic vineyards run by sadistic and greedy farmers. His son, who is Tania’s grandfather, became a teacher and headmaster, and this filtered through to the next two generations. Tania’s father became a teacher and raised three kids who became a teacher, a food technologist and of course, a five star winemaker.
Tania says that her great grandfather’s story made her realise that one decision can shape your life and all of the generations that follow. “It could have been so different if it wasn’t for that one right decision,” says Tania.  “What do I want my children to be part of? What legacy do I want to leave behind? Will my family and generations after me be proud to call me their ancestor? Every choice and challenge I am faced with, I try to channel groot oupa Visser.”

For those wanting to emulate her success, she has very simple advice. She says that you should get experience in different areas of the industry to broaden your understanding. Join a tasting group or start one yourself. Tasting wine is an art you cannot learn off pages of a book. She says that you should be diligent, study hard, experience as many new things as possible and don’t be afraid to ask questions. The mother of two says quite bluntly that, as a woman, you will have to be smarter and work harder than your male counterpart. It is even harder if you’re a woman of colour.

“Although there has been a lot of progress in the industry, it is still very much a boys’ club and it is quite difficult to make a name for yourself as a woman of colour,” says Tania. “You are either seen as a publicity stunt or BEE appointment.” She recounts an incident where one of the producers in Slanghoek Valley family described her as, “die BEE wynmakertjie aanstelling” (the BEE winemaker appointment). “To this day, when I do tastings or shows, I am told I don’t look like a winemaker,” says Tania. “I still feel I have to prove why I am where I am EVERY DAY which is sad but true”. Despite these ingrained problems of racism and sexism, Tania still firmly believes you should “stop being a victim of your circumstances and create the future that you want, now”. “You have to work towards your goals, fight for what you want and not wait for handouts and opportunities to come your way. Go and get them!”

Every great story starts with a one-person making the right decision. Tania’s story started several decades before she was born, when her great grandpa Visser decided that he would not allow himself to be trapped by apartheid’s cycle of alcoholism. Three generations later, his decision led to the spawning of an academically astute young lady named Tania, who went on to become an acclaimed young winemaker and a mother of kids who will someday speak of their heritage with pride. The story that could have been told was that of a generational cycle of poverty and alcoholism. Instead, thanks to the decision made by groot oupa Visser, a different story is told, that of generational success.

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