“Independence,” wrote Dr Maya Angelou, “is a heady draught, and if you drink it in your youth, it can have the same effect on the brain as young wine does. It does not matter that its taste is not always appealing. It is addictive and with each drink you want more.”
Sure, the author and civil rights activist was writing about her tumultuous life as a teenager in 1940s California. But her words would ring just as true for a multimillionaire founder of a South African haircare empire.
Khaya Dlanga has a way with words. A former copywriter and strategist, he’s worked on brands like FNB and won a prestigious Cannes Gold Lion for Nando’s. An erstwhile YouTube sensation, his monologues – halted two years ago – have amassed over 6.5 million views. A weekly columnist, he shares his political – and other – opinions in two major newspapers. A self-confessed Twitter addict, he has gathered over 120 000 followers. A Senior Communications Manager: Content Excellence, he works for the world’s biggest soft drink company. And, in person, he’s an engaging conversationalist with a warm, genuine laugh.
Rosette Mogomotsi is everything you’d expect from a supermodel – beautiful, elegant, refined – with one notable exception. She’s no diva. Instead you get humility, warmth, and generosity.
“I get it from my upbringing,” she bubbles. “I was taught to appreciate what I have, and to really love people, so I’ve never really looked down on anyone or felt that I should be bigger than anyone else.
Nils van der Linden