Shades & Layers

Send us Fan Mail This is an oldie but goodie from the archives. This conversation was recorded in 2024, but its principles and teachings are timeless. Susanne Mariga is an expert in finance and she's been doing taxes for clients since she was a 14-year old in her dad's accounting office.  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we connect with Magogodi oaMphela Makhene, author, speaker and founder of Love As A Kind of Cur e and thought leadership coach. We trace her entrepreneurial journey from her focus on social enterprises, how she was led to writing and then became a coach who helps Women of Color to turn their stories into intellectual property and income.    Magogodi is a sought aft...

Send us Fan Mail Bisila Bokoko is an international business woman who got her start in the  corporate world in Spain and then eventually in the USA. Today she shares her journey from corporate executive to international entrepreneur, wine brand founder, and creator of the Bisila Bokoko African Literacy Project .  Born to African parents from Equatorial Guinea in Spain, she jokingly calls herself a...

Send us Fan Mail What if business success isn't about endless growth? Sundra Essien, co-founder of Isang's Hair and Body , returns to Shades and Layers for our 100th episode for this discussion. Sundra and I first spoke in 2020 during the first season of the podcast and a period of uncertainty in the world. Today, she returns to once again challenge everything you think you know about en...

Send us Fan Mail BONUS EPISODE 📣 INTRODUCING our new podcast bestie Madame Speaker Says hosted by Magogodi oaMphela Makhene.  For this special bonus episode, we did a podswap and the featured guest is skin educator, beauty editor and founder of ThisThatBeauty, Felicia Walker.  The skin is your largest living organ and Felicia believes it is not vanity to care for your skin. It needs care like any...

Send us Fan Mail We celebrate five years of Shades and Layers by reflecting on the top entrepreneurial lessons from dozens of women who have shared their journeys on the podcast. This special birthday episode distills key insights that transcend industry, geography, and experience level to help entrepreneurs at any stage of their journey. • Embrace change - the pandemic forced entrepreneurs to ada...

Send us Fan Mail In this week's episode, Isha Gaye shares her journey from aspiring lawyer to founder and CEO of Afrique Noire Magazine , a print publication celebrating African creativity and connecting the diaspora to the continent.  As a 2020 college graduate, nothing unfolded as planned for Isha and so lockdown forced her to reflect on her true wishes for her own future. Isha has always k...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when the dream your mother sacrificed everything for becomes your personal nightmare? Johannesburg-based filmmaker Karabo Lediga joins us to explore this haunting question through her debut feature film " Sabbatical " – a raw, honest portrayal of mother-daughter relationships in post-apartheid South Africa. A 30-something year old woman called Lesego, is the...

Send us Fan Mail In 2020, then nurse practitioner, Shaina Rainford got seriously ill from COVID. She survived the illness, but lost all her hair and found nothing on store shelves that could help with her condition. Then, she remembered that her younger sister went through something similar – not COVID – five years prior, and their mother had made a concoction that helped little sister to grow her...

Send us Fan Mail One of the most effective ways to succeed in entrepreneurship is mindset. To help you get in the right frame of mind for your new or existing venture, The SAL Podcast gets you a coach to answer some challenging questions on your journey to success. This time we have Performance Coach and Happiness Expert, Brandi Hudson. In this episode, she breaks down her B.A.S.E. framework that...

Send us Fan Mail IN CONCLUSION In the second part of this conversation with Palesa Mokubung, we discuss some of the challenges facing African designers, particularly when it comes to serving a market that is more and more shopping online.  We also get into the behind the scenes at Mantsho, Palesa's fashion brand as well as the Shades and Layers Rapid Fire.  Mantsho has been making waves in th...

Send us Fan Mail This is the first part of a two-part conversation with renowned South African fashion designer Palesa Mokubung. In this conversation, she shares her 20-year journey with Mantsho by Palesa Mokubung , the fashion brand she founded after working as an intern at another iconic South African fashion house, Stoned Cherrie.  This episode is both a celebration and a walk down memory lane...

Send us Fan Mail Amanda Sebolai is the founder of the South African natural haircare brand, Dignify Afro Beauty and my guest in this episode of Shades and Layers.  Amanda's personal journey of embracing her natural hair led her to create a line of innovative haircare products that celebrate African beauty and self-love. Inspired by her daughters, Amanda's products are helping to transfor...

Send us Fan Mail In this essential episode of, we sit down with Palesa Segomotso Motsumi, a trailblazing creative social entrepreneur and curator. She is the founder of Sematsatsa Library, a creative consultancy and curatorial agency based in South Africa.  Palesa's work occupies a space where art, culture and technology meet - she uses dialogue as a tool for change, storytelling as social in...

Send us Fan Mail Today I'm in conversation with Zimbabwean-born and Italy-based serial startup founder and entrepreneur, Tadiwa Mwashita. Her latest venture is the Italian Social Impact Startup, Feedel Africa. They provide services to innovation hubs and non-profit organizations on the African continent, with a special focus on women led startups.  Some of the services Feedel Africa offers in...

Send us Fan Mail Naeemah LaFond, a celebrated editorial hairstylist, is not just styling hair but shaping the future of the beauty industry. Her journey from a court clerk to working alongside icons like Beyoncé and Amapiano singer Tyla is a testament to her passion and dedication. Naeemah's journey in the hair industry is heart driven and intentional, this extends to all that she does, inclu...

Send us Fan Mail SUMMARY This week, I'm speaking to Barbara Clark Ruiz, a multifaceted solopreneur known for her activewear designs and dog treat brand 'Lick You Silly.' Barbara shares her journey from childhood in Portsmouth, Virginia, to designing for global brands like Ralph Lauren and Adidas, and collaborating with Venus Williams on her activewear brand Eleven by Venus. During t...

Send us Fan Mail The books your children read can shape their self-identity and cultural awareness. Join me in conversation with Khumo Tapfumaneyi, Co-Founder and Director of Ethnikids ,  as we discuss the life-changing power of diversity in children's literature. We discuss how Ethnikids, an online children's book store,  is transforming the South African book market by offering a range...

Send us Fan Mail In this week's episode, we connect with Nsimire Godman, Founder of Raha Copenhagen . This Denmark-based creative shares how a humble background in Rwanda and a spark of creativity during the pandemic led her to create inclusive, aesthetically pleasing soy wax candles. Listen as Nsimire recounts her year-long journey of mastering the craft, overcoming challenges, and discoveri...

Send us Fan Mail  South African podcaster and social media marketing specialist, Lizzy Hudson is the voice behind the Live to Thrive Podcast. In this episode, she shares her journey into podcasting, inspired by the tragic event of George Floyd's murder in 2020. We discuss the personal impact of this moment and how Lizzy's podcast focuses on amplifying the stories of people of color heali...

Send us Fan Mail It all started with a wish for a satin-lined beach hat. When Rachel Osborne could not find one on the market, she set about creating her own.  She spent 2023 researching and testing her concept for luxury satin lined, and adjustable hats that would offer "no-frizz" experience for curly and kinky hair. As a result, her brand RAINA was born. The creation of RAINA is very m...

Send us Fan Mail Fikile "Fix" Moeti calls herself a Lightworker and you’ll find out what she means by that in this episode. The Social Entrepreneur is the founder of a pay-it-forward education and women-focused social enterprise, The Fix Scholarship. She is a well-known former radio DJ and MTV South Africa presenter.    This long-time yogi is now navigating a new chapter as a mom and own...

Send us Fan Mail Bonnie Meslane is the Founder of the online lifestyle and culture magazine, Nounouche Online. The Johannesburg-based publisher is also the force behind the A-list Public Relations and Communications company,  Azania Public, and like all multi-hyphenates, she also works as in the marketing of the iconic and legendary music radio station, Kaya FM. Bonnie and her team at Nounouche On...

Send us Fan Mail Monique Webber is the visionary founder of MLWPR Fashion and Beauty PR Agency. Her story isn't just about the sparkle of dressing celebrities in Herve Leger's iconic ensembles; it's a story about ambition, resilience, and a commitment to lifting up minority, local, and women-owned brands. Monique started out as a teen model and progressed to publicity. She worked wi...

Send us Fan Mail Melaney Oldenhoff, Founder and Creative Director of WhatWeCherish , a curated market place for handmade accessories and home décor from the African continent.  Melaney shares how she pivoted from New York-based fashion stylist to joining the  vanguard of African design in Johannesburg. Her story is a testament to endurance and vision, championing artisans while navigating the intr...