Women with power. Women in power. Women of power.
Kouga Municipality, in conjunction with Kouga Express, is set to honour those women in the community and business sector that make a powerful and positive difference – whether it is big or small.
Meet some of the nominees.
NOTE: These entrants are only some of the qualifying nominees for the Kouga Power(ful) Women Competition for 2022. More nominees will be published in the Kouga Express of Thursday, August18.
- Click here to find out how you can enter or nominate a power(ful) woman in your community.
A young, vibrant, intelligent, and fearless Thornhill resident – strives daily for a better future for all in her community and always goes the extra mile. Despite having her first child at 14 years, she continued attending school and passed matric with outstanding marks – after which she furthered her studies.
Kilimani established a non-profit organisation, Sisterhood, to raise awareness about teenage pregnancies. She visits schools and churches, as well as donate sanitary products to those in need in her area. Her organisation featured in the Kouga Express, and was aired on Algoa FM, Kouga FM, and Umhlobo Wenene. She, furthermore, owns a soccer club with the aim to uplift and develop the youth, especially young boys.
Catherine White (25)
She is the owner of Cat White Media, completed her schooling at Global Leadership Academy (GLA) in Jeffreys Bay, after which she studied at Rhodes University – always wanting to return to Kouga.
She started Cat White Media Pty (Ltd), a news and production Company in 2020 during her final year of studies and being locked down at home in Jeffreys Bay. Not being able to return to campus she filmed and produced various programmes locally as a solo act. She took our stories and showed them to the rest of the country. Amongst others she covered projects like Let’s feed JBay and the JBay music trail. Her good news Kouga stories were aired on SABC.
Having completed her Bachelor of Journalism and Media Studies degree (BJourn) with distinction, being on the Dean’s honours list and graduating as one of the top performers in her faculty, she now lives in Jeffreys Bay where she truly lives her passion.
A great part of her passion is the people of Kouga. As freelance journalist, working for companies such as TimesLIVE, The Sunday Times and Cat White Media she tells the stories affecting our people to the world. Not just good news stories anymore but covering tragic stories too. Most recently she extensively covered the displacement of foreign nationals in Hankey for TimesLIVE.
As a teenage girl she started Kouga community Theatre to educate through theatre. Now, as a young woman she shows the plight and achievements of our region to the world.
White is slowly but surely changing the perception that only “big cities” make the news and get exposure.
Natassja is from Jeffreys Bay.
As business owner of ACS Empowerment Solutions, Barnard is a transformation specialist specialising in training and development. She is also the managing director of ACS Academy, a multi-SETA and QCTO accredited training company bringing recognised accredited training to Kouga.
As of 2020 they have brought opportunities to local unemployed youth and motivated locals to invest in our own potential rather than outsourcing where it does not benefit the community.
Natassja is part of various NPC’s.
She is one of the founding directors of The South African Training Forum, where they educate, motivate, and share information and opportunities with other professionals in the industry all over South Africa.
She is also the founding member of NPC Trust, ACS Economic Empowerment, whereby further education opportunities are offered to Entrepreneurs to equip them with the necessary business and soft skills to start their own business and make it successful.
Other than people, she loves animals and spend her free time serving on the local SPCA committee where she assists with marketing and communication.
With a marketing background from Varsity, BBBEE MDP from Wits University and currently completing the last year and a half of Bcom Law, she is also a registered skills development facilitator, assessor and moderator with various sector education and training authorities.
What she loves the most about her profession is that she can share information and opportunities with her community and mentees.
Nathalene Williams (42)
Humansdorp resident Nathalene is the owner of Kouga Region Modelling Academy – a non-profit company.
Williams is actively involved in the community, especially with young girls to help them develop and improve their confidence and to enhance their self-esteem, as well as to become the best version of themselves by hosting a one-week holiday programme which focuses on etiquette.
She, furthermore, collects baby items and gently worn clothing for the less fortunate.
Vibrant and gorgeous Annette is the owner of Die Kasteel Accommodation & Function Venue (Gamtoos Mouth), Mr Pell’s House Self-Catering Accommodation (Jeffreys Bay), and Alfresco Garden Function Venue (Jeffreys Bay). She will soon add Aunt Adri’s House Self-Catering Accommodation to the list.
Herselman exhibits a spirit of excellence and is always willing to go the extra mile – which leads to success in all aspects of business and life. Her soul is fierce, her heart is brave, and her mind is strong.
She has a “do it now” philosophy – she does not put off something important that she can do right away. She has within her the power to create, nurture, and transform.
Herselman studied Food and Clothing Technology at Pretoria Technicon, as well as attended various food workshops and online cooking classes. She regularly attends Empowering Women in Business and organises retreats for Women in Happy & Healthy Self Care.
She enjoys pilates, zumba, rumba and hiking, and to relax, she loves to spend time with her family and to travel to Portugal.
From a retail worker to a successful businesswoman, Shunayra Jansen (23) from Humansdorp, is the proud owner of Unwind the Beauty.
Without a cent, Jansen bought her very first nail equipment with her first Unemployment Insurance Fund payout – to test on herself and her friends. Despite it turning out a messy path as she was struggling and still learning, she knew immediately this is what she wanted to do for a living.
From a lack of money to products not working and having to work from her room, she kept on trying – not giving up for one moment.
Today, she has her own thriving beauty salon with the best products and excellent service.
Pastor Angie Baartman (58)
She is from Humansdorp is a phenomenal, outstanding, vibrant, loyal, honest, and wonderful woman of God.
She is well-respected in the community, and she has a love for all people.
Baartman is doing a spectacular job by allowing people of all ages to complete their matric and she goes the extra mile to help others achieve their dreams. She was an adult when she did her matric, and her testimony inspires many to finish their matric. She’s a true woman of bravery, valor, and courage.
She is truly a woman who works in the community and sees the needs of others as important. Baartman fits every description of a true women of the community.
