Resilience and determination say YES to business success for Top 35 Under 35

Alluta Goniwe: Business development manager

Born in Cradock in the Eastern Cape, Alluta Goniwe was accepted into the bachelor of arts programme in international relations at the University of the Witwatersrand, but she faced difficulties in securing funding. De­­spite this, she completed her undergraduate studies without financial aid.

She began her professional journey as a marketing and business development intern, discovering a passion for the work. In February 2020, Goniwe joined Mazars, an auditing firm, as a marketing and business development intern through the YES programme.

After completing her YES year, she was offered the role of marketing and business development coordinator in 2021. The following year, a law firm approached her with an exciting opportunity, prompting her employer to counter with an offer that resulted in her promotion to business development consultant. By September 2023, her skills and leadership earned her the position of business development manager.

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Today, she engages with multiple stakeholders, oversees customer relationship management systems, manages key accounts and organises events. These responsibilities have shaped her career path and personal growth, equipping her with the skills necessary for her future ambition to become an executive at a JSE-listed company, a thriving entrepreneur and a committed philanthropist.

Her career has also had an impact on her family. She provides financial help and has contributed to important family events. She also supports her brother by housing him and helping with his school expenses.

The YES programme has played a crucial role in Goniwe’s professional growth, providing a supportive environment that helped smooth her transition into the corporate world. It gave her essential skills and knowledge to lay a foundation for her career and personal development.

In addition to her corporate achievements, Goniwe registered Adora, a mother-daughter business that sells women’s products. Inspired by her mother’s enterprising spirit, Goniwe continues her family’s legacy of resilience and determination. 

Andrew Makamedi: Contract and commerce manager

Andrew Makamedi’s journey from a law student at the University of Johannesburg to a contract and commerce manager at a Chinese multinational smartphone producer reflects his resilience and determination to achieve his goals.

After studying law, he graduated in 2019. His initial legal experience came from working at the University of Johannesburg law clinic. But his first significant corporate exposure was through the MTN YES programme, which opened doors to the professional world of telecommunications.

It was here that Makamedi learnt about the advancements being made in technology and the role that he could play to provide all Africans with a better-connected life. He met amazing people while at MTN who helped pave the way for him to develop as a person.

The programme also gave Makamedi an in­­valuable opportunity to gain practical legal experience. Following his time in the YES programme, he joined the MTN global graduate programme, which takes on top graduates from the continent. While doing that, Makamedi was seconded to a law firm, which helped him develop his legal analysing skills as well as gain legal knowledge.

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As a contract and commerce manager, his responsibilities encompass leading the contract drafting process, promoting the fulfilment of contracts, analysing and defining contract risk, and ensuring contract quality in transactions within southern Africa. His job is to create contracts that are beneficial for all parties.

Makamedi has faced the pressures of navigating the corporate world while working with personal expectations. The YES programme showed him the importance of managing expectations and maintaining a high level of emotional intelligence. It also taught him the dynamics of working in diverse teams, while emphasising the need to adapt to different personalities, management styles and cultures to thrive.

His side-hustle is an events company called For The City, which Makamedi created to provide event curation, management consultations, artist management, sound hire and event compliance. This entrepreneurial venture showcases his versatility and commitment to diverse interests.

Asanda Nqoko: Film and photography business owner

Asanda Nqoko’s journey from a struggling freelance photographer to a successful business owner is a story of resilience and transformation following the pandemic.

Like so many others from his rural community in KwaZulu-Natal, he dreamt of moving to Johannesburg to fulfil his dreams. But Covid-19 brought his freelance photography career to a halt, forcing him to return home as he could no longer afford rent, food or basic necessities.

Everything changed when Nqoko joined the YES programme, which provided him with the skills to run his business and treat everyone equally, regardless of their beliefs or disabilities.

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Today, he runs 39Pictures, a media company specialising in video, film and photography. His success has allowed him to work with big brands such as Beyoncé’s athleisure clothing line Ivy Park and well-known artists including Kendrick Lamar, as well as to travel extensively while providing for his family.

Nqoko’s entrepreneurial spirit was influenced by his grandmother, who sold fruit and shells to tourists to pay school fees and buy food. After Nqoko lost his parents at the age of six, his grandmother became the breadwinner and motivated him to become who he is today. His success has enabled him to buy a house and employ other young people, giving them opportunities he never had. Nqoko often talks at universities to inspire future photographers.

Running a business comes with its challenges – struggling financially, losing clients and having limited resources have been significant obstacles. But he has overcome these by learning about the business sector, understanding proper pricing and ensuring profitability. Keeping his clients happy has become a top priority, given how important a strong client base is to a sustainable business.

The impact of YES on Nqoko’s life and business has been profound. He and his employees can support their families, buy clothes and travel to places they never thought possible.

Basani Moahi: Developer and manager of business solutions in insurance

Basani Moahi’s journey from a struggling student to a successful developer and manager of business solutions at Standard Bank Insurance Brokers reflects her determination to overcome the obstacles life throws at her.

After graduating from Unisa with a Bachelor of Science in mathematics and chemistry, she worked for a year before joining the YES programme. This opportunity marked a significant turning point in her life.

At the time, she did not have a smartphone, relying on a basic phone capable of only calls and SMSes. The YES programme became a valuable tool for her that opened up a world of new possibilities.

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Transitioning from earning minimum wage on the streets to a living wage in a corporate environment at Standard Bank allowed Moahi to support her family and pursue her goals.

Her journey with the YES programme was filled with learning new skills. One of these was automation, which was new to the insurance sector in 2021.

Moahi has been recognised many times for her innovative contributions to the bank’s processes and customer experiences, winning awards such as the Most Solutions Implemented in Production in 2021 and 2022, and the Most Innovative Candidate in 2022 and 2023.

In 2023, she hosted master classes on process automation for Standard Bank, inspiring four candidates to develop their own solutions. In 2024, she was nominated as one of the top 10 achievers by Standard Bank Insurance Brokers.

As a developer and manager of business solutions, she analyses business processes to identify automation opportunities using tools such as robotics and Power Automate, aiming to enhance stakeholder and customer experiences. Being a woman in a technology field that is male-dominated, she is often underestimated. But she’s proving the naysayers wrong. DM