INTRODUCING OUR HAIR ADVISORY BOARD TEAM

Meet Bawinile Kwela, the Marketing Manager for the Hair and Face Category at Unilever. She holds a BSc degree from Stellenbosch University, she's a qualified winemaker and she's the force behind a wide range of well-established global and local brands such as PONDS, TRESemmé, Organics and Dove. Bawi has extensive experience in FMCG marketing, having handled brands like Purity, Domestos, Handy Andy, OMO, Knorr and Hellmann's to name a few.

Her passion for making brands grow is evident in her work but beyond that, she strives to give back to the community and grow young talent. Bawi knows the beauty and personal care industry like the back of her hand and it comes as no surprise that this powerhouse knows how to achieve results.

There are not enough words to describe Lebohang Masango's talent. She's an award-winning author and poet, published social anthropologist and PhD candidate with her Master of Arts degree conferred by the University of Witwatersrand. Her academic research about school girls and afro-textured hair led to her bestselling children's books, Mpumi's Magic Beads (David Philip, 2018) and Mpumi and Jabu's Magical Day co-authored with Prof. Claudine Storbeck (David Philip, 2020) which are all about adventure and friendship in the big city.

As an Anthropologist, Lebohang is published in Connected Lives: Families, Households, Health and Care in Contemporary South Africa, edited by Nolwazi Mkhwanazi and Lenore Manderson (HSRC Press, 2020) and Anxious Joburg: The Inner Lives of a Global South City edited by Nicky Falkof and Cobus van Staden (Wits University Press, 2020).

Some of her career highlights include hosting and reciting poetry in the South African government's official Women's Day 2021 broadcast and being commissioned to write "A Purposeful journey”, the official poem of the South African Reserve Bank's centenary. She has won a Gold Mama Africa Award at the Promax Africa Awards 2020 for her poem titled "Ten Thousand Stories” in collaboration with MultiChoice.

She has also been awarded the 2018 South African Independent Publishers Award for Children's Books, 2019 South African Literary Award for Children's Literature, the 2019 Exclusive Books IBBY SA Award for Best Writer and a 2020 gold Pendoring Advertising Award in the Publication Design – Whole Design category for her debut book. Outside of her very busy career, admiring the beauty of afro-textured hair is one of her wellknown passions.

Mati Mwamuka is a seasoned business manager and financial/auditing services specialist with more than 12 combined years of experience as a charted accountant, audit manager, franchise owner and business consultant.

Mati worked in corporations such as the Industrial Development Corporation and COVA Advisory, while also being the franchisee and business owner of Candi & Co. Bluehills. When she isn't out and about handling financial matters, she's out there sharing beauty trends and her knowledge on the current conversations around women and hair.

Armed with years of experience in FMCG, retail, media, publishing and the public sector, Onke Dumeko has established herself in diverse industries as reflected in her uniquely eclectic experience. As a multi-award winning media maven, her strategic approach to marketing, communications, publishing, partnerships and production has culminated in the success of her strategic advisory firm, Nondubeni.

Commonly known as "Forever Onke", she is the founding Editor-in-Chief of the culture-shifting and critically acclaimed thebar. Magazine and producer of the online talk show and podcast series, The Forever Onke Show - a platform geared towards eliciting the infinite possibilities in everyone.

She has over 15 years’ experience as a Brand Public Relations Strategist, spanning across global beauty giants. She’s got a passionate approach to communications that is purpose-driven and does more good. She has pioneered several award-winning campaigns.

In 2017, she was recognised with the DESTINY Magazine’s Power of 40 Award. She’s a critical and strategic thinker that strives for insights, and work that delivers true human purpose in today’s world of brand communications.

Zulaikha Patel is an internationally known anti-racism and social justice activist who first grabbed the world's attention when she became the symbol of the fight against institutionalised racism at Pretoria High School for Girls. At the age of 13 she led a protest for the decolonisation of hair policies in schools, which was followed by several protests across South Africa in schools such as Lawson Brown High School.

In August 2016 she co-founded the Black Magic Movement which aims to celebrate and restore pride in the Black community. This movement gave Black scholars a voice on current affairs such as the #StopRacism campaign at Pretoria Girls High. This campaign successfully led to more inclusive hair standards for schools across the country and she went on to be recognised as a LEADSA YOUTH HERO.

Zulaikha has been recognised internationally by BBC under the 100 Women List which highlights the most inspirational and influential women around the world, CNN under #AfricanGirlsRock, locally under the Avance Media 100 Most Influential South Africans and on the New African 100 Most Influential Africans. She has also received recognition from public figures such as Dr Angela Davis and Solange Knowles. Her work to bring about social change and justice has grown extensively from when she was 13.

She has advocated for human rights, anti-racism and gender equity on international platforms such as the Africa Oxbridge Dialogue, Ake Festival, Uppsala University, AfricaForPalestine, United Nations Human Rights Office of the Commissioner, Howard University and the Clinton Global University Initiative. Zulaikha has a TED TALK titled Dare To Disrupt encouraging youth to take to the forefront of social change.

Most recently, she published her debut book #My Coily Crowny Hair! which is a celebration of Afro hair and Africaness which has become a best seller nationally in several book retailers. She is currently a university student studying a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Political Studies.