Mbali Masike serenades the wine industry with her unique #NgiyiMbali range. #GirlTalkZA

Name: Mbali Masike

Company: Ngiyi Mbali Wines

Business Line: Wine Producer 

Contact: +27 84 962 5503

Wine has become one of South Africa's most favoured drink of choice. As such, the industry has expanded and new players are dancing on the grapes. 

Ngiyi Mbali Wines is a range consisting of Dry Reds, Whites and Semi Sweet Rosè. It was inspired by vines in Paarl and made in a cellar built 115 years ago. 

But the Mbali Wines story is one that makes interesting reading. Not only have their wine range curved a niche on the local market, they are also owned by a 36 year old feisty and stylish mother of two boys. 

"Ngiyi Mbali Wines was inspired by the vines of Paarl in the Western Cape of South Africa, where a childhood dream was ignited when I met a cellar master who is the epitome of wine making," said Mbali.

It was Mbali's mother who brought home that first bottle of wine which ignited her love and interest for winemaking. 

She says at first the wine tasted sour but after her mother suggested she drank it with food, the taste changed completely and she was captivated.

She spent the next years tracking down the producer of that wine who  happened to be world-renowned Paarl wine farmer John-Robert Frater - the 5th generation of winemakers on De Zoete Inval Estate in Paarl. 

The family has been producing wines for more than a century.

But that did not deter the determined street smart Soweto girl  from eventually connecting with the cellar master from Boland, who agreed to be her mentor.

Frater was impressed by her determination and as a result she struck a good deal.

The mentorship started five years ago and will continue until she can afford her own vineyard, which is her dream. She describes Frater as a good mentor - "he is patient, he listens and is always ready to teach".

Mbali initially ran the business with her two brothers while she kept her day job in order to survive. However, she decided to quit her job as National Marketing Manager at an insurance company to focus more on her business and cash in pension funds in order to invest in the business. 

Her brothers are still heavily involved in the business and they always strive to ensure that they produce distinctive tasting wines. 

Introducing The Ngiyi Mbali Wines Range

Dark Angel - Pinotage

Shoki - Shiraz

Mmino - Shiraz

Sebata - Cabernet Sauvignon

Ngiyi Mbali Wines also produce a Rose wine named Dakalo and lastly a Chardonnay named Ha Senna.

Orders can be placed via Facebook,

www.NgiyiMbali.co.za or WhatsApp and calls on 0836478548.

Social Media platforms

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Ngiyimbali

Twitter: @ngiyimbali 

Want to be a Social Media #Influencer? Smart tips on how to become popular on #Instagram

Instagram like every other social media platform is no longer a place to just share information and connect with friends. Today, Instagram has become a platform where people can find their voice and also create a business. Many South Africans use Instagram to advertise their products and services because of the popularity of the platform. 

Instagram has been able to transform a full housewife into a successful bag designer. But, the sad reality is that many people still don't know how best to use Instagram to market their products and services. Well, that's why we are here, to make the unknown, known.

Below are smart tips on how you can become popular on Instagram, thereby exposing your product or service to more people.

Upload only unique and authentic content:  

This is the most important rule. To become famous on Instagram, your content(s) must be truly unique and authentic. You can't be doing what other people are doing and believe you will get famous, no fam, you must, as a rule, be genuinely creative with your content(s). You can adopt from other people, but, always make sure your content(s) personifies you. Focus on quality over quantity at all times.

2.  Focus on your audience:

When trying to build your personality on Instagram, always remember to pay attention to the people you want to engage. Your audience on Instagram are very impatient, they will move on if you are not connecting with them. To keep your audience engaged, you must provide value. You must offer additional service, provide tips and tools, be relatable, be honest, share the good and bad, that's what people want to see.

3.  Invest in good photography:

Most small business owners believe that their iPhones and Instagram filters are enough. To set yourself apart on Instagram, it will be better to invest in better photography and editing tools.  On Instagram, a professional camera could make the difference between a good photo and a fabulous image.

4.  Be Consistent:

One of the most crucial components to becoming popular on Instagram is consistency. To capture and maintain the attention of your audience, you must constantly share relevant and relatable content(s). If your content distribution strategy is crippled, you are likely to lose the attention of your audience, as I said earlier,  Instagram users lack patience, to keep them engaged, you must be a gift that keeps giving.

These tips have passed through the test of time, employ it, imbibe it, and you will be on your way to becoming a superstar on Instagram.

#FridayFeeling Top 10: South Africa's 10 most followed celebs on Instagram

With social media slowly taking control of our live,its quite obvious that a lot of people are making money through it

Well some of our favourite celebs are enjoying the power of social media by having many followers .

Here is a List of some of the most followed SA celebs

1.Candice Swanepoel -12.5 M

2.AB de Villiers-6.5 M

3.Charlize Theron-3.7 M

4.Trevor Noah-3M

5.Minnie Dlamini-2.4 M

6.Boity Thulo -2.2 M

7.Bonang Matheba -2.2 M

8.Cassper Nyovest-2.1 M

9 Pearl Thusi -2M

10.DJ Zinhle-1.8 M

Get to know Ntandose Mosibi - winner of the 2018 #MTV Base VJ search

25 year old Ntandose Mosibi is the winner of the 2018 MTV Base VJ Search.

She now follows in the steps of past winners Sizwe Dhlomo, Fikile Moeti, Nomuzi Mabena and Sandile Ntshingila.

"I still cannot believe I won. It feels like someone is going to wake me up and say I am being pranked. It all hasn't sunk in," Ntandose gushed.

"I am super-excited to be part of the MTV Base team; finally, my dreams to work on television are coming true."

Ntandose battled it out with finalists Namibian-born and Cape Town-based Nalitye Shaninga, as well as Angolan-born and Joburg-based Jonatao Morais.

Last year's winner Tshego Koke hosted the finale with the episode featuring appearances by judges Thomas Gumede, Boity Thulo, Kelly Khumalo and Tol Ass Mo.

Ntandose has now walked away with a 12 month contract with MTV Base. She will host TV shows on the channel, interview celebrities, MC events, attend international awards shows, walk the red carpet and travel the continent.

"Ntandose's win will transform her life, as many may have witnessed with Tshego Koke's win in 2017," said Monde Twala, vice-president for Youth, Music and BET at Viacom International Media Networks Africa. "We are thrilled to have Ntandose as part of the MTV family and look forward to growing her brand within the MTV Base brand."

Love #bacon? Chicken, avocado and Bacon salad #recipe

Yoghurt and tarragon dressing takes this chicken, bacon and avocado salad to another level.

Ingredients
For the yoghurt and tarragon dressing
300ml/10fl oz natural yoghurt
½ lemon, juice only
1 tbsp chopped tarragon leaves
2 small spring onions, finely sliced
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp caster sugar
2 tsp white wine vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the salad
1 cooked chicken, skin removed and meat sliced into pieces
6 rashers smoked streaky bacon
2 Little Gem, leaves separated
50g/1¾oz rocket
2 small avocados, sliced
25g/1oz pumpkin seeds, toasted
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

To make the yoghurt and tarragon dressing, measure all of the ingredients into a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cooked chicken to the dressing and coat in the mixture. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for 2 hours, or overnight.

Cook the bacon under the grill or in a pan until crisp and golden-brown. Set aside on a piece of kitchen paper. Once cold, snip into little pieces.

Arrange two or three lettuce leaves closely together to make a cup shape on a large platter. Top with some rocket leaves.Repeat, so that you have six cups of lettuce arranged in a circle to look like a wreath.

Spoon the chicken salad on top. Arrange the avocado on top of the chicken. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and bacon pieces. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Source: Spar

Que Lebatha continues helping #entrepreneurs amplify their #brand profiles #GirlTalkZA

Name: Qenehelo Lebatha 

Company: QL Consulting 

Business Line: Public Relations, Social Media, Events Management, Talent Management

Contact: +27 82 357 3852

Companies are constantly on the hunt for innovative ways to increase brand visibility. QL Consulting is a 360 communications firm that helps entrepreneurs amplify their brand profile through a combination of traditional Public relations, social media management and one-on-one talent management. 

Trends Mzansi (TM) caught up with Qenehelo Vuyelwa Rorisang Lebatha (QL) in an exclusive Question and Answer interview to find out more about her business venture and how she moved from being a full time employee to being a PR guru. 

TM: Can you briefly tell us a bit about yourself including your full name:

QL: My name is Qenehelo Vuyelwa Rorisang Lebatha – and I'm an entrepreneur and a new mom.

TM: Can you please tell us about your business, when it was established and what you do? 

QL: QL Consulting is a 360 communications firm that helps entrepreneurs amplify their brand profile through a combination of traditional Public relations, social media management and one-on-one talent management. The business was established in 2015 after a long stretch of working various jobs from corporate through to agency. I had a "quarter life crisis" and came out of it an entrepreneur!

 TM: How did you get where you are  today, and who/what helped you along the way?

QL: I got where I am today by a combination of hard work and incredible luck. My family has been incredibly supportive of my journey and has always ensured I had a safety net in case things don't work out.

TM: What inspired you to venture into business, in particular your line of business?

QL: I was inspired to start the firm when I realised that a lot of entrepreneurs, like myself, struggle to speak about themselves or to tell their story. Keeping in mind that people love to buy products from people so by helping them tell their story-  we in turn tell their company story and amplify their brand profile.  What inspired this line of business is the opportunity to be a part of someone else's success story. After many years of working various jobs from corporate to agency I found my niche freelancing and went ahead and registered the company officially 6 months later.

TM: Did you have any entrepreneurship training or skills prior to launching?

QL: I come from a long line of entrepreneurs, my grandparents, and parents all ran their own businesses so in a way my whole life has been entrepreneurship training.

TM: What are some of the challenges you have endured and how have you overcome these? 

QL: Late payments, clients not paying, delivering mediocre work, not having any work! Challenges as an entrepreneur are vast and diverse. I've overcome some by pure endurance and failing forward – but most importantly I am still overcoming challenges now as every day is a learning experience/

TM: Why should anyone use your service or product?

QL: People that use my product are those looking for a different way to amplify their brand profile  and are looking for someone who celebrates their success as their own and walks that journey with them.

TM: Its quiet clear that you have broken ground and you are doing well. Where do you see your business in the near future? 

QL: Thank you so much 😊In the near future I see expansion for my business. It is very important for me to build as I grow and I'd like to hire more graduates, or people looking to work I the industry – especially female graduates who are looking to go into the working world where I can help them get a leg up – in the same way as many people have helped me.

TM: What advice would you best give to emerging entrepreneurs who are financially struggling? 

QL: Sometimes finding a 9-5 job is the best option. As entrepreneurs many of us are afraid of failure and may consider that a step backwards – however – an arrow only moves forward after being pulled back and we need to be able to have honest conversations with ourselves about finance and what we need to do.

TM: Do you think women feel intimidated in business?

QL: Yes and no. I feel there are certain spaces where women may not be as welcome as others – but feeling intimidated is a personal feeling that affects different people differently.

TM: How do you achieve work-life balance?

QL: We are yet to figure this one out

TM: What have you learned about leadership, entrepreneurship and mentoring others?

QL: I have learned that there is enough cake for everyone! Holding onto to projects or work and not collaborating with others is inherently silly – and the best way for us to grow as entrepreneurs is to collaborate. I've learned that leaders lead from the back and that mentorship can be found anywhere one looks.

Social Media Platforms

Facebook: www.faceboook.com/QueLConsulting

Website: http://www.qlconsulting.co/

Nadia Nakai teams up with #Redbat to create her own clothing line

Nakai announced on Wednesday that she has teamed up with clothing brand Redbat to create a line of her own.

Taking to Instagram to make the announcement this is what she had to say;

MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT I'm so happy that I don't have to keep this a secret anymore!  I've collaborated with @sportscene_sa on an amazing fashion line with Redbat by Nadia Nakai! 
I never thought starting with a few Bragga Caps and T-shirts at the Family Tree store would lead to having an amazing fashion line that will be in stores NATIONWIDE ! God has been so good to me!!!! Nadia Nakai x Redbat will be in STORES on the 10th of November!

#BMW finally reveal their largest SUV to date, and its coming to SA. #BMWX7

BMW has finally revealed the 7 Series SUV and it is enormous. The keenly anticipated X7 is BMW's largest ever SUV and to give some impression of its scale, this German seven-seater is larger than a Range Rover.

Its size

At 5150mm the X7 happens to be an entire 265mm longer than BMW's X5, enabling third-row passengers to be seated in relative comfort. All seats are electrically powered too, for added convenience and ease of ingress and egress.

A three-piece panoramic glass roof allows X7's passengers to manage the volume of ambient light they wish to enjoy. This feature could be amazing when driving at night, through the Karoo, allowing those not behind the helm to look up and marvel at a magnificent starry sky.

Its style

Graded as a design the X7 is perhaps BMW's boldest statement in decades. Styling details are unrelated to BMW's other SUVs and anchored by what the company claims are the largest kidney grilles it has ever applied to any of its vehicles.

Its speed

When X7 goes on sale in South Africa during March of 2019, there will be two engine options on offer – both turbodiesels. The xDrive30d derivative is powered by BMW's venerable three-litre in-line six, boosting 195kW and 620Nm, which should be good for 0-100kph in 7 seconds.

For those who require greater performance, BMW will also market the X7 M50d locally, featuring a quad-turbo evolution of the same three-litre in-line six structure. Benefitting from four turbochargers, the X50d produces 294kW and 760Nm, which converts to 0-100kph in 5.4 seconds.

All X7s are configured to be permanent all-wheel drive and shift through an eight-speed automatic transmission. BMW will offer a range of off-road appropriate packages for X7, with selectable drive modes (managing throttle response and gearing for sand, snow, rocks or mud), underbody protection and external cameras which assist the driver when manoeuvring in challenging terrain.

Its suspension system

Although X7's air-suspension system should benefit it greatly when attempting journeys with an off-roading component, the 80mm of ride-height adjustability and active ride control will perhaps be most beneficial in smoothing out South Africa's roads in general.

In a time of record fuel prices and anti-diesel sentiment, it appears strange that BMW has announced X7 without any hybridisation or battery-powered options. Those, we understand, are only a matter of time – as the X7's platform has been designed with hybridisation and electrification in mind.

All eyes on #Zahara as she goes on a roll

Musician Zahara has added yet another award to her collection. She was awarded the Next Generation Entertainment Award for best female act in the international act category. This becomes her 40th award thus far.

"Last night I received my 40th Music Award Thank you #ZaharaArmy@warnermusicsa , when God shows you whose God halaaaaaala #Mgodi," Zahara wrote on social media.

Flamboyant businesswoman Vere Shaba gives the three guidelines to consider before starting a business #GirlTalkZA #WednesdayWisdom

Vere Shaba, an award-winning green building innovator, made a big mistake when she entertained an offer from a Spanish company.

The entrepreneur, who is the director of engineering consulting firm Shaba Green Building Design and Engineering, always wanted to be a green engineer and worked hard to get there, but she got sidetracked (and lost a friend) when she chose to sell a product from the Spanish company instead of focusing on her business goals.

• Is this worth my time?

"If you remember why you started out in your career or business in the first place, you will know when to say no. "No" is a complete sentence; it doesn't require justification or explanation. And, you will say it in full confidence, unashamedly, when you keep track of what originally motivated you," says Shaba.

• Have I got all the legal documentation?

A practical lesson she learnt was that a non-disclosure agreement is not a partnership agreement. She emphasises the importance of working with people whose core business is to advise on specific matters, like a good lawyer. "Don't rely on Google," she cautions.

• Is this the change I want to make through my business? 

Her experience also taught her that everyone is out for their own self-interest and that this is OK. "It may seem contradictory, but if more people acted in their own self-interest – with self-love and self-worth – we wouldn't have such a broken society. You can still be kind, but play by the rules of the capitalist game and score. The more businesses that win, the less unemployment we'll have in South Africa. We need businesses to win."

Click here to listen to Vere Shaba tell her story.

©Destiny