Interviews

As a board member of the Jack Ma Foundation, martial artist, actor and philanthropist Jet Li has been involved some of the foundation's key campaigns, including its Africa's Business Heroes competition. Now in its second edition, the ABH competition aims to provide entrepreneurs across Africa with a platform to showcase their business ideas as well as the chance to win a share of the US$1.5 million prize in grant funding. To date, the foundation has received 18,000 applications from candidates representing all 54 countries across the continent. This week, it also extended the deadline for applications to June 22 in recognition of the extraordinary circumstances facing small businesses due to Covid-19. Ahead of this year's competition, we spoke to Li about his experience participat...

The Seychellois President, Danny Faure, stepped into his role in October 2016, after the resignation of his predecessor James Michel. A seasoned and experienced politician, President Faure talks to Pleasures Magazine about how his own experiences that motivate him to improve the lives of the Seychellois people, as well as those around the world. On October 16th, 2016, the people of the Seychelles saw their then-Vice President, Danny Faure, take the helm after the surprise departure of James Michel, who had served just ten months of his five year presidency. The incoming President made his people a promise of three things – transparency, accountability and good governance. While Mr Faure was well known within the People’s Party (sometimes called Parti Lepep), he suddenly found himself at t...

When you’re in the business of aviation refueling, like Stein Energy CEO's Otemu Igho, safety isn’t just the primary measure of success, it’s the top priority. In his words – “The one thing we lay emphasis on at Stein Energy is the constant need to adhere to aviation fuel handling, safety and to continually operate within acceptable standards. In a nut shell, it’s been a good run so far.”, the Nigerian recounts to the Pleasures Magazine. Engr. Otemu Igho is a Petroleum Engineeringgraduate of the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State Nigeria. Discipline, diligence, hard work and honesty are his driving force as a successful entrepreneur that he is today. “My Father was in the Army and of course, you know what an average military family would look like, discipline was the order of...

Mduduzi Luthuli of Luthuli Capital, is a young entrepreneur spurred on by passion, energy and grit, has confronted and overcome the challenges of growth and is continuing in the direction of success. By Monique Verduyn Mduduzi Luthuli and his wife Trudy, both of whom have a solid track record in financial services, launched wealth management company Luthuli Capital in 2016. He left a great job because he wanted to do something he was truly passionate about. Having funded Luthuli Capital with their personal savings, it’s now self-sustaining and turning a modest profit — in less than two years. Mdu says he started the business because, after years in wealth management, he could not find his ideal job, so he decided to create it. What to do when your start-up can’t get finance The Cha...

By Tamlyn Cumings Say goodbye to hours struggling to get the perfect line, only to have to wipe it all off and start again… Using one (or a few!) of these super genius eyeliner tricks makes it easy! Why is it that when you’re already pressed for time on your way out, you can never just nail your eyeliner? Thankfully, there are ways to simplify this often-dreaded make-up step that will make applying eyeliner easier, and you’ll be out the door in a matter of seconds! 1. Know your make-up! There are different types of eyeliners, namely pencil, gel and liquid, and they all have different consistencies, making some more difficult to apply than others. Word of caution: if you’re a rookie, stay away from the liquid liner! Pencil liner is usually more forgiving if you don’t have a steady h...

Sometimes entrepreneurship isn’t planned for, it emerges. For Kator Hule, entrepreneurship emerged at age 10 when he was a sales representative and at 11 years as a professional photographer in the small town of Lessel, Benue State Nigeria. But after he graduated from university, Kator moved from Benue, his home state to Abuja, the nation’s capital. In his word, “I left Benue for Abuja with nothing but a pair of trouser and two shirts, I was broke with no accommodation but I was living in a friend’s office”. It was the darkest time he can ever remember, marked by social and economic challenges. Kator didn’t own any property in his name. He didn’t have collateral or credit history. He was left with a mindset of possibility. But he managed to turn it around in 2013, after he emerged among...

Meet Tawanda Tadzimirwa. a Zimbabwean living in Johannesburg, South Africa. Tawanda completed his tertiary at the University of the Witwaterstrand (WITS) – a Bcom majoring in Economics and Business finance plus juggling his internship in Enterprise Risk Management (ERM). However he went through a slump in 2017 which saw him move backwards in various aspects of my life – including fitness. December 2017 Tawanda made the choice to find his way back onto his path and started a turnaround in January 2018 (driven by his fitness Journey – which he termed “The #RoadtoSummer18”). 2018 turned out to be one of the best years of his life and a fantastic launchpad for the future. He turned his life around in all areas – which is best demonstrated by going from out of shape, unfit and unhappy in Ja...

On January 2018 I interviewed Moses Mbai for the first time when he talked about school family, in July I had another opportunity to talk with the Texas Southern University Business Management graduate. Finding his true love in his cup of coffee every morning it wasn’t long before Moses found his purpose which is 5th Generation Coffee. An online coffee company he founded in September 2018. Ironically this marked one year of the passing of his beloved mother Angelia Bradley. However not having to look too far, coffee runs in the bloodline of his family. Moses great grandfather purchased a 200 plus acre farm in Nairobi, Kenya generations ago, and the rest is history. Coffee is something that connects him with his family even being thousands of miles apart. Everyday Moses grandfather would ...

Alberto Pinto interior design has become synonymous with eclecticism, refinement and a distinctly opulent style, with projects for prestigious clients ranging from Private Residences, Offices, Hotels, Yachts And Jets. drawing from a variety of cultural influences he developed since childhood, Alberto initiated the brand in the early 1970s, building his work around the intermingling of cultures, and the quest for the exceptional. Following his passing in 2012, Alberto’s sister Linda pinto took over the management of the studio, having worked closely alongside side him for decades. Today, Linda and her team of 80 employees working in Paris have become the go-to name for the design of luxurious interiors across a range of public and private spaces — notably yachts and jets. The studio has ...