Since she was a young girl, Bongekile Zinhle Radebe, 24, bore the qualities of a natural-born leader: confidence, assertiveness and a deep-seated purpose to make a difference.
By the age of 20, her ambition had propelled her into coveted positions, including a Top 6 Finalist on SABC 1’s One Day Leader, a One Young World Ambassador and an Associate Fellow of the Royal Commonwealth Society.
It was through these platforms that she was exposed to a harsh reality: patriarchal influences truly exist and female leadership is still scrutinised.
Her desire to develop young women and their confidence to pursue their chosen career paths led her to launch a tea, lifestyle and business network, which has evolved into a fully-fledged tea range.
Taste of Legends, fortified with a strong social bent, launches this September.
Radebe’s idea is to “bag” her love of tea – which she views as a powerful connector and social equaliser – with commerce to create a social entrepreneurial enterprise she’s using to brew her ultimate ambition: the acceleration of women’s economic empowerment.
Despite preferring her tea “green” with no milk or sugar, it appears Radebe has not only found her sweet spot but also proof that “where there’s tea, there’s hope”.
Find Bongekile on Twitter: @ThatGirlHas
