Christine is co-founder and CEO of The Local Edit an innovative e-commerce brand and host of a podcast called Behind The Edit, has 20 years of experience in visual communication, online media and digital content creation.
In 2009 she was appointed as the first female Nikon Premium Ambassador for Southern Africa, and her work has been featured in numerous national and international publications. In 2010, she also co-founded The Pretty Blog, South Africa's biggest niche digital publication for women, which won multiple awards and was acquired by The Apiary Group in 2019.

Joy Des Fountain is a trailblazing tech entrepreneur, CEO, and a dedicated mother of three is the force behind Aptivate, a pioneering Live Shopping B2B solution. Beginning her career in 2003 as an audit article clerk, Joy quickly distinguished herself as a force to be reckoned with in the finance sector. Over the next 16 years, she broadened her expertise whilst assuming leadership positions that underscored her prowess in navigating complex financial landscapes. The decision to venture into entrepreneurship in 2019 marked a pivotal turn in Joy’s career, showcasing her courage and belief in the transformative power of technology. Joy has been at the forefront of revolutionising the e-commerce space in Africa.

Lexi Bird is the owner and Founder of local confectionery brand Ma Mère Confections. Over the last 12 years she has built the brand into a house hold name whilst simultaneously building a family which now includes two beautiful little girls.

Marilie’s journey of entrepreneurship happened by accident and was born from pure desperation. Together with millions of other people, Marilie was left jobless during the 2020 pandemic and had to quickly reinvent herself to maintain some sort of income. After a lot of sweat and tears, loss, burnout, anxiety and depression - Nyfti was born.
Since then, Nyfti has been chosen as the Xero South African App Integrator of the Year in 2023, second place in 2024, and also had the honour of being chosen as one of Xero’s preferred implementation partners for the Xero Practice Management software.

Paulette Calitz, mother of three (busy) children, is currently the co-owner of the female brand Hadassa Collection. She entered the world of fashion through the trainee buyer programme at Truworths. After 5 years of being a buyer, she moved over to The Foschini Group as a senior buyer and later became Buying Manager for the Sports Division. She left the corporate world in 2018 with the birth of her second child and went into consulting. In 2023 thee opportunity to take over the Hadassa brand presented itself – she and her best friend from university days, Berdine Swart, took the leap! “Hadassa is not just about us - it is your journey as well! It's about bringing to life that which might have been buried, celebrating the beauty God has created, clothing one another in grace and supporting our local communities.”

Suzi McAfee, originally from Ireland, is the designer/maker behind Monarch Woodworx, a furniture brand based in George, South Africa. She moved to George in 2008 and began woodworking in 2019, turning a side hustle into a popular furniture brand. Monarch Woodworx designs and makes furniture in George, shipping locally and globally. Suzi aims to inspire others in woodworking and create local jobs. She has two children and is active in her community.

Buli G Ngomane, a former radio and TV presenter on SABC 2 & 3, has been recognized as one of Mail & Guardian's Top 200 Young South Africans and won CEO Magazine’s Tomorrow’s Leader Award. She has received numerous accolades, including the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber's Top 40 under 40 and the Business Women's Association's Regional Business Achiever Award. Recently, she won the 2023 Nelson Mandela Bay Business Event Award for MC/Entertainer.