Nagmani Roy created opportunities for 1700 women of Bihar after closing his brand

Nomsa Mdhluli's journey demonstrates resilience and the ability to turn difficulties into opportunities, inspiring women to boldly assert themselves in the business sphere. Initially, she did not plan to become an entrepreneur.

Her transition into business began while working in journalism when she was approached for help with a public relations project—a field she had studied at the undergraduate level. The work was successful, and the client continued to collaborate year after year.

In 2018, a friend's advice to register a PR company in case of securing a major client prompted Mdhluli to make this decision. She registered Tishala Communications while continuing her career in broadcasting.

After eight years, the company transformed from a small home side venture into a comprehensive communications agency. It offers services in public relations, digital marketing, media relations, stakeholder engagement, content development, media training, and reputation management.

Her message to women starting businesses is based on a simple principle: 'Believe in your talent and skills. And please, do not extinguish your light, especially because you are a woman.'

Mdhluli began her media career at Primedia Group in Cape Town in 2010. There, she worked as a news anchor, reporter, and producer for channels such as CapeTalk, KFM, Radio 702, and Eyewitness News.

In 2014, she moved to the Primedia headquarters in Johannesburg, and then in 2015, joined SABC as a journalist and news anchor. Later, she hosted morning news broadcasts on SAfm and covered significant political, economic, and social events. Her work was recognized with the Liberty Radio Award for Best News Reader PBS in 2017.

Parallel to developing her broadcasting career, Mdhluli continued to handle PR projects that eventually became her main occupation. In the early stages, Tishala operated modestly: she equipped a home office with a laptop, an internet dongle, and a red office chair matching the company's brand at the time. The equipment was purchased using her salary from SABC while Tishala remained a secondary project.

'As I attracted more clients, I was able to use the funds to register a domain name and create a website,' she recalls. Since then, the agency has worked with sectors such as technology, artificial intelligence, fintech, financial services, education, public health, entrepreneurship, and youth development. Among her clients were Allan Gray Makers, Sumsub, Old Mutual Alternative Investments, South African Responsible Gambling Foundation, and Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance South Africa.

For Mdhluli, service quality has always been central to the company's growth. She notes: 'One of the company's successes is when it provides quality services and goes beyond expectations.'

By making a decisive move, Nomsa Mdhluli transitioned from a well-known television presenter to a dynamic entrepreneur, proving that courage and confidence can change a career path and inspire others to follow suit.

Technology and innovation have become an important part of Tishala's operations. Mdhluli cites the agency's work with the global verification company Sumsub, which included localizing international identity fraud reports for audiences in South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Mauritius, Ghana, and Tanzania.

She highlights the differences in fraud: 'In South Africa, identity fraud is largely related to forged green IDs, whereas in Nigeria, it can take a different form.'

'We take complex messages and simplify them for the average person on behalf of our clients,' she says. Tishala's focus on technology intensified after the agency handled PR for AI Expo in 2019, which allowed Mdhluli to connect with the global technology ecosystem. These connections proved valuable during the Covid-19 pandemic.

'These connections helped us survive Covid-19 because technological companies thrived during that time,' she shares. Later, the agency received the Gold Prism Award for Best PR Campaign in the Technology category.

Mdhluli's biggest entrepreneurial leap occurred in 2023 when she left full-time employment to focus on Tishala. She admits: 'I didn't plan to be an entrepreneur, so leaving full-time employment in 2023 to manage Tishala was the bravest thing I have done so far.'

'Since I took that leap of faith, I haven't looked back, and now my focus is on business development, supporting our clients, and building a meaningful legacy.'

Building the right team has been one of her main tasks. Her advice is simple: 'Hire a great accountant and build a team with people who share your values.'

For Mdhluli, leadership also means challenging stereotypes about women. She rejects the idea that female leaders must choose between empathy and effectiveness, arguing that collaboration, emotional intelligence, and inclusivity can be strategic advantages. 'Leadership is not about fitting into a traditional mold, but about achieving results by involving people in the process,' she believes. 'Women prove daily that empathy and ambition are not opposites, but a powerful combination.'

She is also convinced that women should not feel pressured to shrink or become less confident in professional settings. 'You don't need to be loud or aggressive. Just don't disappear. Stand up for what you know. Trust your gifts. Let your work speak, and let your presence be felt softly, firmly, and unapologetically.'

This belief in using one's voice defines how Mdhluli reflects on her broadcasting career. Looking back, she regrets not realizing the power of the microphone sooner. 'I wish I had realized the importance of purposefully using the power of the microphone and this platform to create meaningful change in people's lives earlier,' she says. 'Understanding that journalism can be a powerful tool for social impact came later in my career than I would have liked.'

Nomsa Mdhluli's outstanding journey from an SABC television presenter to a successful entrepreneur demonstrates the power of ambition and innovation, as she paves the way for future generations of women in business.

Mdhluli's interest in communications continues in academia. She holds a Master's degree in Communications and Media Studies from Liverpool John Moores University in the UK and is currently pursuing a PhD in Communication Research at the University of Johannesburg.

Her doctoral research focuses on social media, political communication, and the ethical implications of algorithms that determine what users see online, specifically whether they reinforce existing beliefs or create ideological 'echo chambers' that limit exposure to different viewpoints.

She has also lectured and mentored aspiring communications professionals. A strong sense of purpose drives Mdhluli, and her understanding of leadership has shifted towards creating influence that extends beyond personal success. 'Entrepreneurs play a vital role in building economies, creating jobs, and opening opportunities for others,' she asserts. She now views every opportunity, project, and new employee as a chance to make an impact.

'Significant changes often happen one step at a time.' Her days start early, often at 4 am, with time for meditation, reflection, and planning before tackling business. Family and faith remain important aspects of her life. 'I have always strived for perfection—the fire ignited by my parents. This work ethic is my foundation.'

However, she also makes time for rest. 'True success knows that rest is not the opposite of progress, but a part of it.'

Mdhluli's journey began with a PR project and grew from a home office, a laptop, and a red chair into Tishala Communications. For the former SABC presenter, the next chapter involves not only expanding the business but also using leadership, communication, and opportunities to pave the way for others. Today, she not only tells other people's stories; she is building her own while creating a space for the growth of women and youth alongside herself.

The author shares memories of his relationship with tea, noting that he previously preferred strong, sweet tea without milk, but after developing diabetes, he gave up sugar, except for sweets like jalebi, burfi, and gulab jamun, as well as when consuming putu or avocado peach.

Thanks to his parents' strong genes, the author considers himself completely healthy, although he acknowledges having excess weight. He regrets not being able to achieve the physique of runway models but believes he is no less beautiful despite his makeup.

Once, the author was captivated by a Nepali princess while they were both studying in England. The princess was pleased that he knew about the legendary Gurkha warriors and the heights of the Himalayan peaks. In addition to checking his comfort during official college dinners, she taught him the art of tea drinking.

The princess would say: 'My dear Kheru, tea is tea, and milk is milk. They should never meet.' Her voice was melodious, reminiscent of Japanese geishas. Like many of her Chinese and Korean friends, she adopted an English name to facilitate communication with foreigners, choosing 'Rosie.'

The author could not pronounce this beautiful name aloud because it belonged to a beloved aunt in his neighborhood who mended his first grey trousers for high school and prepared toasts for them on an old iron.

In formal French, he addressed the princess publicly as 'Madame,' and in private, as 'ma chérie.' The reason for this address may become clear when he dares to write his memoirs.

The princess and the author regularly traveled by train every second Saturday from the southeast to London to visit the Fortnum & Mason shop at 181 Piccadilly. She quietly asked the waiter, who wore an apron tied with a neat knot and bow, for 'a quarter pound of Earl Grey.'

The author asked the attentive princess how this differed from how his Aya boiled Jocko leaves in a teapot. The princess replied, gazing at him dreamily and with a coquettish smile: 'Oh, how I wish I could meet your grandmother.'

Several months later, his wife and son joined him in England. It was then that he learned of the passing of his beloved grandmother, the clan matriarch, Kanniamma Govindrajulu. He plans to build a temple in her honor, similar to Madurai Meenakshi or Kamacheammen.

In the past, they had enough, but they were not wealthy. The author is certain that the loose tea bought by his grandmother at Narsai's tea shop might have been dust they swept up at the factory.

Receiving a generous scholarship and working nights in a restaurant, he considered himself quite well-off for a student. Earl Grey was packaged from a wooden box into paper folded into a square nest and sealed with an F&M label. For those unfamiliar with imperial measurements, a quarter pound is exactly 113.4 grams, and the premium tea, from his memory, cost 5.20 pounds sterling.

Even now, he tries to buy loose leaf tea. During his last long stay in India, he specifically bought bags of green tea from the Nilgiri hills.

Next week, he will travel to the Sederberg mountains for the annual pilgrimage to the Namakwaland flowers. He promises to return with tons of ground rooibos directly from the farm in Wuppertal, abandoning bagged tea.

Another piece of advice from the princess was: 'Sip, Kheru. Never rush tea; it is a delicate art and ritual.' Every time he sees someone rushing down the street with a paper cup of 'takeaway coffee,' he remembers the lessons of this elegant Nepali princess about what is more important in life.

When he reached for a sugar cube, she tapped his hand, saying: 'And mother's milk is meant for her calf, not for one as big and strong as you,' and giggled.