Aug 2020 - Bloem

Jackie
Ntshingila
To PROVINCIAL MANAGER OF THE SMALL
ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT AGENCY (SEDA) Free
State, Jackie Ntshingila, being a woman means being
compassionate, loving, supporting, nurturing and selfless
while still being strong and very powerful.
Seda was established through the National Small Business
Amendment Act 29 of 2004 in the same year to implement
the national government’s small business strategy. The
agency is also mandated to design and implement a standard
and common national delivery network that must uniformly
apply throughout the Republic in respect of small enterprise
development, integrating all government-funded small
enterprise support across all tiers of government.
“Seda’s vision is to be the centre of excellence for small
enterprise development in South Africa,” Jackie says.
In support of female-owned enterprises, Seda has
the Women Enterprise Coaching Programme where female
entrepreneurs are mentored to guide the growth of their
business. “The programme assembles groups of 20 to 30
business owners under the supervision of a coach/mentor
who oversees their business operations and offers solutions
and guidance. The goal of the programme is to increase
turnover, retain and increase jobs, improve efficiency and
effectiveness and assist the entrepreneurs to improve on
compliance with statutory bodies.”
“I love what I do as I find joy in helping and being of service
to mankind. The job that I am in allows me to do that as it
assists with entrepreneurship development. With my team,
we have been able to push the Seda brand as an enabler in
providing support to SMMEs in the Free State, even during
the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Jackie draws her inspiration from South Africa’s very
own female icon who believed in persistence despite the
odds. “Personally I am inspired by the late Winnie Madikizela
Mandela. The woman was powerful, compassionate, brave,
kind, and resilient. Winnie stood for what she believed,
irrespective of all opposing forces.”
Designing jewellery is about more than making a
beautiful ring or necklace. It is also about the story of
the piece. Ilze Stergos started M Design Jewellery by
selling jewellery, then expanded the business to include
repairing, remodelling, designing and manufacturing
custom-made pieces of jewellery.
“I love what I do because I get to meet the most
interesting and fascinating people. When consulting
with an in love couple to design their wedding bands, I
become part of their story; when I help a young, modern
lady to transform her family heirlooms into something
modern and fun which she can wear with pride and joy,
I share a bit of her family history. At the market days and
ladies’ teas where I exhibit, my fiancé, Kenny, assists me. It
becomes a joint venture between the two of us.”
The Bloemfontein born and bred lady believes a
woman should be strong, fierce, sensitive and selfless.
Ilze’s business is centred on building good relationships
and going the extra mile to give clients a bespoke
experience. “At M Design Jewellery we are different
because we work with passion and love. I build up
relationships with my clients and often we become
friends. I also go the extra mile by often personally
delivering a piece of jewellery straight to their door once
it has been repaired or manufactured.”
The creative draws her inspiration from historical icon
Anne Frank, especially when going through tough times.
“I am inspired by Anne Frank, the young Jewish girl who,
at age 13 kept a diary of her family’s time in hiding during
the holocaust. She inspires me because even at the
toughest times she kept her faith and remained positive,
even on the difficult days. Her famous quote ‘I don’t
think of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains’,
has rung especially true for me personally during the
challenging times we are experiencing during Covid-19.”
Ilze
Stergos
32 Get It Bloemfontein August 2020 getitmagazine.co.za/bloemfontein