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Richard Ahlfeldt, 29 Managing member, Rooftop Productions Richard Ahlfeldt credits the success of Rooftop Productions to the strength of his business partnership. He was just two years out of Matric in 2001 when the entrepreneurial bug bit, and he and partner James Scholtz launched their specialist television and video production company. “Looking back now, it all seems impossible!” says Richard. “But, we’ve managed to build a successful company with an international footprint – it’s an incredible sense of achievement.” Ahlfeldt says he battled at first to be taken seriously by clients because of his youth. “We overcame this by producing work to a high standard. Today, our portfolio sells itself.” The company has attracted a dynamic group of industry professionals, and Ahlfeldt and his partner employ 15 people. “Entrepreneurship is key to the development of our province,” says Ahlfeldt. “The creative industry holds huge potential for Nelson Mandela Bay, in film, TV and video production. It’s an industry that can push the boundaries.”g 40 Samantha Streak, 39 Owner and Principal, PE Montessori School As past president of the South African Montessori Association, registrar and senior lecturer for Headstart Mercy Montessori Teacher Training Centre, and as a director for the Montessori Professions Council of Southern Africa, Samantha Streak has worked relentlessly to promote Montessori education in Southern Africa. She is currently the owner and principal of PE Montessori School, where 15% of the children are special needs learners. “Our school underwent a quality assurance evaluation in 2011. Our adjudicators highlighted the strengths of our school, saying ‘if there is a school to clone in its entirety, it would be this one’,” says Streak. “That was a very proud moment for me.” She names her greatest challenge as the opposition to and misperception of Montessori education. “I am actively involved in Montessori teaching to empower people with skills and knowledge,” she says. “I dream of using my 21 plus years of experience to mentor young women and encourage them to enter the education profession. Education, I believe, is the master key.”
Sinazo Vabaza, 30 Business Advisor, Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) “I am passionate about skills and enterprise development,” says Sinazo Vabaza, a Business Advisor at SEDA, whose role it is to encourage entrepreneurship as a vehicle for economic strength in the Eastern Cape. Vabaza works with different enterprises, diagnosing their development challenges, and recommending processes aimed at enhancing their local and global competitiveness. “The success stories keep me going – to know that I have helped an entrepreneur to a access market, secure much-needed business funding, increase their productivity or improve their profitability is immensely satisfying to me.” In July 2010, Vabaza started the Nankumntwana Adopt a Learning Child programme. This non-profit organization gives individuals and companies the opportunity to sponsor the education of a child from a disadvantaged school. “Sponsors may pay school fees for a year, buy the child’s uniform, and provide tutoring, stationery and books – in fact, anything the child needs to remain motivated and experience school life at its most positive,” she says. Her project has grown tremendously since its inception, with 67 learners benefitting from the initiative. “Young business will bring change to the Eastern Cape,” says Vabaza. Simon le Gras, 39 Owner, SimonSAYS Advertising “My team works with me, not for me,” says Simon le Gras, founder of SimonSAYS Advertising, a creative and strategic agency celebrating eleven years in business. Le Gras launched his business in 2001 after qualifying as a graphic designer. Today, he employs a six –strong team of designers, public relations specialists and account managers. “We like to think of ourselves as the McGyvers of the advertising world,” he says of his team. “We’ve kept going and maintained growth in a tough business environment.” Le Gras believes that the Bay’s greatest resource lies in the young businesspeople who choose the region as their home. “We should learn from our peers,” he says, “and, in turn, pass our knowledge on to others. Plan for the future, guide your business in the direction you want it to grow, and always lead by example.”
Page 1: 40 Top 40 under 40 40
Page 4 and 5: 40 Abel Naidoo, 30 Regional Finance
Page 6 and 7: Avinash Govindjee, 35 Professor of
Page 8 and 9: Braddon McCleland, 34 Managing Dire
Page 10 and 11: Clifford Mounsear-Wilson joined Can
Page 12 and 13: Dirk Kotze, 36 Partner, Mazars Dirk
Page 14 and 15: 40 Gareth Williams, 31 Co-owner, Tw
Page 16 and 17: Mandla Javu, 27 Managing and Techni
Page 20 and 21: Sonja Tifloen, 35 Director, BLC Att
Page 22 and 23: 40 Ulagh Williams, 36 Co-owner, Two
Page 24: Enjoy AWESOMENESS ALOUD across the

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