EmpowHER – Conversations around women and their work.
Loading player...
Denise is the CEO of THOKOZANI (meaning Celebrations in ZULU) and a director at Diemersfontein Wines. The winner of the regional round of the Standard Bank Top Women's awards. She grew up a labourers child in a small-town names Pniel and still lives there with her husband and three daughters.
Although the wine sector fascinated her from a young age, her passion was initially in fashion design,” However, after completing her diploma in fashion and art and going on to study Human Resources and project management, Denise’s path took a turn when she scarified her corporate career to become the majority shareholder through sweat equity and empowering 65 farm workers of which are majority women and shareholders.
Denise was instrumental in the creation of the Thokozani Group of Companies, which is a Broad Base Black Economic Empowerment initiative that has wine, conferencing, and hospitality property business interests. Denise is passionate about training and development, creating capacity building and empowerment opportunities for workers in the wine and tourism industry! She just won the Western Cape Standard Bank Entrepreneur EmpowHer 2023, an active member of BWSA (Business women Association SA) , a finalist at the 2018 South African Entrepreneurs award, a board member of WOSA (Wines of South Africa) , Board Member on the Diversity and Transformation unit at Bridge House Private School, 2018 Winner of the IWEC Mentee (International Women Entrepreneur Competition), Overall Winner of the Cape Chamber of Commerce Transformation and Smaller Exporter Awards, Alumna with AWEC (African Women Entrepreneurship Cooperative), 2019 one of two women in South Africa for Top International Entrepreneurs award in the world, hosted in Florida USA in the category Agriculture and Tourism. 2022 Transformation and Diversity Award for the first women of colour in the wine industry in the Western Cape Groot Constantia
Denise believes in women empowerment and upliftment of people; she sees the world as a whirlpool of colours bringing people together!
Although the wine sector fascinated her from a young age, her passion was initially in fashion design,” However, after completing her diploma in fashion and art and going on to study Human Resources and project management, Denise’s path took a turn when she scarified her corporate career to become the majority shareholder through sweat equity and empowering 65 farm workers of which are majority women and shareholders.
Denise was instrumental in the creation of the Thokozani Group of Companies, which is a Broad Base Black Economic Empowerment initiative that has wine, conferencing, and hospitality property business interests. Denise is passionate about training and development, creating capacity building and empowerment opportunities for workers in the wine and tourism industry! She just won the Western Cape Standard Bank Entrepreneur EmpowHer 2023, an active member of BWSA (Business women Association SA) , a finalist at the 2018 South African Entrepreneurs award, a board member of WOSA (Wines of South Africa) , Board Member on the Diversity and Transformation unit at Bridge House Private School, 2018 Winner of the IWEC Mentee (International Women Entrepreneur Competition), Overall Winner of the Cape Chamber of Commerce Transformation and Smaller Exporter Awards, Alumna with AWEC (African Women Entrepreneurship Cooperative), 2019 one of two women in South Africa for Top International Entrepreneurs award in the world, hosted in Florida USA in the category Agriculture and Tourism. 2022 Transformation and Diversity Award for the first women of colour in the wine industry in the Western Cape Groot Constantia
Denise believes in women empowerment and upliftment of people; she sees the world as a whirlpool of colours bringing people together!