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From novice to media mogul

brave: Nawaal Motlekar has grown her company significantly in six years
brave: Nawaal Motlekar has grown her company significantly in six years

SIX years ago, Nawaal Motlekar took on the daunting task of entering the media world at a time when many would have advised against it.

She formed Kwenta Media and released her first publication, a pregnancy and baby magazine and website called Mamas & Papas.

She followed that last year with the launch of African Travel Market, a travel magazine, and Essays of Africa, a trendy, women's lifestyle and current affairs journal.

While Motlekar entered the media world with little experience, it was her entrepreneurial drive that rallied her to give it her best.

"I joined the media world without an understanding of the full scope of dynamics involved," she confessed.

"But it was something I wanted to be involved in, so I did my homework to ensure that I both survive and prosper."

While some print media has been shrinking due to growing demand of online content, investing in print - especially at a time when some leading magazines were shutting down - Motlekar knew she had to provide fresh content and reach a new audience.

"There was a gap. There was a need for content that focuses on African women and their narratives," she said.

Motlekar is a graduate of the University of South Africa and Hull University in England.

A significant milestone in Motlekar's list of achievements was to be the first black woman appointed by South African Tourism to its international offices in England and Ireland.

Motlekar was based in London for about three years.

She also co-presented her own long-running weekly TV series on SABC3, Mamas&Papas.

Motlekar is also a partner at mining conglomerate Samancor.

"What Kwenta stands for is the promotion of Africa, its women, developments, and future of the African economies," Motlekar said.

"Africa is the future and we need to start showcasing ourselves. We [Kwenta] started [African Travel Market] and Essays to highlight the developments on the continent.

"The whole concept of Kwenta was to get the people who weren't reading magazines to start reading. And I believe most of these people didn't read because there wasn't content available [with which they] identified ."

One of Motlekar's passions is promoting African women.

"My company is made up of 99.9% women. I believe there is still a big role for Africa to promote its women. African women still need to be empowered because if you look around, you would realise that their position in society is not yet fulfilled."

Motlekar raved about the success of Mama & Papas, which turns six years old this month. Essays of Africa is specifically tailored for a new class of black women, aged 25 years and older.

Pamela Nomvete, Pabi Moloi and Kgomotso Christopher are some of the local celebrities previously featured on the magazine cover.

Motlekar refused to rule out introducing another addition to her growing brand.

"For now, the focus is on consolidating," she said.

lkhumelaj@sowetan.co.za

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