Team Amplify Africa – South Africa

She is a board member for Tahoe Wedding Industry Group, SBDC, and Zawadisha.

Danell lives in Reno, where she enjoys cooking for friends, long walks with her family, and planning her next great adventure across the globe.

Tersia’s fundamental coaching focus is to accelerate the practice of emotional intelligence leadership that distinguish exceptional leaders from the average. This is the blueprint she strives to develop and utilize. She goes beyond by emphasizing the need to create emotional wealth in an organization in order to create the edge that separates the good from the great organizations. 

Tersia worked for fifteen years in various positions in leading Botswana companies, notably PricewaterhouseCoopers, Time Projects (Proprietary) Limited, Botswana Breweries (Proprietary)Limited and gained experience in administering and managing various aspects of businesses. The exposure gave her confidence in working towards her dream of establishing her own business and she founded Kagiso Funeral Parlour in Maun, Botswana. Under her leadership over eight years this business grew. It became the market leader in funeral industry in North and Central Botswana, a household name and the service-provider of choice. This business later merged with FSG Limited and was listed on Botswana Stock Exchange in 2008. 

She was recently the guest speaker for the National Strategy Office, of the Office of the President of Botswana, was one of the recipients of the SADC Women Forum & Leadership Excellence Awards and inducted into the SADC Women Leaders Hall of Fame. 

Margot’s culinary journey started in 1993 with Ciro Molinaro, the chef-patron of La Cucina di Ciro in Johannesburg. Margo learned every aspect of managing a kitchen and was encouraged to experiment, which created an ability to explore beyond traditional “food boundaries”.

In 1995, Margot joined Le Quartier Français in Franschhoek as Sous Chef and was promoted to Executive Chef 6 months later. A culinary evolution of 22 years followed with many national and international awards. Margot travelled extensively to continually be inspired by new ideas and stay abreast of emerging trends.

Her stimulating African-inspired surprise menu changed regularly, based on the produce which she sourced from Le Quartier’s own indigenous garden and small local producers. This resulted in a kitchen buzzing with ongoing innovative and creative energy.

In April 2017 Margot left Le Quartier Français and The Tasting Room closed.

Margot is currently:
o Managing Director of her charity Isabelo “Feeding Hungry Minds” which was founded in 2009 and feeds 1500 disadvantaged children in Franschhoek on a daily basis. www.isabelocharity.com
o Chief Judge for South African annual “Eat Out Mercedes Benz Restaurant Awards”.
o International Jude for The World Restaurant Awards
o Judge on the Africa and Middle East panel for the World 50 Best Restaurant Awards

Villa Isabelo, Margo’s beautiful home on Franschhoek, The Gourmet Capital of South Africa, will be opening its doors in the Spring of 2019.

Villa Isabelo will be a multi-functional space where one can spend a beautiful holiday, plan a private culinary even, or join a special retreat, organized and run by Margot.

Charmain Houvet has over two decades of telecommunications experience working with private and public sector organizations across Africa.

She joined Cisco in March 2016 with several years’ experience as a Senior Executive in diverse and transformative roles with high profile leading ICT companies.

She currently serves on the Advisory Board of the Global Broadband Plan for Refugees Project whose objective is to meet the broadband connectivity goal set by the United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR). Charmain has been appointed to serve on the Presidential Commission on the Fourth Industrial Revolution under President Cyril Ramaphosa in South Africa. She chairs the Policy and Law reform workstream of the Presidential 4IR commission.

Charmaine is passionate about female and community development and serves pro bono on various boards and trust whose objectives are aligned to her values. She serves as a board member on the Cisco local board and as a trustee of the charitable trust board headquartered in San Jose.

Charmaine is passionate about transformation and the advancement of the ICT sector especially women in the sector and is the recipient of a number of business awards in recognition of her vision, leadership, and achievements in the ICT sector. In November 2016, she was named South Africa’s Top Woman in ICT and in August 2017 Charmaine was awarded the MTN Ministerial Recognition Award for her outstanding contribution towards advancing the ICT industry in South Africa. In 2018 Charmaine was nominated by her peers in the industry as a finalist for the personality of the year award.

Charmaine is a long-time mentor and sponsor of and serves on the Advisory Board of Gilcodeza; a social enterprise that aims to empower young girls and women through technology by teaching them how to code and design.

She is a co-founder of the Mentorship Circle (2017) with the African Women’s Chartered Accountant Association (AWCA) and Duke University CE, providing free coaching, mentorship, and sponsorship opportunities for future leaders on jobs of the future. She recently founded Afriel; a non-profit organization that mentors, coaches and sponsors young female leaders in the ICT sector.

Charmaine holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA).

In so doing, she enrolled in a series of accredited short courses in the fields of Geographic Information Systems, Urban and Reginal Planning presented by the University of Pretoria and Technology and Cities presented by the Ohio State University.

She has also assisted with lectures on Urban Planning in Advanced Certificate in Shopping Centre Leadership and the Provision of infrastructure Services for the South African Property Owners Association as well was invited as guest speaker at the Military Outreach program that was held by the South African Department of defense and the US Africa Command in September of 2016.

Her career started in 2001 as an Urban Planning assistant to Mr. Charlie Els who established the firm EVS Planning in 1975 and was the 4th Registered Planner to ever Register as a Professional Planner in South Africa. Maxi obtained 50% shareholding in the firm in 2010. In 2019 she became the Executive Director with an 80% shareholding in the Company who until today assists large corporate firms and institutions as well as Government Authorities with Urban Planning and Property Related projects.

The Company is committed to improving lives and has recently established a Non-Profit Organization called Future EVS, which aims to uplift and contribute to the lives of the previously disadvantaged group of people in South Africa.

Maxi has gained invaluable experience in the fields of land use management and development procedures; drafting of plans for new township establishments, urban design; project management of multi-disciplinary teams; spatial planning, communication and negotiation with government departments.

As a strong businesswoman, Amy Embraces challenges and believes that you learn from every job and every experience. Her philosophy is that a business needs to be profitable but is must also serve a broader purpose and leave a worthwhile legacy. Amy is best known for commitment to education and youth development, and her firm dedication to supporting young entrepreneurs and uplifting women. Coming from a family of teacher, her passion for education led her to stabling Dial-A-Teacher in 1998. The company continues to have an immense impact on education throughout South Africa, supporting about 350,000 families.

Amy is involved in various charities. She says: “Assisting others provides the deepest, most profound joy- it is also the best beauty treatment.”

Amy is a people person and loves entertaining. She enjoys swimming and is thee organizer of the Bridge House Mile Open Water Swim. Her other hobbies include painting, reading, yachting and going to the theatre.

Amy says: “I only know one way to live and that is authentically. With another human being in a meaningful way, to recognize the extraordinary in each of us.”