Zinhle Novazi

Category
Entrepreneurship

Age
28

Organisation / Company
Heavy Chef Foundation
Website

Profile

Zinhle Novazi, 28, is a director of the Heavy Chef Foundation nonprofit, an attorney of the High Court of South Africa and a tax and fiduciary specialist at Investec.

Heavy Chef aims to inspire, equip and enable entrepreneurs to thrive and run profitable businesses that employ people, improving the lives of many South Africans. Zinhle has a master’s degree in technology, media and telecoms from the Queen Mary University of London and is completing a master’s in taxation law.

Together with the board of directors, she is responsible for setting out the strategic direction of Heavy Chef and developing plans to achieve its goal of making entrepreneurship equitable and accessible. This involves assessing market trends and opportunities, identifying strategic partners, potential risks and challenges, and also making decisions about investments and resource allocation.

Zinhle curates shared learning experiences for Heavy Chef’s community of 35 000+ entrepreneurs. She is also a master of ceremony for the organisation’s monthly master classes where she disruptors, iconoclasts, creatives, visionaries, start-uppers, influencers and innovators in the Heavy Chef hot seat and explores their secret recipes and special ingredients for success. As a speaker, Zinhle talks about entrepreneurship, innovation and developments in technology and data privacy.

List your educational background - qualifications and institutions?

• Bachelor of Social Science in politics and law, University of Cape Town, 2015 
• LLB, University of Cape Town, 2019
• LLM in Technology, Media and Telecoms, Queen Mary University of London, 2022 
• Completing LLM in taxation law, University of the Witwatersrand

Any awards or achievements in your field?

• I was invited as a University of Cape Town Tedx speaker, and I have been invited as a speaker, MC and moderator at conferences focusing on entrepreneurship and technology. In 2022, I was awarded the Chevening Scholarship. 
• At Heavy Chef we have grown our community of entrepreneurs to 33 000+ 

One childhood memory that has spurred you to such levels of achievement?

I was raised by a single mom who strived to excel in her career while ensuring that I got the best education to thrive in my career. My mom’s hard work and dedication to providing me with the best opportunities are my source of reference for excellence and drive me to operate at my best. I am the product of my mother’s sacrifices and hard work.

Advice to your younger self?

It’s okay if you do not know what you want to be when you grow up because growing up is not finite. You will never reach a point where you become something and that’s the end. Instead, growing up is a forward motion, a way of evolving to reach a better self. The journey never ends.

What would you like South Africa to look like in five years?

For entrepreneurs, I would like to see our country have improved access to funding, encourage the growth of venture capital and angel investment networks, and increase tax incentives for entrepreneurs and investors. Overall it would be encouraging to have stronger support for small and medium enterprises because they are the backbone of our economy by providing targeted support to help them thrive. Moreover, better infrastructure including reliable and sustainable electricity, transport and communication networks. For women and children a safer country where we are free to be without fear of being subject to abuse. Overall a more just and equitable country.