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Mail & Guardian
10 hours ago
- Business
- Mail & Guardian
Rooted and rising: Retang Phaahla on winning the Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman award
To a tea: Retang Phaahla, winner of the Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award On a crisp Johannesburg evening lit by candlelight, champagne bubbles and ancestral whispers, Retang Phaahla stepped onto the Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award stage with the quiet poise of someone who has carried a vision through soil and storm. Her acceptance was tender, unforced. She did not shout her victory. Instead, she let it rise like the steam from a freshly brewed cup of her signature Tepane tea. The award, established in 1972, is not just a global celebration of female entrepreneurship, it's a mirror to Madame Clicquot herself, a pioneering widow who, in the early 1800s, took over her late husband's wine business and turned it into a champagne empire. It recognises contemporary women who, like Madame Clicquot, lead with audacity, innovation and purpose. In South Africa, where history and heritage run deep, Phaahla's win was more than a nod to her business acumen. It was a triumph of legacy, community and reclamation. Phaahla is the co-founder and CEO of Setsong Tea Crafters, a purpose-led company rooted in the indigenous knowledge systems of the Bapedi people of Sekhukhune in Limpopo. Together with her mother, and now her brother, she has transformed ancestral know-how into a global-facing wellness brand and done so with radical reverence for the land and the people who have always known its value. 'I'm still soaking it all in,' she says, her voice soft yet unwavering. 'To take that brave step as an entrepreneur, to build something out of Indigenous knowledge … this award is validating. It reminds me that the work we're doing is not just important, it's necessary.' For Phaahla, boldness is not loudness. It is not ego. It is choosing to lead with purpose, especially when the path is uncharted. She did not set out to build a tea empire. In fact, she thought she was simply helping her mother formalise a small idea, a humble act of service from daughter to mother. But soon, she realised that she was standing on sacred ground. The teas they were experimenting with — Tepane (black bush tea) and Diya (red root tea), held more than flavour. They held memory, wisdom, healing. 'These plants have been used for over a hundred years in our community,' she says. 'Long before laboratories. Long before packaging. Our elders knew their value and how they supported immunity, digestion, hormonal balance. When we finally did lab testing, the results affirmed everything our people had always known.' The affirmation didn't end in the lab. It echoed into boardrooms and buyers' meetings, into supermarket shelves and online carts. Today, Setsong is stocked at Food Lover's Market nationwide, several Spar stores in Pretoria and Johannesburg and is completing its listing with Dis-Chem. You can also find it on Takealot, Makro online and Setsong's own e-commerce platform. Setsong's main production site is not in an industrial estate or office park. It's on inherited land in Sekhukhune, where seven rondavels once stood — built by Phaahla's grandfather and used by generations of family members. When she and her mother began building their tea business, they didn't have the capital to construct a modern facility, so they did what many entrepreneurs are afraid to do — they used what they had. 'We renovated the rondavels into food-safe tea-processing units,' she explains. 'Each one now serves a purpose in our value chain, from drying and blending to packaging and dispatch. 'Outside, they look like traditional rondavels but, inside, they meet all industry standards.' It is a perfect metaphor for Setsong's approach which is modern sophistication wrapped in ancestral dignity. The rondavels are referred to as the 'tea village', where young villagers walk barefoot between pieces of modern stainless-steel equipment, working with the leaves their grandmothers once brewed at dawn. The transformation hasn't only been infrastructural. It's been social. Setsong is a registered social enterprise — 49% of it is owned by two local cooperatives — ensuring that the benefits of the business flow directly back to the community. Her mother continues to be the heart of that social arm. 'She's a community builder at heart,' Retang says proudly. 'She ensures that we remain rooted in our values and in sustainability, upliftment and legacy. That has allowed me to focus on innovation, market growth and scaling the business.' It's a mother-daughter partnership that's less about hierarchy than harmony. And, with her brother on board handling legal and governance, the family's vision is evolving into a multi-generational force. What sets Setsong apart isn't only its origin story or its social architecture. It's Phaahla's ability to listen — really listen to her customers. 'As a Millennial, I knew we needed to meet modern consumers where they are,' she says. 'People want wellness solutions that feel good and taste good.' So, she went into her kitchen and began infusing tradition with innovation. Today, Setsong offers a wide range of flavoured brews — lemon, ginger and berry Detox Tea; orange, ginger and turmeric Calming Tea, strawberry and fennel Sleepy Tea and orange spiced Immunity Tea, to name a few. And all of it starts with the base of Tepane or Diya, deeply rooted in African soil and wisdom. In a market saturated with luxury wellness brands, Setsong offers something different — a product that is aspirational without being extractive, luxurious without losing its soul. 'Consumers are increasingly seeking out brands that have a conscience,' Phaahla says. 'They want to know that their money is supporting something meaningful. 'That's where our social model aligns perfectly with our brand.' It's a careful balancing act, to scale while staying grounded. But Retang believes the two are not opposites. They are partners. 'We divide the roles intentionally. My mom safeguards the soul. I drive the scale.' Now that the champagne toasts have settled and the bold woman trophy sits on her shelf, Phaahla is focused on growth. Setsong is expanding into more local and international markets, including the hospitality and corporate sectors. But she's also thinking beyond products. On their farm, they've launched tea tours, immersive experiences for tourists to witness the story behind the brew. And personally? 'I'm working on myself as a businesswoman,' she says. 'I'm excited for the mentorship opportunities that come with this award. There's always more to learn and powerful women to learn from.' When I ask her which tea to recommend for my diabetic mother, she doesn't hesitate. 'Go for the Red Root Calming Tea, the one with orange, ginger and turmeric. It helps with blood sugar and turmeric helps bind glucose.' She says it with the conviction of a healer and the finesse of a CEO. In a world that often asks women to choose between being soulful and being strategic, Phaahla has chosen both — and that is truly bold.
IOL News
24-07-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Sekhukhune community demands action on TUT campus project amid escalating tensions
Bapedi Nation Prime Minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi says negotiations are ongoing. Image: Phill Magakoe / Archive The controversy surrounding the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) Sekhukhune campus has reached a boiling point, with the ANC in Sekhukhune threatening to take to the streets if the promised university campus is not built soon. The dispute centers around allegations that TUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Tinyiko Maluleke diverted the project from Sekhukhune to Giyani, sparking outrage among the local community. In 2021, TUT signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Sekhukhune Royal Kingdom to establish a campus in the area, focusing on mining and agriculture. However, nearly five years later, the project remains stalled, with the community accusing Maluleke of hijacking the initiative and redirecting it to Giyani, allegedly his hometown. This alleged sabotage has led to widespread frustration and feelings of betrayal among the Bapedi nation of Sekhukhune in Limpopo. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading ANC Sekhukhune Regional Secretary Tala Mathope warned that if the university campus is not built soon, the community will take to the streets in protest if their demands are not met. "Build us the university campus that was promised or we will take to the streets," Mathope demanded. He emphasised that the community believes the project has been hijacked and that someone somewhere has misdirected it to Giyani. "We are not saying the Giyani university project should stop... We are saying that somebody, somewhere has misdirected the project that was supposed to come to Sekhukhune to Giyani. It was hijacked. This is an emotional issue," Mathope said. He appealed to the university, Limpopo premier Phophi Ramathuba, and the Ministry of Higher Education under the newly appointed minister Buti Manamela to act appropriately, or face street protests. New TUT vice-chancellor and principal, Professor Tinyiko Maluleke is being taken to court over TUT Sekhukhune campus delays. Image: Supplied 'We have taken offense that five years later there has still not been any project was at an advanced stage and it suddenly stopped and the Giyani one started…We also want to know who is frustrating us," Mathope asked. 'Build us the university campus that was promised,' Mathope said. Newly-appointed Bapedi Nation Prime Minister Ngoako Ramathlodi weighed in with a more cautious approach to the matter saying the kingdom has been in talks with the university. 'We are aware that TUT commissioned a study to create a technical university given the minerals study was concluded and an MOU is to be implemented. 'This happened during the late King Thulare's funeral [where] even the president (Cyril Ramaphosa) announced that there would be a university in Sekhukhune. 'We have been in talks with the university…Protocols should be followed properly. We are engaging the university, then the education sector and maybe the president as a last resort. We have already raised the issue with the premier,' the former Limpopo premier said. Bapedi Kingdom head of education, William Maphutha, has taken legal action against TUT, claiming that the university project was stolen by a sophisticated syndicate led by Maluleke. Maphutha confirmed that the community is mobilising to march to the Ministry of Higher Education in protest. "The legal process has started, our lawyers are busy finalizing documents. We have a strong, watertight case and proof that the Sekhukhune TUT University project was stolen," Maphutha said. When the department was contacted they redirected inquiries to TUT, the institution's spokesperson, Phaphama Tshisikhawe, who did not respond to the questions she received.
IOL News
19-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
TUT Vice-Chancellor could face lawsuit from Bapedi Kingdom over Sekhukhune campus dispute
The Bapedi people of Sekhukhune have threatened to take the Vice-Chancellor of Tshwane University of Technology, Professor Tinyiko Maluleke to court. Image: Thobile Mathonsi / Independent Newspapers The controversy surrounding the Tshwane University of Technology's (TUT) Sekhukhune campus has taken a dramatic turn, with the institution's Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Tinyiko Maluleke, being dragged to court. The lawsuit follows Maluleke's alleged ignoring of a letter of demand from the Bapedi Kingdom to settle the matter out of court three weeks ago. The Kingdom had given Maluleke 14 days to respond to their letter regarding the establishment of a campus in Sekhukhune, or face a legal challenge, and claim Maluleke ignored it. The Bapedi Kingdom and TUT Sekhukhune campus coordinator, William Maphutha has made claims that TUT has failed to honour its commitment to establish a campus in Sekhukhune. The dispute between the Bapedi Kingdom and TUT centres around the university's decision to establish a campus in Giyani, which the kingdom views as a violation of the duty of good faith. Maphuta expressed frustration over the lack of response from Maluleke saying according to the brief he received from their lawyers, Maluleke had not responded to their demands. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Maphuta further revealed that they have written to both the Minister of Higher Education and the Portfolio Committee Chairperson, but there has been no response. Maphutha also claimed that that efforts to establish a university in Sekhukhune, had been sabotaged. He says he pioneered the project and accuses TUT of hijacking it without proper consultation. "We are law-abiding citizens, we trust and believe that the courts will come to our rescue," Maphuta said. "The level of arrogance from the management of the university is appalling, let alone the silent treatment from Prof Tinyiko Maluleke,' he said. Both Maluleke and TUT spokesperson Phaphama Tshisikhawe did not answer questions about whether they would challenge the court action. The only correspondence from Maluleke was a leaked letter he had written to the Bapedi Kingdom on May 16, appreciating the hospitality they received while visiting the kingdom during a meeting the day before. 'It was an honour and a privilege for our delegation to connect with the Bapedi Kingdom and to discuss opportunities for mutual growth… TUT is eager to continue this journey with the Bapedi Kingdom. We look forward to future engagements,' Maluleke wrote.
IOL News
18-06-2025
- General
- IOL News
Court rules on dual marriages: A customary wife's fight for recognition
The Mpumalanga High Court took a closer look at the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act during a battle between two wives and ruled that if there is no divorce, there is no valid second marriage. Image: File Two wives and one husband were yet again the legal question the court had to grapple with, with the first wife, who was married to her now deceased husband in terms of customary law, wanting the court to declare her the true wife. The husband died in 2023 at the age of 43 in a car accident. In order to benefit from his estate, the applicant (first wife) turned to the Mpumalanga High Court to declare his second marriage invalid. In 2017, the deceased sent emissaries to her family to negotiate lobola. The negotiations were conducted in terms of Bapedi and Swati customs. Lobola for the applicant was finally agreed between the two families at R12,000 in cash and 13 cattle. The cash part of lobola was paid there and then, leaving the cattle to be delivered in the future. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading The marriage was celebrated customarily, and the applicant was handed over to the deceased to be his wife. The marriage was, however, not registered with the Department of Home Affairs until the death of the deceased. Two years later, the deceased met another woman and the two fell in love. 'Like a man who fell out of love, he moved out of the home he shared with his wife, the applicant, in order to stay with the first respondent, in her house. He never went back to his wife,' Deputy Judge President Takalani Ratshibvuma noted. In 2020, the deceased and the first respondent signed into a civil marriage that was solemnised at Home Affairs. He subsequently also paid lobola to her family, R20,000, being 10 cattle each valued at R2,000, which was paid right away. Thus, the deceased's second marriage was recognised as both a civil and customary union. The first wife never consented to the second marriage, and that marriage was also never dissolved through a divorce decree. Based on these, the applicant argues that the deceased's marriage to the first respondent is unlawful and should be declared void. Although the applicant attended the deceased's funeral, she played no role therein, watching from a distance as his family accorded the widow's status to the first respondent. The latter said the court should consider this as reason enough to recognise her as the only lawful wife of the deceased. She further argued that although she did not know of the deceased's marriage to the applicant, the court should consider it to have been irretrievably broken down. In the alternative, she submitted that the deceased's two marriages, one to her and the other to the applicant, should all be recognised as customary marriages entered in terms of the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act.
IOL News
03-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
TUT vice-chancellor faces legal action from Bapedi Kingdom if campus issue remains unresolved
TUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Tinyiko Maluleke faces legal action over TUT Sekhukhune campus "backtracking". Image: Thobile Mathonsi / Independent Newspapers The Bapedi Kingdom has given Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) Vice-Chancellor Professor Tinyiko Maluleke 14 days to respond to their letter regarding the establishment of a campus in Sekhukhune, or face a legal challenge. The legal letter, dated Friday, May 23, 2025, now has less than a week for Maluleke to respond to. The kingdom claims that TUT has failed to honour its commitment to establish a campus in Sekhukhune, despite a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 2021. The dispute between the Bapedi Kingdom and TUT centres around the university's decision to establish a campus in Giyani, which the kingdom views as a violation of the duty of good faith. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ The kingdom argues that the idea of establishing a campus was conceived by the late King Thulare III for Sekhukhune, and that TUT cannot appropriate this idea for a different area and community. It further claims that Maluleke hijacked the project and shifted it to Giyani despite the 2021 MoU between the two bodies. Last month, the Kingdom, through the founder of the establishment project, William Maphutha, submitted a formal complaint to Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka, concerning allegations of TUT sabotaging the Sekhukhune university project. The four-year delay has continued to dominate headlines and sparked outrage among the Bapedi nation, who feel betrayed, especially after President Cyril Ramaphosa endorsed the project in his visit during the burial of the late King Thulare III, also in 2021. In a legal letter written to Maluleke on May 23 by the Bapedi Kingdom's legal representative, Rudolph Baloyi, the kingdom wished to have this matter resolved amicably and in line with the wishes of the late King of the Bapedi, King Thulare III, and in honour of his legacy. Baloyi further stated that the kingdom has sought to engage amicably with Professor Maluleke and has also solicited the intervention of the State through the Minister of Higher Education and the highest office of the land. 'The university approached the Department of Higher Education and Training to obtain the necessary permission and approval as per the provisions of the Higher Education Act 101 of 1997. 'In response thereto, on February 26, 2020, the department requested the university to conduct a market feasibility study before it could endorse the request… It was in this context that the market study was conducted. 'In pursuance of this decision, on May 20, 2021, the MOU was concluded between the parties to give effect to the decision taken by the university to establish the University Campus in Sekhukhune subject to compliance with the requirements specified by the department,' Baloyi wrote in the letter. Baloyi has warned that if a satisfactory response is not forthcoming from Maluleke within 14 days (now less than a week), they will approach a court of law for appropriate relief. 'The Bapedi Kingdom hopes to resolve the matter amicably, but is prepared to take legal action if necessary,' Baloyi wrote. TUT spokesperson Phaphama Tshisikhawe had not yet confirmed if Maluleke had received the letter or if they were going to respond by the due date. However, in a leaked letter, Maluleke had written to the Bapedi Kingdom on May 16, appreciating the hospitality they received while visiting the kingdom during a meeting the day before. 'It was an honour and a privilege for our delegation to connect with the Bapedi Kingdom and to discuss opportunities for mutual growth… TUT is eager to continue this journey with the Bapedi Kingdom. We look forward to future engagements,' Maluleke wrote. Although it was not clear what was discussed in that meeting, a source close to the kingdom said that the meeting did not bear any fruit.
