For Women’s Day, we celebrate the women who refuse to be defined by a single title. Wenzile Mthenjana is one of them.
From an Afrikaans teacher to the founder of a thriving South African eyewear brand, Wenzile Mthenjana has built a career that reflects the power of following more than one calling. The 31-year-old entrepreneur, educator and content creator is the founder of Bona BY WENZY M, a brand born from her lifelong love of sunglasses and her passion for business.
Since launching in 2021, Bona has gone from an idea conceived during the height of the pandemic to being recognised among the Top 16 Youth-Owned Brands in 2023 in the accessories category, with a growing retail presence across Gauteng and an innovative online store offering virtual try-ons through augmented reality filters.
But Wenzile’s impact extends beyond business. Through education, content creation and the Umusa Initiative, she continues to use her experience to inspire confidence, encourage self-expression and give back to her community. In celebration of Women’s Day, we speak to Wenzile about building boldly, embracing every facet of herself and creating a legacy rooted in vision, resilience and purpose.
This year’s Women’s Month is celebrated under the theme, “Empowered Women Empower the Nation.” As a woman entrepreneur, educator and content creator, what does this message mean to you, and how do you strive to empower others through your work?
As a content creator, I hope to inspire the nation in general and women in particular to find the power to express themselves. Putting yourself out there takes a tremendous amount of courage and vulnerability, and as an educator and entrepreneur, I believe the best gift I can give is the experience and growth I’ve had. Very few things are as inspiring as seeing someone relatable doing remarkable things.
You have built a multifaceted career across education, content creation and entrepreneurship. What inspired you to embrace these different passions and create a path that reflects all aspects of who you are?
I will always be an educator. It has always been a calling very close to my heart. It is what allows me to share a lot of myself with the next generation in hopes to inspire excellence. Creating content became a different medium through which I could achieve the same thing. I started off creating skincare content to help others find their confidence through knowledge. I could say the same about entrepreneurship. It became a matter of taking who I am, packaging that and creating my own career out of it.
Bona by Wenzy M has grown into a proudly South African eyewear brand that celebrates confidence, style and accessibility. What inspired you to start the brand, and what did you want it to represent for the women who wear it?
I have always been a sunglass girly. Everyone around me knew that sunglasses have been the centrepiece of most of my looks since high school. Combine that with a passion for business and a tertiary background of majoring in Business Management, and you have the business you see today.
Sunglasses represent a reflection of confidence for me. I hope that every woman who puts on a pair of sunnies understands the boldness. Remember the video of that little girl in class who cleans her sunnies, puts them on and does a little dance with her tongue out? Exactly that!
The name “Bona” means “to see” in isiZulu and Sesotho. Beyond eyewear, the brand is about confidence and helping people see themselves differently. What message do you hope customers take away when they wear Bona by Wenzy M?
There’s a crossover episode of Johnny Bravo and Scooby-Doo where both Johnny and Velma drop their glasses. Velma says, “My glasses! I can’t see without my glasses!” On the other hand, Johnny says, “My glasses! I can’t be seen without my glasses!”
It’s a silly reference, I know. But I hope our customers walk away with the confidence to see themselves as beautiful, bold and stylish, as well as the desire to let their shine out and be seen for how they choose to see themselves.
As a young woman building a business in the fashion and lifestyle space, what have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as an entrepreneur, and how have those experiences shaped the way you lead?
One of the earliest lessons we’ve learnt is that you cannot be everything to everyone. Instead, you have to curate a brand that reflects who you are and your tribe will find you. We made this expensive mistake and are grateful to have learnt quickly from it. This has helped me lead with confidence and conviction. Trusting my instincts and decisions has been validating and has helped me grow everyone in my team.
Representation and confidence are important themes in the beauty and fashion industries. How do you use your platform as a content creator to encourage women to embrace their individuality and express themselves?
I think by repeating my story at every opportunity I get, I reach at least one person who struggles with self-expression. I have met so many people who walk up to me and tell me how inspired they are and how proud they are that a woman is doing so well in business. This has been my personal inspiration as well.
There’s an episode we did with Michelle Expert on YouTube where we speak about personal branding. I believe everyone has a personal brand. An expression of their individuality. In being and staying Wenzy M, I hope others can be comfortable to be themselves in their own spaces as well.
Beyond your business ventures, you founded the Umusa Initiative, which focuses on community outreach and making a difference in people’s lives. What inspired you to start this initiative, and why is giving back such an important part of your journey?
I grew up around love and generosity. Helping others isn’t even a question for me. The Bible teaches us to give to the less fortunate. Founding Umusa was a matter of formalising what has always been in my heart, which is to help the next person in need.
You hold a Bachelor of Education and an Honours degree from the University of Pretoria, while also managing your entrepreneurial ventures. How has your background in education influenced the way you approach leadership, business and mentorship?
I knew as early as high school that I’d need to broaden my knowledge about business when I got to varsity because of the love I had for Business Studies. I made sure to major in Business Management so I have knowledge that would help me start my own venture. My background in education has taught me that you remain a lifelong learner in all that you do. There’s so much to learn and master. It’s an unending cycle.
Many women aspire to turn their passions into businesses but may feel overwhelmed by where to begin. What advice would you give to women who want to take that first step towards entrepreneurship?
I’d encourage them to have an understanding of the type of business they want to pursue. Really do intensive research because that knowledge will inform the decisions they make. And then take the risk. You can only perfect what already exists. Things might just work out, but you’ll never know if you don’t give it a shot. Don’t forget to be audacious while doing all of this. Tough times will definitely come, but you need to be resilient.
As you continue to grow Bona by Wenzy M, expand your impact through the Umusa Initiative and build your personal brand, what legacy do you hope to create, and what can we expect next from Wenzile Mthenjana?
I’d like to create a legacy of someone who had a vision, ran with it and remained focused. We are launching in a new store in Midrand this month and relaunching in another concept store at the end of August. Make sure to follow us on our socials to see what else we have going on.
