31. Monalisa Molefe
Vital Stats:
- Business: Art Form Factory
- Established: 2016
Up-and-coming fact:
The former luxury brand marketer waded through 10 months of due diligence on the bespoke framing business she bought as her first attempt at business ownership. Her unusual entrance into entrepreneurship has helped her carve a niche market.
To differentiate her business from the 1000+ framing businesses in Joburg alone, Molefe used her work experience and went the luxury service provider route. And it worked. She’s on her way to building a strong footprint on the continent, focusing on the sports framing business. Innovative processes she’s using include patented bubble frames for sports memorabilia to cater to 3D items (like she did with Usain Bolt’s running shoes in 2016).