Page 11 - KZN Top Business Woman 2025 - eBook

Anuka Brown

Quality and Technical Manager at done or the projects I’ve worked on, but my legacy is in same. “Believe in yourself. You belong in every room you
Packaging World the people that I have trained along the way.” Through walk into. Whether you are wearing stilettos or safety
mentorship programmes, she takes students from shoes, you have the right to be where you are.”
universities such as Durban University of Technology,
nuka Brown is the quality and technical Her message to women entering technical fields is one
A manager at Packaging World, a leading offering them invaluable hands-on experience. “I am of empowerment and solidarity. “If you see somebody’s
manufacturer of flexible packaging based in now giving them my time and putting my knowledge crown falling, straighten it up and help them walk on. It’s
Pinetown. “From Woolworths’ chips packets and snack onto paper so that they don’t lose the experience that not going to benefit anybody to put anyone else down.
I’ve gained over the 23 years. To see people that I have
wrappers to coffee pouches and washing powder bags, Be strong, be confident, and pick yourself up when you
Packaging World’s products are part of everyday life,” trained excel is one of my biggest accomplishments.” fall down.”
explains Anuka. Anuka also acknowledges the mentors who shaped her
After more than two decades of dedication, Anuka is
career. “I know everybody says it’s about women, but
Anuka’s passion for packaging began unexpectedly. looking forward to a new phase in her life. “I started as
After studying chemical engineering at the University we forget about the men along the way that taught an ink technician working strange hours of the morning,
us. I was very lucky to have very strong mentors in the
of Cape Town, she realised that chemistry was a better getting called out at 2:00 in the morning. I’ve earned my
fit. In 2002, while eight months pregnant and struggling men that taught me. They always told me, you need to stripes. It’s time for me to now give back.” Her goal is to
to find employment, she accepted a job at a small leave a legacy. You cannot hold your knowledge close create pathways for more women to enter the packaging
packaging company in Pietermaritzburg. “I started when to your heart.” field. “As it is, my lab is full of women. I want to get more
my daughter was two weeks old.” What began as a half-
Her technical accomplishments are also impressive. “We women into the field. I want to give them a chance to see
day job quickly grew into a full-time career. “By that time, did the first holographic print on polyester for Omo,” she who they really are.”
the packaging bug bit. There was nothing else that could
recalls fondly. “It didn’t actually make it to the market, but
fulfil me the way it did. The smell of solvent, the colour it was so much fun.” Another achievement that she is A recent health scare forced her to reflect on balance. “I just
on film, the lamination, every day was something new.” had a hysterectomy eight weeks ago,” she says. “During her
particularly proud of is winning ‘Gold’ at the SRF Problem
recovery, she had time to reassess her priorities. “It’s a time
Over the past 23 years, Anuka has gained experience in Solving Protocols global competition while at SRF. This to think about work-life balance, about family balance.
almost every aspect of the industry, from printing and award reflects her skill in total quality management and That 20 days at home showed me how much time I missed
lamination to extrusion and end-use manufacturing. problem-solving techniques, which are a great passion of with my family. It’s time to reshuffle.”
She has worked at the only BOPP manufacturing line in hers. More recently, Packaging World won eight FTASA
South Africa at SRF Flexipak, spent time at Kellogg’s as Flexographic Print Excellence Awards, including six golds She credits her female boss for providing crucial support.
an end user, and eventually found her way back to the and two silver. “From last year winning one, to this year “It’s very nice to have a female boss because they
heart of the packaging process. Her broad experience winning eight, was absolutely fantastic. It puts us on the understand what a woman is going through. She helped
has given her not only technical expertise but also a deep map. It shows that we are driving innovation and we are me reflect and see how to balance my work life and my
appreciation for the craftsmanship and creativity that go driving customer satisfaction.” home life together.”
into every design.
THE ROAD AHEAD Her advice to others is heartfelt and hard-won. “You
PASSING ON KNOWLEDGE Despite her achievements, Anuka is candid about need to stop. You need to listen to your body. You need
to make time for your kids. The world is not going to
Today, Anuka’s greatest passion lies in education and the challenges she has faced as a woman in a male- stop if you are not there. Let go, teach, transfer your skill,
mentorship. “My biggest dream has been to leave a dominated industry. “When I first got into a management and reflect.”
legacy,” she explains. So much so, that she is now a position and was sitting around a boardroom full of men,
mentor for the one year diploma students at the Institute it was so easy to tell the only female in the room, can you As she looks ahead, Anuka’s mission remains clear. “Ladies
of Packaging as well as is developing a curriculum for make the coffee? Can you take the minutes?” she recalls. out there, show us who you are. Life’s about having fun.
lamination, bagging and pouching and slitting with “Eventually you get used to the boardroom dynamic and You spend more time at work than you do at home.
Printing SA so ‘we can have more infeed of students into you start pushing back a little bit.” Today, she leads with Whatever you do, do it with a good heart, do it with good
our packaging plants’. “It’s not about the products I’ve confidence and encourages young women to do the intentions. Be fair and be fierce, but do not be nasty.”

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