Page 60 - KZN Top Business Women 2022 Powed by DRG & BusinessFit SA

KHETHIWE ZULU, AUTHOR AND GAME After completing her first book, Khethiwe knew “I know that it’s important to educate people,
DEVELOPER: SOUTH AFRICAN HISTORY that it would be so much easier for children and especially children, on our history and my
RETOLD, FOUNDER: CREATIVE BOSS to read her stories in their own language, commitment to this goal helped me persevere
and determined to reach the widest audience when things got tough.”
possible, she translated her book into isiZulu.
HETHIWE ZULU, in her book South CONSISTENCY BREEDS ACHIEVEMENT
African History Retold, tells the stories In 2020, Khethiwe wrote her second book:
of the often-forgotten struggle heroes South African History Retold; A Beginner’s “My advice to anybody, whether in business
Kwho gave their lives for the liberation Guide to Women in the Liberation Struggle, or working towards a different goal, is
of generations to come. As she points out, honouring the many South African women that you need to be committed, persistent
“Sadly, many of them are more familiar for who fought bravely for our freedom. “Women and consistent. Achievement comes from
the streets and buildings that carry their played a major role in our history, and we need consistency. Do the mundane, daily, sometimes
names, than the contribution they’ve made to to honour them for their contribution.” boring tasks consistently in order to reap
our history.” the rewards and the excitement that comes
“My specialities were always writing, editing with success.”
Khethiwe’s first book was a natural progression and content development,” says Khethiwe.
from her business career. After an Honours So, it’s unsurprising that she developed her LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
Degree in English from the University of books into an interactive format. Spotting Keen to share her knowledge and bring accurate
KwaZulu-Natal, Khethiwe flexed her writing skills another opportunity to reach her market, she information to a new generation, Khethiwe
in the business world, with a career in marketing created a board game based on her books. says “You can’t rely on Twitter Speak for
in retail shopping centres before founding her Aimed at children, Did you Know turns history nuanced answers about complex information!”
own marketing agency, Creative Boss. into a popular and accessible game, making When it comes to topics like history or our
history memorable in the most relatable way,
Business communications was a perfect outlet and building on her dream to make history constitutional democracy, you need a reliable
for her skills, but her passion for reading and relevant even to young children. source of information. The trick to engaging
writing became a drive to impart these to people, and children in particular, is breaking
previously disadvantaged children. And when Khethiwe has a six-year-old daughter. “I wanted complex material down into small chunks that
she realised how many ordinary people were her to learn that no matter how ordinary you are easy to understand and digest.
unaware of their rich history, her dream of think you are, you can change the world.” She And she aims to provide it. Right now,
writing a book became a reality. She turned points out that the men and women she writes Khethiwe is working on her new book about
the book into the first South African history about didn’t see themselves as extraordinary. our constitution and how government and
boardgame called “Did you really know?” “But they had a meaningful goal and that’s democracy works in South Africa,
why they were able to create a better future
TURNING A PASSION INTO A BUSINESS for our children.” Khethiwe’s priority is her young daughter, and

Khethiwe explains the challenge of writing OVERCOMING CHALLENGES her passion lies in spending most of her free
South African History Retold was not in the time writing indigenous fairy tales for her. Her
research or the writing. The biggest challenge Any major project presents challenges, and career gives her flexibility to spend a lot of time
was doing everything herself. Unlike the writing books is no different. Khethiwe was with her daughter, cooking and going for walks.
corporate environment where there’s a team, supported by the people around her; friends, Khethiwe is also a keen tennis player and,
she didn’t just take on the research and the neighbours and ordinary parents of the unsurprisingly, an avid reader.
writing. She did it all - even the marketing. “I children she wanted to read her stories. The PARTING WISDOM
think I’d have found it a whole lot easier to sit more she talked about her first book, the
quietly and focus on the writing,” she laughs, more she realised there was a market for You need to know yourself before you can
“but when you have a new project you usually it, and that the very people she was writing believe in yourself. And to know yourself you
have to do it all and that’s true in starting a for were hungry for the stories she wanted have to go back to the beginning, so don’t ignore
business too. to tell. your history, or the history of our country.

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