The Affair

On Keeping The Arts Alive, From a childhood skill learned at her grandmother’s side to a handmade brand exhibiting on major platforms, Mercy Ndhlovu is turning crochet into a creative business. The founder and director of Nunuka Made creates handmade bags and accessories using cotton-based yarn, operating from her home in Miliva, KwaMhlanga.

What started as a hobby became a lifeline during COVID-19, when the travel industry was disrupted. Today, Nunuka Made has travelled beyond Mpumalanga, exhibiting at platforms including Africa Travel Indaba 2025, World Travel Market 2026 and Decorex 2026.

On this episode, we explore the business of handmade creativity, the value of traditional skills in a modern economy, and what it takes to turn a personal passion into a sustainable brand. RISE fm

From selling plates of food and kotas in Emalahleni CBD to becoming a self-taught chef, cookbook author and entrepreneur, Brilliant Mbethe is proof that a passion can become so much more than a hobby. As the founder of Cooking with Brilliant and Inkazimulo Scents Studio, she has taken her creativity beyond the kitchen, building brands that appeal to the senses. With her cookbook, SOWU’DLILE NA?, she is now sharing her love for food with more people. On this episode we’re talking about the art of cooking, the business behind the plate, and what it takes to turn an idea into a lasting legacy. RISE fm

We welcome Rinkie Maphosa Gama for an inspiring conversation about her work and purpose. As an Author, Mentor, Speaker, and Coach, Rinkie is passionate about empowering others, sharing knowledge, and inspiring personal growth.

She is also the Founder of Asikhulume & Heal Talkshow, a platform that encourages open conversations, healing, and transformation.

In this episode we chat about her journey, her passion for helping others, and the powerful work she is doing to inspire, uplift, and make a difference in people's lives. RISE fm

Known for her entrepreneurial journey through NailsbyStha, Sthabile began doing nails as a side hustle while studying at university. Through passion, hard work and a vision for her future, she grew her business into an enterprise that created employment opportunities for other women. But in 2023, her life took an unexpected turn when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Her diagnosis brought enormous physical, emotional and financial challenges. She underwent cancer treatment and a mastectomy, all while navigating the demands of her personal life and of navigating cancer while running a business and the uncertainty that comes with a life-changing diagnosis. Rather than allowing the experience to define the end of her entrepreneurial journey, she found a new way forward by reinventing her business and focusing on custom press-on nails.

Join us as we conversate with Sthabile Nxumalo RISE fm

Research in psychology suggests that emotional skills are important in how we cope with stress, communicate, resolve conflict and maintain relationships. Yet, in a world where people are often encouraged to appear strong, suppress their feelings or react immediately, learning to process emotions in a healthy way can be challenging.

What does it really mean to be emotionally mature? Is keeping quiet always a sign of strength? How do we distinguish between expressing our feelings honestly and allowing those feelings to control our behavior? And how can we learn to apologize, accept criticism, establish boundaries and disagree with others without losing our composure?

Join us for an honest and practical conversation with Mr Carrim about self-awareness, emotional regulation, empathy, accountability and the courage to respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively. RISE fm

We’re often encouraged to chase the dream, set the goals and keep moving but how often do we stop to ask whose dream we’re actually chasing? Family expectations, social media, culture, relationships and even the idea of what “success” should look like can quietly shape the life we pursue. On this episode, we’re having an honest conversation about recognizing when your ambition is truly yours, and when you’re simply living according to a script you inherited. RISE fm

We’re getting to know Lindiwe Skosana Molahloe, Founder and Director of Litchly Skincare, a South African brand created with pre-teens and teenagers in mind. Her journey from growing up on the farms of Middelburg, surrounded by Indigenous knowledge and traditional remedies, to building a skincare business is a story of purpose, culture and entrepreneurship. We talk about creating a brand from a personal experience, the responsibility of building products for young people, and what it takes to turn a meaningful idea into a business that serves a community RISE fm

From a 15-year career in journalism to building businesses around food, hospitality and storytelling, Duenna Mambana has taken an unconventional path into entrepreneurship. As the founder of The Bouquet Garni in Midrand and Machero Villas in Hazyview, she brings together her love for food, people and meaningful experiences. In this episode, we explore the leap from media to culinary entrepreneurship, the realities of building brands, and what it really takes to grow a business one baby step at a time. RISE fm

This Wednesday on #LenyoraWednesday, we spotlight a young lady from a rural village in KaMajika to building her own name in the beauty and modelling industry, Nhlanhla Ndoni Malumane is a self-taught beauty entrepreneur who is turning her passion and creativity into a growing career.

Born and raised in KaMajika and now based in Game kaMphatseni, Nonhlanhla is a self-taught makeup artist, model and Permanent Makeup (PMU) artist. Through her work, she has developed her skills in the beauty industry while creating opportunities for herself as an entrepreneur.

We get to know Nhlanhla beyond the makeup brush and modelling runway, exploring her journey, what inspired her to pursue beauty, the realities of being a self-taught entrepreneur, and what it takes to build a name and business from the ground up.

A conversation about beauty, entrepreneurship and ambition. RISE fm

We often get told to find what we’re good at and turn it into our purpose. But what happens when the thing you’re good at no longer makes you happy, aligns with who you’re becoming, or fits the life you want? Sometimes we stay in careers, relationships, roles or responsibilities simply because people know us for them and we’re good at them. But being talented in something doesn’t mean you owe your entire life to it.

This #MondayMotivation, we’re having an honest conversation with Mr Carrim about outgrowing your strengths, changing direction and giving yourself permission to pursue something different without feeling like you’ve failed. RISE fm