Long before he understood the power of business, Fezile Nqiwa understood the power of people. As a child, he watched strangers stop his father, the legendary Umhlobo Wenene FM broadcaster, to thank him for words that had carried them through life's hardest moments. Those encounters revealed a lesson that still defines his leadership today: real influence is measured by the lives you change.

Now 34, Nqiwa is head of venture for the Personal Shopper Programme at Takealot Group, where he is helping reshape how e-commerce reaches underserved communities. Leading the venture's strategy, commercial growth, partnerships and operations, he has helped build one of the company's key growth businesses, creating a technology-enabled model that expands digital commerce while opening income opportunities for entrepreneurs.

His path was anything but predictable. Armed with a Master of Laws in Taxation from the University of Cape Town, Nqiwa began his career in corporate law before making the leap into commercial leadership — a transition he considers one of his proudest achievements.

He credits his mother with another guiding principle: Umbumnandi uyanzenzela — you create your own joy. Together with his father's example of people-centred leadership, that philosophy continues to shape a career driven by innovation, purpose and the belief that technology can be a powerful force for meaningful social impact.