Innovator Trust incubatee Aphiwe Tafeni leads with unshakeable strength and unapologetic softness

"I used to work for money," she reflects. "That's what we do, we take on jobs for the money. Now, a year later, I work for impact, and it's changed everything, including how I show up in the world."

Tafeni's agency began as a conventional communications firm, offering public relations, digital marketing, and social media strategy. However, today, her work has expanded beyond brand campaigns as a leading digital creative agency based in the Eastern Cape, her team delivers bold solutions architecture and drives innovation thinking across every touchpoint, all while crafting stakeholder value through inventive engagement strategies and purpose-built, community-led initiatives.

"Being in rooms with decision-makers opened my eyes. I've gone from noticing the problem to being part of the solution, and that changed not just how I work, but why I work." This evolution didn't come without cost. Tafeni had to reckon with the version of herself that had been leading for years – driven, disciplined, and, by her own admission, daunting.

"I was proud to be intimidating," she admits. "I took pride in being the one who didn't need help, who stayed up late fixing things others got wrong. Delegation felt like weakness. Softness felt unsafe."

At some point along the entrepreneurial journey, the armour began to crack. But through her involvement in the Innovator Trust programme, delivered by the iHub in the Eastern Cape, she found what she calls 'a mini-MBA for the business and the soul'. She was offered not only mentorship and business training, but space. Space to reflect. Space to reframe. Space to come undone and rebuild.

"Innovator Trust met me where I was, but didn't leave me there," she says. "They didn't force me into a mould. They helped me return to who I was before the world told me I had to be hard to succeed."

That return has been profound. Today, Tafeni leads differently. With intention. With gentleness. With empathy.

Her team, mostly women, now thrives under a leadership style shaped less by autocratic authority and more by presence. "It was such a profound moment when I realised one of my team members could come to me openly and tell me she was struggling with cramps. That moment gave me more joy than I had anticipated because it reflected the trust and safety that we had built within our team." This is a reminder that women entrepreneurs are never just building businesses, they're building cultures of care, both in the workplace and at home, where leadership is measured not only in KPIs, but in connection, presence, and the quiet power of being fully seen

At home, the shift is even more poignant. "I realize now that I used to mother mechanically. Feed, clean, homework, sleep. Now, I call my kids to bed and ask about their day. We talk. We laugh. I know their friends' names. That softness didn't come naturally, but it's changing everything."

It's also translating in boardrooms and international spaces. One of Tafeni's highlights for the year was her trip to London Tech Week. Aphiwe found herself connecting 'on a soul level' with founders from across the world and sharing ideas with policymakers. She didn't lead with credentials or a rehearsed elevator pitch – she showed up as herself. "I've made better connections since embracing my femininity – real, lasting connections. The kind that makes people want to call you back. The kind that reminds you: your presence is enough."

This season of reawakening, as she calls it, is still unfolding, and its effects are tangible – from stronger collaborations with fellow women entrepreneurs to mentoring her mother, who recently launched her first business. "Since stepping into this posture of softness and self-assurance, I've earned more. Not just financially, but in peace, in clarity and joy."

For Tafeni, Women's Month isn't just about visibility, it's about returning to self. To lead with authenticity. To allow both ambition and softness to coexist. To stop shrinking and start shining.

Her advice to young women entering the entrepreneurial world?

"You'll be afraid. Do it anyway. You'll be underestimated. Stand tall. But most of all, lead as yourself. You don't have to wear a mask to be taken seriously. You don't have to harden to survive. Your softness isn't your flaw, it's your force."

In her own quiet, powerful way, Aphiwe Tafeni is showing us all what it means to lead like a woman, without apology.

For more information on Olem Business Boutique, visit their website: www.olembusinessboutique.co.za.