She is a businesswoman, mother, wife, and advocate for women's empowerment.
Last month, the influencer used her platforms to profile powerful women in male-dominated spaces in a project she titled “A woman Belongs.”
The multi-faceted Olwethu Leshabane (32) speaks to Drum after closing off Women's Month with a bang after inviting young women to pick a female mentor whose story has inspired them and go on a short road trip from Johannesburg to the Nirox Sculpture Park and Farmhouse 58.
Art of Superwoman by Olwethu has partnered with Isuzu Motors South Africa in 10-part Vodcast Series: She Is Driven Powered By Isuzu to highlight and celebrate women of excellence in different industries and careers.
“Women need to connect more and learn from each other,” says Olwethu.
“What we are trying to create is a channel of mentorship and upliftment for successful women to send the elevator down.
"We will have a vodcast (video and podcast) and a show where these women in senior positions get to talk about sisterhood and the people who impacted their lives. We will be taking them on adventures and out of their natural habitats and comfort zones.”
Before she became a success story, there were women who inspired her and who believed in her.
“There are women who mentioned my name in my absence,” she says.
“They are too many to mention, but Ingrid Best, Kru Govender, Carol Bouwer, they advocated for me in rooms I was not in. When I was still doing the work on a ground level and my name was not known and I am forever grateful to them.”
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While many women look up to their mothers, very few can also name their mothers-in-law among those who have played a big role in who they are. But the influencer does.
Olwethu says her mother taught her self-care and her mom-in-law consistency.
“My mom has always put family first and her wellbeing in the decisions she has made. She is my one point of reference in realising that I cannot say I care for my children If I do not care for myself first. She taught me that I cannot love when others without loving myself first” she says.
“My mom in-law taught me consistency in love, family, and living who I am,” she says.
“She always reminds us that be the same person you are behind the scenes and on camera. She loves to say whether you are down and out, or you have money, people never know the difference, be consistent. When I find myself swaying or caught up, I go back and try and be consistent and be the human that I want to see in the world,” she adds.
Juggling both career and family women, Olwethu does not want to be boxed or given a title.
“I want to demystify the myth that being a superwoman is doable and possible. I balance all these things because I have a great amount of support,” she says.
“I have five passionate people in our organisation, which we have upskilled and built. I also have support at home, which makes things easy and pleasant. I have people around me; I don’t do everything myself. Let us stop this idea that a superwoman gets everything done and gets everything together. You can have it all but not at one. A superwoman has it all, but not all at once.”
Things may look perfect from the outside, but Olwethu says she doesn’t always have it together and like many working mothers, she often needs time out to herself.
“I have it all at this moment. But when I get home, I still have to bathe kids, check if there are groceries, and I might get home and be a little grumpy and not want to keep it together,” she says.
“It’s not all rosy or perfect. I can have it all but not at once, it comes in seasons and moments and that's okay. We bend, we break, we fold. I just hope that throughout this trajectory I am on, people can still humanise me," she says.
"I am not a superhuman. I want to define the idea of what we see as a superwoman and sensationalise what I call the Four C’s; a woman who can cook, clean, care and career in one day.
"I cannot do it all in one day. Some days I choose to be a career woman, on other days a carer, and other days a cook, but not all at once. These things don’t always coexist, and I just want us to give grace to the woman beyond woman’s month,” she says.
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Born in the coastal city of Gqeberha and raised in Pretoria, the former Mrs South Africa First Princess 2016 juggles the demands of motherhood, business and empowerment of women.
She has been passionate about women's empowerment for as long as she can recall, dating back to 2014 when she formed The Red Wings Project, which collects sanitary pads for underprivileged young women.
Olwethu also runs and co-owns Stanford Media and Stanford Group as a brand strategist.
“It didn’t happen overnight,” she says.
“I have been building up and there has been a lot of groundwork and late nights that have led me to where I am today and building myself.”
In the next five years, the editor and founder of online magazine Art of Superwoman hopes to grow her brand and continue to inspire more women from all walks of life.
