Story and Photography courtesy of: Ndaba Lungu for Africa.com
(Above) Bright-eyed, ambitious, passionate, driven and hard-working. These are some of the few words one can use to describe multi-faceted entrepreneur, Shaleen Manhire Nullens, or “Ms. Shally” as she is widely and affectionately known.
She is listed by Forbes’ 30 Under 30 as one of the most successful, young African entrepreneurs under 30 years of age. Ms. Shally continues to be a source of inspiration for many young people across the continent. After pioneering online content production in South Africa through her channel, Conquered TV, Ms. Shally continues to break barriers and climb to greater entrepreneurial heights. She now leads a team that is hosting the first-ever African Leaders 4 Change Awards (ALCA) taking place in Sandton, Johannesburg, a ceremony which will be attended by top African officials, thought leaders, and business moguls.
The ALCA ceremony will honor and recognize initiatives making a difference and adding a positive and meaningful impact on the continent. Notable attendees to the ceremony will include award-winning artist and BET 2016 Global Good Award recipient, Akon, as well as other top names like active philanthropist, Ndaba Mandela (grandson of the late Nelson Mandela), and South Africa’s Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Honorable Buti Manamela. The award ceremony is expected to be one of the biggest award shows on the continent, with an estimated media broadcast on more than 15 television channels across the African continent.
“My past taught me to never put all my eggs in one basket because you can lose it all. I take risks with careful consideration of the consequences, and I do not rely on only one opportunity to make it.”
We sat down with Ms. Shally and talked about her journey as a black woman in business, what it means to be a successful entrepreneur, and the African Leaders 4 Change Awards (ALCA). Here is how it went.
AFRICA.COM: How would you describe Shaleen Manhire Nullens or ‘Ms. Shally’ as many love to call you?
I think in a few words, I would describe myself as a mother, a sister, a daughter, a friend, an aunt, and a businesswoman. I have to play all those roles almost every day in my life and they are what encompass and guide my reason for being.
AFRICA.COM: You are very well known because of your contribution to the continent’s media industry. What are some of the challenges you had to face before making it into the industry?
When people do not know who you are, they seem to struggle to make time for you. I quickly realized that this industry is all about influence. You have to know people. All I needed was to have that one influential person on my interview list, and that would draw the rest! After the first four interviews I conducted, I told them to look at who would be on the first season of my show. That was the long and short of my pitch and the rest was history. I must admit that I was very fortunate to have had DJ Fresh agree to doing an interview with me. He was very nice and helped me a lot.
AFRICA.COM: You pioneered online TV and content creation in South Africa with Conquered TV. What are some of the biggest lessons you learned from that venture?
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