From the Founder

“Money has never been my driver. It comes in abundance when you find purpose” - Penny Ndlela, owner of tour operator, Soul Traveller.

She is an entrepreneur who’s turned her love for travel into a niche business.

Siphesihle Penny Ndlela credits her upbringing for igniting the love of travel as well as entrepreneurship. She started her company Soul Traveller in 2013 as an international faith-based traveling experiencing and is now offering six domestic routes. We spoke with her about her business:

How her background shaped her entrepreneurship spirit:

“I’ve had a love-hate relationship with entrepreneurship. I come from Empangeni and grew up in eSikhawini, both in KwaZulu-Natal. My father was a businessman. He had a licence to operate and run a stadium, restaurant and clubhouse, so my brothers and I worked there while growing up.  We all had assigned tasks and responsibilities, from stock taking to logistics. We’d host concerts for stars like Brenda Fassie and MarkAlex. We sorted out marketing, promotions and ticket pricing. So, I grew up in a family where entrepreneurship was part of our daily lives.”

How she got into entrepreneurship:

“In 1998, I met a woman who owned a company called Lemon and Lime Marketing, and we clicked. She was selling 51% of the business. It started as a customised gifting company, but we developed it into an integrated communications and marketing business. I bought her out in 2000 and sold the business in 2009.”