REFILWE XABA

Nominee's Province:
Free State

Age:
30

Project Name/Description:

More info:

Refilwe Xaba is the CEO and founder of Glolooks, a high-quality cosmetic line that boasts a global footprint. Glolooks hair care products are available on the Glolooks website, partner salons as well as digital platforms. Xaba's theoretical expertise is centred on small-business development, with a preference for enterprises owned and operated by women. In addition to recently presenting at the International Business Conference and being chosen as an NRF scholar, she was also a runner-up in the National Engen Pitch and Polish competition. Furthermore, she was named among JCI’s Ten Outstanding Young Persons in South Africa. The 2023 Mandela Washington Fellow will be representing South Africa in the Africa and Middle East competition after winning JCI’s Creative Young Entrepreneur Award. Xaba says that she does not believe the government can eliminate unemployment on its own, stressing a need for all of us to work together. “The only way to reduce unemployment is to ensure that an economy is active. This activity involves government, corporate, higher learning institutions, profit, and non-profit entities, as well as ordinary civilians. In essence, we all have a part to play because we are all part of the national economic ecosystem.”