In its third year, the BIC Soleil Squad initiative announces the 2022/2023 Squad which will drive the confidence movement in the country by motivating and empowering young South African females. Lerato Ndlovu, Savannah Raine Taylor, and Yonela Makalima are the official Soleil ambassadors for 2022/2023. Through their tenure they will engage with females through community events, as well as speaking and media opportunities.
The new Soleil Squad ambassadors were selected out of over 700 female competitors. The winners were chosen for their achievements and activity in the women empowerment space, as well as their passion, self-motivation, and drive for the topic.
Commenting on the occasion, Lilian Henderson, Marketing Director at BIC, said: “We are delighted to see the growing number of South African women interested in this initiative, year-on-year. Their participation is a testament to the success and need for such initiatives in our community. We are proud of and grateful for the work of our previous ambassadors over the past two years and look forward to what this Squad will bring. We’re continuously in awe by the achievements of South African women and are delighted to be able to give back to our community, encouraging the next generation.”
Ecstatic about the news, Lerato Ndlovu, BIC Soleil Squad ambassador, said: “I am ecstatic to support BIC’s Shine Your Way campaign and inspire young women across the country to embrace their authenticity. It’s refreshing to see brands like BIC take action in this space and encourage women empowerment initiatives.’
Expressing her delight, Savannah Raine Taylor, BIC Soleil Squad ambassador, said: “Becoming a BIC Soleil brand ambassador will allow me to bring out my passion and use it to support South African women. I am looking forward to what this partnership with BIC will bring and to the impact I will have on the women.”
In excitement, Yonela Makalima, BIC Soleil Squad ambassador, said: “I am looking forward to being a BIC Soleil brand ambassador this year and working closely with the other ambassadors to run activities that inspire confidence amongst women across the country.”
The BIC Soleil Squad competition is part of the confidence movement, ‘Shine Your Way’, launched by BIC in 2020. The initiative aims to motivate and empower young women to reach their best potential, ‘find their shine’, and embrace it. To date, BIC has recruited six South African women who have positively impacted female individuals in their communities through activities and speaking opportunities.
Lerato Ndlovu: Lerato Ndlovu, 24-years-old, is completing a bachelor of arts degree in Fashion Media at STADIO, formally known as LISOF. She is a model, visual artist, stylist, and make-up artist. Lerato loves making and nurturing beautiful things and hopes to one day create a space where women can be educated and encouraged to discover their potential while exploring their inner beauty. She’s a big fan of trying new things and thinks it is a great form of self-care as it requires resilience, a superpower every woman has, and nurturing the inner self. To Lerato, this includes allowing yourself to flourish and become your best version of yourself.
Instagram handle here.
Yonela Makalima: Yonela is a 27-year-old professional working as a business analyst in the asset management industry. A persistent desire to challenge herself drove her to pursue a bachelor of commerce degree in Economics, Mathematics, and Statistics. Coming from an all-female family and attending an all-girls high school, she quickly realized the importance of women uplifting each other. Leadership has always been at the heart of what she does, and she has taken on various leadership roles in university and the professional environment.
Instagram handle here.
Savannah Raine Taylor: Savannah is an 18-year-old model currently completing her matric year. In August this year, she was crowned Miss Teen Tourism Universe 2022, an international pageant which took place in the Philippines. She is passionate about inspiring youth to recognise and use their voices in a positive way. Savannah acknowledges self-worth as the most important aspect of one’s life. She strongly believes in supporting and uplifting other women.
Instagram handle here.
