Born in Soweto and raised in the rural Eastern Cape, Koni has never forgotten how her roots have shaped her as a leader. Her values and leadership skills were instilled by her grandparents who were community leaders in the village where she spent her formative years. “I am shaped by principles of hard work, courage, honesty, respect, and inclusivity,” says Koni. During her successful career as an HR executive in the insurance sector, Koni discovered and fell in love with wine. “I was exposed to wine at a very late stage in my life but very quickly became fascinated with the art of winemaking, but I was also curious about transformation in the sector,” she reflects. In 2015, Koni started her wine brand, Koni Wines, one of only around 80 entirely black-owned wine brands in South Africa. In 2019 Koni graduated from UCT GSB’s Wine Business Programme and has since  garnered a loyal fan club for her wines and transformed Koni Wines into a niche global brand. Their philosophy is to get everyday wine drinkers to experience grape varieties that are quintessentially South African with an authentic story and style. Koni is one of the founding members of the Wine Arc in Stellenbosch, a cross-sectoral partnership between government, industry and black-owned wine brands. In 2024 Koni was named Business Woman of the Year by the South African Chamber of Commerce in the UK.