25/08/2026
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Profile of your Manufacturing Nominee: TEBELLO KHANYA
Tebello Khanya is the Founder and Managing Director of Bonolo Scents, a South African manufacturer of environmentally friendly household cleaning products — a business born not from abundant resources but from determination to create opportunity where none existed.
After experiencing unemployment, she started a small laundromat in her parents' garage, and it was there, observing the harmful effects conventional detergents had on plumbing systems, that she began researching and developing eco-friendly alternatives.
Rather than accepting conventional solutions, she developed cleaning products that are effective, affordable, and locally manufactured, transforming the venture into a growing manufacturing enterprise.
She holds a Diploma in Human Resource Management from Flavius Mareka TVET College and has participated in numerous enterprise development and incubation programmes, strengthening her expertise in manufacturing, product development, business management, and commercialisation, while showcasing her products at national exhibitions, trade fairs, and business expos to build partnerships and expand market access.
Her entrepreneurial journey has earned significant national recognition, including selection among the Mail & Guardian Top 200 Young South Africans (2025) in the Entrepreneurship category, the Sunday World Unsung Heroes Top 100 (2024), and Top 10 finalist in the Food Lover's Market Seeds of Change Programme (2024).
She has represented her business on national media platforms and industry exhibitions as a thought leader and advocate for entrepreneurship, and regularly speaks at business seminars, entrepreneurship programmes, and schools — mentoring emerging entrepreneurs by sharing practical knowledge on starting and growing a business while promoting sustainable manufacturing and environmental responsibility.
