I am considered the leading female auctioneer in South Africa, with a specialty focus on Judicial arrest maritime auctions. Essentially, every commercial vessel that is arrested for sale in SA and Namibia, on behalf of international institutions is auctioned globally by myself though my company – Founder and MD of Solution Strategists Pty Ltd.
I have been active in the auction industry since 2007, where I identified a gap to create a dedicated mining and maritime niche sector to enhance global participation and credibility of auctioning these assets.
I am regularly called upon for advisory work for banks in the mining sector based my mining auction experience and additional +-10 years as an International Steel trader for Macsteel Int.
Charity auctions and philanthropic work constitute a large part of my focus and purpose, with regular high-profile auctions across SA, UK and USA. If we are gifted with intelligence, a large personality and passion for making a difference, I believe it is incumbent to use these traits to help raise funds to educate and build up leaders for a better tomorrow.
Through surviving cancer 3 times, and building a unique business model through it all, I learned and demonstrated mental fortitude, the choice of life with purpose, community, philanthropy and success.
We cannot sit idly and simply blame the status quo. We need to act ourselves, to engage and participate in making the shift – to build a stronger leadership for tomorrow, means we need to support initiatives in education and co-create genuine distribution of opportunity. We have to empower the next generation and show them that their potential can be realized and each individual is a credible value to society.
As a proud Jewish woman, I permanently endeavour to act as an ambassador and lead by example. My chosen outreach path is predominantly fund raising through auctions, using it as a platform in the broader community. My wish is for others to see the difference we make as a nation, a culture, a religion and to demonstrate the contribution we make to SA as a country at large.
On the business front, I aim to demonstrate to other women what we can achieve despite stereotypical adversity. How to create our own opportunities and how to land with impact. To see obstacles as minor challenges to overcome and not to surrender to.
To lead is to set an example and give hope to others. For me its multi-pronged.
On the philanthropic side, I have used the auction platform and my signature style to become the leading female auctioneer in the country, and to help raise over R200 million for numerous local and international causes. These include notable Foundations, Trusts, listed companies including inter alia; educational programmes, feeding schemes and societal development initiatives.
I have sat on the Board of ORT SA Cape for 15 years, leveraging off my network, as well as drawing from my academic and professional expertise and experience to help advance projects, fund raise and support programmes focused on Early Childhood Development (ECD), literacy, teacher training and mathematics.
On the business front, I have singlehandedly created and dominated a niche sector – Judicial maritime arrest auctions since 2016 – an industry traditionally controlled by men. I have taken it further and turned a unique business model into an internationally recognized company, renowned for our results, professionalism and global outreach, regardless of the complexity of each maritime arrest. This includes auctioning off 2 arrested politically sensitive vessels in SA and Namibia for US$26.4 and US$16.2 million in 2022 and 2024 respectively.
On a more personal level, my cancer journey since 2016 (1st cancer) followed by a 2nd round in 2018 and a 3rd recurrence in 2022, has given me a profound appreciation of my mental strength and ability to gather knowledge. Something I always took for granted. When called upon, I try to use my journey and depth of lessons learned to help alleviate the suffering of others through private and public engagements, keynote speeches, and motivational talks.
Recreational activities
Swimming, Pole Dancing (took it up after my 1st cancer to challenge the narrative given to me post my Bone density loss of 10% in 6 months), Opera, Art/Antiques and extensive global travel with a focus on history and archeology.