Rachel Kolisi: Interesting facts about the SA businesswoman
From juggling jobs to empowering women and overcoming personal battles, Rachel has a story of resilience and power.
Before becoming Mrs Kolisi, Rachel Smith was born in Grahamstown and worked tirelessly to build her life. She is now a respected businesswoman, fitness enthusiast, mother, and much more. Let’s take a look at her journey:
Juggling four jobs
A few years back, Rachel posted about her first car, an 11-year-old “skadoink”, as she described it.
“I bought for 19k with the money I saved while working 4 jobs. It had over 100ks on the clock and broke down every second day (which is why I know what’s going on under the hood and how to change tyres),” she said.
Mental health struggles
Despite her achievements, Rachel has faced deep personal struggles. In a heartfelt conversation with Mpoomy Ledwaba, she revealed that she had survived several suicide attempts as a young woman.
Women Empowerment
Rachel co-founded a female empowerment organisation called, Rise Women. Her commitment to wellness inspired her to co-found the business with Tammy Rawstron. Rachel has since stepped away but her vision continues to inspire and motivate.
She adopted Siya’s siblings
Ten years ago, Siya’s siblings, Liphelo and Liyema, spent a week with Rachel and Siya in Cape Town to see if they were comfortable living with them forever. The kids were living in foster care in a township in Gqeberha at the time.
“I was 24 years old Nic was 3 months old, Liphelo had just turned 7 and Liyema 12,” Rachel shared.
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Main image credit: @rachelkolisi / Instagram