Shades & Layers
Shades and Layers is a storytelling platform celebrating Black women and women of colour who are building something of their own — on the African continent and across the diaspora. The podcast launched in 2020 and is now more than 100 episodes strong. In 2025, the show was nominated for Best Long-Time Podcast at the Black Podcasting Awards. In each conversation, host Kutloano Skosana sits down with founders to explore business ownership, representation, and what sustainability and success really mean in a complex, interconnected world. The conversations are wide-ranging — part masterclass in entrepreneurship, part wisdom for living well — and always a space for women to be fully human: to share the quirks, the doubts, and the vulnerabilities behind the highlight reel. These days, Shades and Layers is two things woven together. Alongside the podcast, Kutloano — now exploring a new chapter of her own in Italy — sends Life Notes: honest monthly letters on identity, motherhood, reinvention, and the business of building a life. Shades and Layers’ founding philosophy is: a story well told can change your life, you don't need big accolades for your entrepreneurial journey to matter. The guests span beauty, fashion, and wellness, North and South: Dr. Theo Mothoa-Frendo on building a science-based African skincare range with USO; Taryn Gill of The Perfect Hair on supply chains and brand-building; Katonya Breux of Unsun Cosmetics on melanin and sunscreen for every skin tone; Abiola Akanni of IYA Well on non-performance in yoga; and designers like the late Maria McCloy of her eponymous fashion label, Nkuli Mlangeni-Berg of The Ninevites, and Candace Lawrence of Modern Gesture, championing handmade, custom, and circular production. Whether you're here to listen, to read, or to build something of your own — welcome to the circle.
Episodes
This is an oldie but goodie from the archives. This conversation was recorded in 2024, but its principles and teachings are timeless. Susanne Mariga is an expert in finance and she's been doing taxes for clients since she was a 14-year old in her dad's accounting office.
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In this episode we connect with Magogodi oaMphela Makhene, author, speaker and founder of Love As A Kind of Cure and thought leadership coach. We trace her entrepreneurial journey from her focus on social enterprises, how she was led to writing and then became a coach who helps Women of Color to turn their stories into intellectual property and income.
Magogodi is a sought after keynote speaker and commu...
Bisila Bokoko is an international business woman who got her start in the corporate world in Spain and then eventually in the USA. Today she shares her journey from corporate executive to international entrepreneur, wine brand founder, and creator of the Bisila Bokoko African Literacy Project.
Born to African parents from Equatorial Guinea in Spain, she jokingly calls herself a Decaf African and had a tou...
What if business success isn't about endless growth? Sundra Essien, co-founder of Isang's Hair and Body, returns to Shades and Layers for our 100th episode for this discussion. Sundra and I first spoke in 2020 during the first season of the podcast and a period of uncertainty in the world. Today, she returns to once again challenge everything you think you know about entrepreneurship, sustainability, and success.
BONUS EPISODE
📣 INTRODUCING our new podcast bestie Madame Speaker Says hosted by Magogodi oaMphela Makhene.
For this special bonus episode, we did a podswap and the featured guest is skin educator, beauty editor and founder of ThisThatBeauty, Felicia Walker.
The skin is your largest living organ and Felicia believes it is not vanity to care for your skin. It needs care like any other part of your body and ...
We celebrate five years of Shades and Layers by reflecting on the top entrepreneurial lessons from dozens of women who have shared their journeys on the podcast. This special birthday episode distills key insights that transcend industry, geography, and experience level to help entrepreneurs at any stage of their journey.
• Embrace change - the pandemic forced entrepreneurs to adapt, from converting to remote...
In this week's episode, Isha Gaye shares her journey from aspiring lawyer to founder and CEO of Afrique Noire Magazine, a print publication celebrating African creativity and connecting the diaspora to the continent.
As a 2020 college graduate, nothing unfolded as planned for Isha and so lockdown forced her to reflect on her true wishes for her own future. Isha has always known that she wanted to stay connected...
What happens when the dream your mother sacrificed everything for becomes your personal nightmare? Johannesburg-based filmmaker Karabo Lediga joins us to explore this haunting question through her debut feature film "Sabbatical" – a raw, honest portrayal of mother-daughter relationships in post-apartheid South Africa.
A 30-something year old woman called Lesego, is the compelling main character of this...
In 2020, then nurse practitioner, Shaina Rainford got seriously ill from COVID. She survived the illness, but lost all her hair and found nothing on store shelves that could help with her condition. Then, she remembered that her younger sister went through something similar – not COVID – five years prior, and their mother had made a concoction that helped little sister to grow her 4C Hair to waist length...
One of the most effective ways to succeed in entrepreneurship is mindset. To help you get in the right frame of mind for your new or existing venture, The SAL Podcast gets you a coach to answer some challenging questions on your journey to success. This time we have Performance Coach and Happiness Expert, Brandi Hudson. In this episode, she breaks down her B.A.S.E. framework that she uses to help her corporate, entr...
IN CONCLUSION
In the second part of this conversation with Palesa Mokubung, we discuss some of the challenges facing African designers, particularly when it comes to serving a market that is more and more shopping online.
We also get into the behind the scenes at Mantsho, Palesa's fashion brand as well as the Shades and Layers Rapid Fire.
Mantsho has been making waves in the fashion industry for the past 20...
This is the first part of a two-part conversation with renowned South African fashion designer Palesa Mokubung. In this conversation, she shares her 20-year journey with Mantsho by Palesa Mokubung, the fashion brand she founded after working as an intern at another iconic South African fashion house, Stoned Cherrie.
This episode is both a celebration and a walk down memory lane with Palesa and here are some of ...
Amanda Sebolai is the founder of the South African natural haircare brand, Dignify Afro Beauty and my guest in this episode of Shades and Layers.
Amanda's personal journey of embracing her natural hair led her to create a line of innovative haircare products that celebrate African beauty and self-love. Inspired by her daughters, Amanda's products are helping to transform hair care for African women in p...
In this essential episode of, we sit down with Palesa Segomotso Motsumi, a trailblazing creative social entrepreneur and curator. She is the founder of Sematsatsa Library, a creative consultancy and curatorial agency based in South Africa.
Palesa's work occupies a space where art, culture and technology meet - she uses dialogue as a tool for change, storytelling as social infrastructure, and uses feminist desig...
Today I'm in conversation with Zimbabwean-born and Italy-based serial startup founder and entrepreneur, Tadiwa Mwashita. Her latest venture is the Italian Social Impact Startup, Feedel Africa. They provide services to innovation hubs and non-profit organizations on the African continent, with a special focus on women led startups.
Some of the services Feedel Africa offers include fund raising, grant writing and...
Naeemah LaFond, a celebrated editorial hairstylist, is not just styling hair but shaping the future of the beauty industry. Her journey from a court clerk to working alongside icons like Beyoncé and Amapiano singer Tyla is a testament to her passion and dedication. Naeemah's journey in the hair industry is heart driven and intentional, this extends to all that she does, including her partnerships. Learn how Naeemah&...
SUMMARY
This week, I'm speaking to Barbara Clark Ruiz, a multifaceted solopreneur known for her activewear designs and dog treat brand 'Lick You Silly.'
Barbara shares her journey from childhood in Portsmouth, Virginia, to designing for global brands like Ralph Lauren and Adidas, and collaborating with Venus Williams on her activewear brand Eleven by Venus.
During the pandemic, her dog treat b...
The books your children read can shape their self-identity and cultural awareness. Join me in conversation with Khumo Tapfumaneyi, Co-Founder and Director of Ethnikids, as we discuss the life-changing power of diversity in children's literature.
We discuss how Ethnikids, an online children's book store, is transforming the South African book market by offering a range of inclusive books&mdash...
In this week's episode, we connect with Nsimire Godman, Founder of Raha Copenhagen. This Denmark-based creative shares how a humble background in Rwanda and a spark of creativity during the pandemic led her to create inclusive, aesthetically pleasing soy wax candles. Listen as Nsimire recounts her year-long journey of mastering the craft, overcoming challenges, and discovering a niche market in the Danish capital, C...
South African podcaster and social media marketing specialist, Lizzy Hudson is the voice behind the Live to Thrive Podcast. In this episode, she shares her journey into podcasting, inspired by the tragic event of George Floyd's murder in 2020. We discuss the personal impact of this moment and how Lizzy's podcast focuses on amplifying the stories of people of color healing from racial trauma and other challenge...
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