Mashokane Ramusetheli, also known as Mash Ramu, is a South African multi-talented businesswoman. Born and raised in Soweto, Mash affectionately dubs herself the mayor of Johannesburg because of how much she loves the city. She is a mother, a wife, and a professional, but most importantly, she is a fierce advocate for women empowerment. She navigates life with boldness and captures the essence of a real-life “Dora the Explorer” when it comes to her career. 

Her journey started with a solid foundation after studying Economics and Law at the University of Cape Town, but her creative and innovative mind led her down unexpected paths. “I ended up not pursuing a career in what I studied for. I left that career and ended up in advertising,” Mash explains, reflecting on her career transitions. She ventured into the world of advertising, took a turn and entered the creative world of media and journalism. She worked as a business journalist for eNCA. She joined the Forbes Africa team, delivering a few cover stories for Forbes Africa before jetting off to her new adventure – starting her own wine business with a technological flair: Four One Wine (www.fouronewine.com) – and Palé (www.getpale.co.za).

Four One Wine is a barware retail manufacturer of stylish and luxurious wine accessories such as wine-stoppers, multi-purpose aerators, champagne seals and bottle openers. The launch of Four One Wine was a result of Mash’s longtime interest in the wine world and the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown. Just days before the President announced the national lockdown in March 2020, Mash and her husband had just made a large wine purchase order. But the idea of starting the business didn’t dawn on her until lockdown restrictions were relaxed and small, private gatherings were allowed. “When lockdown levels became more relaxed, my husband and I started hosting people, and I realised that I had stylish plates, cutlery and even wine glasses. But I also saw that my wine stoppers, aerators, and bottle openers were just so basic. That’s where the idea of opening a wine business, but particularly focusing on barware, hit me. Because I saw a gap,” she says. 

In trying to grow and build the Four One Wine brand, Mash and her team started engaging with customers, and she realised that many novice wine drinkers don’t know how to navigate the world of wine. Her innovative and problem-solving side came into play, and Palé was born. 

Palé, which is French for ‘palate’, is a black female-led wine tech business. It uses AI technology to match people to wines, cocktail recipes, and mocktail recipes that match their taste palate. Mash describes Palé as “your own personal sommelier”. 

From penning stories at Forbes Africa to owning her own business brands, Mash has made it her personal mission to create platforms for women and empower them. 

Four One Wine has partnered with a private equity firm called eSquared to create a platform and host two events called Own Your Space. This event seeks to unite different women into one space and create a sense of community and sisterhood. Not only does Mash speak about the importance of empowering women, but she puts that statement into real-life action. She ensures that the service providers that help execute the event are women. “It’s very hard to do, but we’ve committed ourselves that, as much as possible with everything, we want to work with 100% women-owned businesses”, she says. A core value that was reflected even when Four One Wine hosted its first ever marquee at the Durban July, as a collaborator of Nonku Williams’ A2B Winery. This was the second female-owned Marquee at the star-studded races, and Mash ensured that the majority of their suppliers were women. 

Of course, being in a male-dominated industry comes with its own challenges, but Mash does not let that deter her from attaining her goals. She explains that she often deals with those challenges by letting her brand speak for herself and having a lot of faith in God. “Some people will say to me, but God and a wine business, and I’m always like, well Jesus turned water into wine,” she says, with a hint of playfulness in her voice. 

But most importantly, Mash states how crucial it is to believe in yourself. Not to mention how important it is to have a strong support system because her support system, which comprises her family and friends, has been the foundation of her success thus far. 

Reflecting on the career journey that she has carved with curiosity, determination and creativity, it is clear that Mash’s vision goes beyond personal success. As she looks into the future, Mash intends to create and leave behind a legacy of empowering other women so that they can break barriers. “So as a very old woman in my 80s,” she explains, “what I see is creating an organisation that helps other business women start their businesses. If you’ve got an amazing idea, as a woman, then I’ll help you get all the resources to rock it out of this world.”

She strongly believes in collaboration over competition, a core belief she has carried throughout her career. She passionately states, “I don’t believe that there’s only room for one woman at the table. I don’t believe women are competitors. Instead of competing, let’s collaborate and open more doors for each other”. This principle, especially relevant during Women’s Month, reflects the continuing efforts for gender equality in business and across all sectors. 

Her advice to younger women who hope to break into the industries where she has excelled is equally empowering and practical. She emphasises that the path to success is not restricted to conventional paths. “ For example, there’s no set rule that if you want to go into journalism, you must have studied journalism. Use the space you’re in to start creating your experience,” she advises young women, encouraging them to be resourceful and build their experiences within their spaces. 

As Mash continues to inspire, her legacy is one of breaking barriers and carving paths for others to follow. Her continued advocacy for collaboration among women ensures that young women have the opportunities and support they need to change the world. Her work serves as a reminder that progress has been made, but it is also an encouragement to continue putting in more work to lay an even stronger foundation for the next generation.