Award-winning serial entrepreneur Nqobile ‘Angel’ Ndlela recently joined the cast of The Real Housewives of Durban – and she’s enjoying the wild ride!
Born and bred in Howick, Angel now lives in Umhlanga where she wears many hats – businesswoman, fashion designer, and most recently, TV personality. She holds an honours degree in industrial organisational psychology, and hopes to complete her master’s in the future. But for now, she’s kept busy with her multiple business ventures.
At just 29 years old, she owns an impressive four businesses. The first to open was Angel Ndlela Group, a construction company. Construction is a family business and she followed in her dad’s footsteps when she entered the industry, but she admits that it just wasn’t enough for her. “I’ve always had a passion for designing and fashion,” she says. So, she took a leap of faith and opened AN Couture Collection, which offers bridal wear and couture. “I’m shaped in a certain way that made it hard to find beautiful clothes that fit,” she explains. “So, I thought, why not make my own clothes?”
For most people, straddling the worlds of construction and fashion would be enough, but the insatiable Angel saw another gap in the market and branched out further to start a uniform manufacturing company. She also dabbled in the music industry for some time, releasing two singles, and owns a fleet of taxis. Last year, she was recognised as Business Champion 2023 at the Sebenza Women Awards and she says it was amazing to realise that her hard work had paid off. “As a businesswoman, I have to wake up every day and ask myself how I can add value and achieve my goals,” she says. “I take it one day at a time.” She makes sure she prioritises her mental health and says she is blessed with a good team, which helps her to manage all her enterprises properly.
When Angel was approached to join the reality show The Real Housewives of Durban, she decided to embrace the opportunity. “I joined the show because I feel like this is the right time for me,” she says. “I am in a good space and I want to introduce myself to the world. I know that The Real Housewives of Durban has a big fanbase and when the opportunity came, I just had to grab it with both hands.” She says being on the show had its ups and downs. “The experience was wild!” she laughs. “But, I met extraordinary women and each one of them added value to my own growth.”
In her free time, Angel loves to travel and spend time with close friends. “I’ve learnt how important it is to keep the people that fill your cup close to you,” she says. “There is a lot of negativity out there, but I don’t have to participate in that.”
Details: IG: @angel_ndlela
