By Hilaire Akollo
When I bumped into Dr Nathalie Beatrice Chinje-N Bodiong (fondly known as Dr Nath) in Cape Town a bit more than 20 years ago, I did not know that I was making a date with destiny. She was a Brand Manager at Woolworths – South Africa’s premium food and non-food retail chain listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Since then, I have been witnessing closely and from afar, the rise and growth of a determined, principled, loyal, passionate and driven woman who is obsessed with Excellence in the areas of private sector development, women and youth entrepreneurship, intra-Africa trade and skills development in Africa.