Johanna is a multiple award-winning entrepreneur, a B Comm graduate from Rhodes University and an accountant by profession.
She started TWF in 1996 with her 2 partners, 26 years later, they have employed over 750 people with offices in the main provinces in South Africa. Before that, she was instrumental in bringing the Hilton International hotel brand to South Africa as she wanted to build 5-star tented camps in Kruger National Park in partnership with the communities bordering the park to ensure that they too can get into the main stream economy and be empowered. Real Economic and Social Empowerment is extremely important to Johanna and she provides communities with the tools to lead them into the mainstream of the South African economy with the hope of creating medium enterprise of which these communities can be proud participants. 

However, due to the government at time and apartheid system, her dream was not  realised, and the Hilton hotel settled on building their 1st hotel in the heart of Sandton. She showed the same drive when she met Howard Shultz – CEO of Starbucks in Monaco, and as a true ambassador of SA, she sold him South Africa’s vibrant economy and encouraged him to open up a Starbucks in SA – needless to say, a few months later, the announcement was made that Starbucks was coming to SA.

Johanna conceptualised, presented and was Executive Producer of SABC 2’s Women on the Move, a business programme highlighting successful South African businesswomen from around the country.

She was appointed on the Global Tourism Board (ACTE) Association of corporate travel executives; where she represented Middle East and Africa on the board for a period of 3 years, a first for a person on the African continent to sit on this global board with members in over 86 countries. ACTE’s membership included senior executives involved in the purchase and supply of travel with 200 billion Euros business travel spent from Fortune 500 companies.

She was also the Vice President of ASATA (Association of Travel Agents of SA) for a period of 3 years. She is pro-women empowerment, a philosophy she leaves by in her business TWF as all employees are remunerated according to their skills and productivity instead of discriminating due to gender, age or race!

She is a sought after International Motivational speaker and has graced stages in Orlando Florida, Germany, Los Angeles, Atlanta and of course South Africa. She has shared the stage with the likes of 50cent, Calvin Klein, Bruce Buffer, Randi Zuckerberg, John Travolta, Fredrik Eklund, George Ross, Bethenny Frankel, Charlie

Sheen, Christie Brinkley, Gene Simmons, Mark Wahlberg, Mel Gibson, Nido Qubein, Bret Michaels, Steve Wozniak, Vanilla Ice, Francie, and Michael Buffer. Just to mention a few..

She has graced the covers of numerous magazines and is the brand Ambassador for Luxury brands.
She is seen as an influencer and a role model by her peers and the Youth alike.

As a mother, she believes that it is possible to have a balanced life even as a
successful business woman.