Dhlomo was chosen from among thousands of young leaders from across the globe, and from a myriad of disciplines, by a selection committee comprising the world's top media leaders and chaired by HM Queen Rania Al Abdullah of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
In its announcement letter, the committee said Dhlomo was nominated “in recognition of your record of professional accomplishments, your commitment to society and your potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world through your inspiring leadership”.
As an honouree, Dhlomo has also been invited to join The Forum of Young Global Leaders, which is afforded a highly visible opportunity to significantly impact world affairs and shape the global agenda.
“I'm thrilled and honoured to represent South Africa as part of this prestigious and dynamic international community. It's a significant responsibility, but also an exciting opportunity to put the issues facing South Africa's youth on the global agenda. As a new member of the Forum of Young Global Leaders, I'm also inspired by the opportunity to join like-minded women and men from around the world in debates, collaborations and initiatives that will positively impact our world and its people,” Dhlomo says.
Dhlomo has long been a high-profile figure in the local media industry, having established a firm following early in her career as a TV news and lifestyle anchor. She edited women's magazine
True Love for eight years, in which time she more than doubled the title's readership and circulation.
After obtaining her MBA from Harvard Business School, she founded Ndalo Media as a jointly-owned venture with Media24, with the objective of launching innovative print and digital media products that fulfill the needs of the changing South African population.
Today the company publishes two successful and growing business and lifestyle publications - the flagship women's magazine,
DESTINY, which launched in October 2007 and its brother publication,
DESTINY Man, which launched in June 2009. The company is also establishing itself in the digital media space as a publisher of popular online brands
www.DestinyConnect.com and
www.DestinyMan.com.
Dhlomo has received numerous awards, including those for her roles as a television news and entertainment anchor; the
AdVantage magazine Editor of the Year (2001); being named one of the Most Influential Women in SA media by
The Media magazine (2003); and being nominated for a Vodacom Women in the Media Award (2008). In 2009
DESTINY received a Highly Commended Pica Award in the Women's General Interest Category. In 2009 she received the Olay SA Iconic Woman 2009 in the Media, Arts & Entertainment Category.
Dhlomo, who is passionate about youth and education, serves as a Patron of Orion, a therapeutic and training centre for children and adults with mental, physical and intellectual disabilities based in Atlantis in the Western Cape.
She also serves as a Non-Executive Director on the board of the Foschini Group, one of South Africa's leading listed retailers with brands such as Foschini, Markham, Donna Claire, Sterns, American Swiss, TotalSports, @Home and Fashion Express.
