A formidable mother daughter duo – Potentia, a human resource consultancy connecting organisations, talent and communities
The founder of Potentia, a human resource consultancy, Zayanih Dennis, was a struggling mother of two daughters, when she took a leap of faith, with a small amount of savings to start her business.
She was 33 years old, with only a dream and determination for creating the Potentia brand.
As her business grew so did her children and the stars aligned for Zayanih, when her daughter Nikita Dennis joined the Potentia team as Marketing Manager in 2018.
Nikita initially pursued a career as an investment analyst and as her skills developed, Nikita found herself gravitating towards Potentia. “I wanted to help grow the company that had seen me grow up,” said Nikita.
With her mother as Managing Director, they are a force to be reckoned with, balancing an older generation’s wisdom with a younger’s innovative drive and together, they have carved a niche in the industry as female leaders in Namibian business.
“There was no drive to bring about equity in the alignment of available talent with the needs of businesses,” said Zayanih.
She further admitted that at the time she started her business, she experienced significant barriers as a women of colour, with elements of racism and ageism prevalent.
Nikita, who is now 30, and her mother still work hard to prove themselves, to build trust with stakeholders and drive Potentia’s vision. “A myriad of challenges face women who are building their careers and I am no exception, however, my mother and I remain determined to keep rising,” said Nikita.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on everyone’s lives, therefore, Zayanih advised businesses to step back, regroup and be reminded of what is most important. The ladies advise businesses to use this time to reinvent themselves by learning and creating environments conducive to employee development and to understand the positive impact of flexible hours on employee well-being.
They feel that until women are fully acknowledged in business, progress remains stifled. “We are particularly encouraged by both our clients and our candidates, who have taken the time to appoint, mentor and invest in women, and also by seeing our male counterparts becoming allies.” they added.
Through this journey the two have learnt important life lessons from each other. “Nikita has helped me recognise the value of taking time off and fully embracing it when I do,” said Zayanih while Nikita explained that her mother has taught her that work is a labour of love, for your organisation, your team, your clients, your family and your greater community.
Potentia Namibia Recruitment (PTY) Ltd provides a platform that connects organisations, talent and communities to realise their mutually rewarding, purpose-driven success.
Potentia’s banker, Nedbank, is equally enamoured with this potent client’s success. Martha Murorua, Managing Director of Nedbank Namibia said it is time to make equality a business priority and it is important to us to support female-led businesses. “We are extremely proud of Zayanih and Nikita and believe their accomplishments might encourage other Namibian women to also #ChooseToChallenge the status quo,” she commented.
