MPUMALANGA – When Princess Eurika Mogane hands a young entrepreneur her first business logo, she isn’t just giving her a design — she’s handing her a spark of hope, a seed of possibility that could transform a life. Over 1,300 women across Mpumalanga have felt that spark, igniting a movement that is as much about empowerment as it is about belief.
Mogane’s influence reaches far and wide, touching lives from Gender-Based Violance survivors to entrepreneurs, as she balances multiple roles — Commissioner for Gender Equality, CEO of Tharika M Beauty & Spa Centre, COO of the Spa & Wellness Association of Africa, and mentor to dozens of students and aspiring leaders. She wears all of these hats in pursuit of her simple but ambitious mission to leave every person and community better than she found them.
As a Commissioner for Gender Equality, Mogane tackles Mpumalanga’s most urgent challenges — from Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and intimidation of women leaders to reproductive rights and food security. But her work is not limited to boardrooms or policy briefs. She walks into villages, rural communities, and schools, facilitating dialogues and empowering women with knowledge about their rights.
“The rise of women doesn’t mean the fall of men,” she says — a phrase that has become her signature message and rallying cry in her gender equality work.
One young woman, a survivor of a brutal attack, became the focus of Mogane’s personal mission. She ensured the survivor received legal support, trauma counselling and emotional care.
“Justice was served,” she recalls, “but more importantly, she was restored with dignity. Survivors need more than justice — they need to know they are not alone.”
Healing through entrepreneurship
Princess Mogane’s company, Tharika M Beauty & Spa Centre, is more than a mobile spait’s a space for transformation.
At Tharika M Beauty & Spa Centre, pampering is never a one-size-fits-all experience,” she explains. “Each session begins with listening — giving clients the space to express their needs and what they realistically hope to achieve. From there, every treatment is carefully tailored, ensuring that expectations are not only met but gently elevated. We combine the client’s needs with our own unique touch and expertise, so that each experience feels deeply personal and transformative. This personalized approach is what she calls “Our mission is to pamper the spirit, mind and body,” she explains. “We help clients rediscover themselves before we even begin the treatments.”
Clients leave renewed, not just pampered. Mentorship, life coaching, and faith-based counselling are woven into every session, turning each appointment into a holistic experience.
Long before the titles and accolades, Mogane’s journey began in Mbombela, Mpumalanga, where she grew up with four siblings under the care of her grandmother. Her family moved from their royal home in Pilgrim’s Rest to shield them from family political tensions, giving her a childhood free from palace walls but rich with life lessons.
Her faith became her anchor at a young age. Joining the youth group Mighty Eagles, a youth group from her church in Kamagugu, Mbombela. The group gathered near Kamagugu Inclusive School, combining Bible study with skills development sessions. It was here that she found a safe space to grow in faith while sharpening her ability to speak,she learned to speak, share and inspire — lessons that would later define her public life.
At 18, she organised her first fundraiser for a school Matric dance, setting her on a path of service. She later volunteered for multiple organisations, including the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA), where she became one of the youngest African female managers and won a Silver Award.
One of her proudest achievements was partnering with SASOL to teach children in Secunda, Ermelo and Standerton about cancer prevention, a project that made a lasting impact in Mpumalanga schools.
A legacy in the making
Princess Mogane has been recognised nationally, earning a spot in the Mail & Guardian’s Top 200 Young South Africans in both 2020 and 2021, and earning opportunities to study at the University of Cambridge and through programmes affiliated with Duke University. Yet accolades are not her goal — transformation is.
“If it’s for you, it will not cost you your peace,” she says.“Peace and living in your purpose go hand in hand.”
Her vision for the next decade is clear: to continue mentoring the next generation of leaders, to close the gender pay gap, to fight GBV at its root and to host masterclasses that teach balance for the spirit, mind and body.
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