Engela Du Toit Suquet: From News Anchor to Global Success

With an illustrious career spanning continents and industries, Engela Du Toit Suquet has seamlessly transitioned from being the youngest television news anchor at SABC Channel 1 to an internationally respected business strategist and success coach. Her expertise spans media, corporate leadership, and personal development, empowering professionals worldwide. From interviewing icons like Nelson Mandela to managing multi-million-pound budgets for top UK retailers, Engela’s journey is a testament to resilience, reinvention, and global impact. Now based in France, she continues to inspire and transform lives through her international coaching business, blending her passion for style and strategy.

Engela, your journey has taken you from South Africa to London and now to France. As a Divine Living Certified Coach and an expert in business leadership, how do you guide your clients to align their personal and professional aspirations?

I encourage my clients to examine their transferable skill set. What current or foreseeable problem can their product or service solve? A challenge is an opportunity for discovery. What brings them joy, and how can they incorporate some of that into their workday?

Vibration is everything; people can read the energy in a room even when nothing is said. Make sure you bring your highest energy to your work. Ask yourself, what value is my business providing in the current economic climate?

Be bold. The cost of admission to greatness is courage. Where you are is as important as where you are not; in your head, heart and where you spend your time physically. Surround yourself with positive, inspirational people who make you feel empowered, not depleted. 

Challenge failure and rejection, and see where you can improve on your last iteration. Listen to yourself when there is no proof of success. Stop using always and never because they are dead-end words. You can change, progress and reach your dream. 

Having worked as a television presenter and collaborated with renowned photographers and makeup artists, how did this experience influence your foray into corporate and private image consulting? 

Working as a television news anchor and as the public face of an organisation taught me the importance of self-image and confidence. An impression is formed of you within the first 45 seconds of meeting someone. Your style defines your life. It can influence your self-confidence and gain or lose you money and promotions. 

My French background brings with it an affinity for style. Fashion is what the industry proposes to us, and style is how we choose to express and present ourselves. I have always enjoyed showing women how they can use clothes and accessories to enhance their image. My motto is “Change your look; change your life.”

As a success and lifestyle coach, I use these skills to teach my clients how to create a stylish, confident and profitable business. 

Your travels and work have taken you to cities like Sydney, Miami, Paris, and Florence. How have these global experiences enriched your perspective on business and success?

My international work and travel taught me that we are more the same than we are different. Essentially, we all want the same thing: a safe, peaceful home to live in and the opportunity to access resources to provide the best care and education for our children and loved ones. 

After visiting Saint Rémy de Provence for 24 years, what ultimately inspired your decision to settle there and work in France?

I realised very early that one could live a big life from anywhere and that your influence, like your shadow, extends to where you may never be. I coached a brilliant PhD student, Sherece West-Scantlebury, who resided in America, via telephone from my home office in Cape Town in 2003. Later on, after the completion of my International Coaching certification in 2014, I coached many clients around the world online. My family, Du Toit, is originally from France and having grown up on a wine and flower farm, I felt at home here. After staying in St Rémy de Provence and exploring Provence extensively for over 20 years, I knew that this was where I was meant to live, and as I consider myself a citizen of the world, I could live here and work anywhere. 

With such a dynamic career, what legacy do you hope to leave behind as a business strategist, coach, and media personality?

Respect yourself and others and love fearlessly. Forgive, including yourself. Dr Maya Angelou said, “When we know better, we can do better.” You can begin again, this time with more knowledge, experience and resilience. 

In the words of Nelson Mandela, when I interviewed him,  “We have no time for revenge; only enough time to do good work.”

What advice would you offer to aspiring entrepreneurs who want to combine their passion for business with a global perspective? 

Believe in yourself. If you don’t, you can’t expect anyone else to. Know what you are good at and learn from everyone around you. Stay active and study all your life. Keep an open mind and make provision for the fact that different roads can lead to the same destination. 

Finally, what are you willing to rush for success? Letting go makes space for something new.