Noticing her enterprising spirit, the South African ambassador to China at the time seconded her to the South Africa-China Business Association, "to help align students' and educational interests in the FOCAC framework".

Her client portfolio grew to include the Rockefeller Foundation, the Kenya-based African Technology Foundation and the Sino Africa Centre of Excellence (associated with the Carter Center in the US).

Lefifi's China journey has cut both ways. With the African Leadership Network, she has been instrumental in placing Chinese university students with Equity Bank in Nairobi.

Lefifi says her inspiration comes from her parents－a mother engaged in commercial farming from whom she takes after in terms of risk-taking and a retired librarian father from whom her knowledge-seeking traits emanate.

In her new role as Brand South Africa's China boss, the function of building South Africa's corporate reputation will fall squarely on her shoulders.

"Our China office is new and my role is to set up the operation from scratch, of course with the support of my headquarters, the South African embassy in Beijing and Tourism SA, which also has a presence in China, among others," she says.

"China is the biggest trading partner for South Africa and South Africa is the fifth-largest trading partner for China. However trade is imbalanced in favor of China, and the role of our China office will be to create circumstances under which this can be corrected."