The Apprentices's Erna 'The injury that changed my life'

The reality star reveals the health crisis that set her on the path to business success

- Florence Hartigan

When Woman’s Day visits The Apprentice Aotearoa contestant Erna Basson at her gorgeous five bedroom home on Auckland’s Hibiscus Coast, the relaxed, breezy reality star seems a million miles away from the stresses of the boardroom.

Introducing us to her husband Nellis and their sons Nicholas, nine, and Christopher, six, without the chic corporate wardrobe and signature long blonde locks she sports on the TVNZ 1 show, this is a side of Erna viewers don’t get to see.

“I got recognised in Countdown today – without my extensions in,” she laughs. “That never happens!”

It’s hard to imagine the statuesque entrepreneur as someone who could ever fly under the radar. At 1.8m tall, with the kind of charisma that lights up a room, Erna’s presence radiates the energy that has landed her international speaking engagements, advising everyone from aspiring business moguls to Hollywood celebrities on how to make the cash roll in.

“I’m passionate about what I do,” she tells us. “I love building brands. I love creating businesses. I could talk about business all day. Some people would maybe say that I’m too much or I’m too pushy, but I’m just driven – and I’m very, very competitive, which you can see on the show!”

Erna’s drive to succeed is a trait she developed when it looked like her life was heading in a very different direction. From an early age, growing up in Bloemfontein, South Africa, she showed promising signs of becoming an elite athlete – that is, until an unexpected injury derailed everything she’d been working for.