Get to Know Mzansi’s Richest Lady, Wendy Appelbaum, Mom, Wife & Businesswoman Worth an Estimated R2.6 Billion

• Wendy Appelbaum is South Africa’s richest woman, with her net worth estimated to be around R2.6 billion
• Not only is this amazing woman Mzansi’s wealthiest lady, but she is also one of Africa’s richest females
• The businesswoman has her fingers in many pies but above all, she believes in the power of education

In honour of Women’s Day, Briefly News takes a peek into the life of the very private, Wendy Appelbaum, who is South Africa’s richest woman.

Mzansi’s richest woman started her career at Liberty Group with her dad

Wendy was born to billionaires Sir Donald Gordon and Peggy Gordon in 1961, with her father the founder and CEO of financial services company, Liberty Group. She was raised in Johannesburg and had two brothers, Zalebs wrote.

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After bagging her degree in psychology at the University of the Witwatersrand, the strong woman started working at her father’s company.

In 1994, she undertook a venture of her own with ten other ladies to start Wiphold, an investment company that aimed to empower ladies from various walks of life, How we made it in Africa reported.

While Wendy acknowledges that her background has afforded her certain privileges, in an interview with CNN Marketplace Africa, the woman noted that it was her work ethic and business know-how that helped her become successful:

“A lot of people say I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth, which to a degree, I was, but I’ve certainly not relied on that to get on with my own business.

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Reflecting on her work with Wiphold, Wendy noted that the experience at the company was one of the best in her lifetime because it involved helping other women:

“We empowered women that were disadvantaged, really empowered them to understand how to invest and take a little bit of money and make it a lot.”

Wendy Appelbaum later started her own wine farm in Stellenbosch

With her business experiences gained in the boardroom, the entrepreneur decided to sell her shares at Liberty Group and start her own company.

In 2003, she bought a farm called DeMorgenzon Wine Estate with her husband, Hylton Appelbaum, with whom she has two very successful sons, Mathew, who is a banker, and Nicholas, who is a medical surgeon, Entrepreneurs.ng wrote.

Wendy is also a trustee and board member of several organisations and has won numerous accolades.

In 2020, she was named by Forbes Africa as one of Mzansi’s most powerful women, was honoured as a leading woman entrepreneur in 2006, and obtained an honourary doctorate in medicine from the University of the Witwatersrand, among other achievements.

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Wendy is also very charitable and believes it is her responsibility to plow back into society, especially in ways that benefit women, Buzz South Africa wrote.

This inspirational billionaire believes that women are capable of anything and are able to reach any goal with hard work, determination, and of course, passion. She also loves education and believes that knowledge is the key to success.

Who is currently the richest woman in Africa?

In a related story, Briefly News also wrote about some of Africa’s richest women. These ladies have managed to grow their wealth and, at the same time, develop their country’s economy.

Today, they are behind some of the most successful business brands across the world. Briefly News provides a detailed list of some of the richest women in the world and their business ventures.

Source: Briefly News