Meet Sibongile Manganyi-Rath, Who Went From Street Hawker to Running Her Own Multi-Million-Rand Business
- Sibongile Manganyi-Rath is a hard-working, award-winning entrepreneur who succeeded despite facing generational poverty
- Manganyi-Rath's entrepreneurial journey started at a humble fruit and vegetable stand in Soweto where she made R150 a day
- The courageous businesswoman took a dramatic leap of faith at 26 and gave up the security of a corporate job to risk it all on a business that is now racking in millions
- Sibongile's grass-to-grace success story has inspired many and landed her on the list of Briefly News Women of Wonder 2022
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Sibongile Manganyi-Rath's success story is nothing short of amazing. The trailblazing businesswoman started breaking glass ceilings from a young age to eventually become the owner of a successful R100-million business.
Source: UGC
The pioneer credits her success to her father. In an exclusive interview with Briefly News, Manganyi-Rath said her dad taught her what it means to be a determined and honest businessperson.
Sibongile Manganyi-Rath has her father to thank for instilling an entrepreneurial spirit in her
The entrepreneurial bug bit Sibongile from a very young age. She was 12 years old when her father, an entrepreneur himself, introduced her to the tools of the trade.
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Manganyi-Rath would help her father run his small businesses and eventually started running her own fruit and vegetable stalls at Dube and Phefeni train stations in Soweto.
This is how her father taught her the most valuable lesson about business.
"He emphasised accountability. He said if we stole from our sales we would grow up to steal from ourselves.
"This was important to understand. You must be accountable to yourself before you can claim to be honest to others."
Manganyi-Rath remembers her father as a driven man who also taught her that opportunities are created as much as they are given. The celebrated businesswoman said her father's courage to put himself through school at night inspired her to follow in his footsteps.
The award-winning businesswoman's dad also inspired her to start her own business
Manganyi-Rath said her father's story and life pushed her to quit a corporate job at the age of 26 and start her own business.
When asked what made her take the leap, Manganyi-Rath said:
"Corporate has a way of creating boxes and if you have a dream to change the lives of others you need an environment that is creative and allows you to take risks."
Face to Face Africa reported that Manganyi-Rath started her infrastructure and real estate development company, Indigo Kulani Group, in 2006.
The businesswoman built the company from the ground up, turning it from a humble business with only two employees to a company with a turnover of more than R100 million.
Today, Indigo Kulani Group has expanded to include IKG Start-up Capital, which is geared toward creating world-class entrepreneurs across Africa.
Manganyi-Rath battled with impostor syndrome until she came to terms with her humble beginnings
Though Manganyi-Rath is a titan of industry, the successful businesswoman had to come to terms with something that plagues many young businesspeople: impostor syndrome.
Manganyi-Rath first started to doubt her skills, talents, and accomplishments when she was in high school. The feelings stemmed from the fact that she came from a poor entrepreneurial family and her dad drove an old beat-up van.
"My classmates came from higher socio-economic backgrounds than me, and as a teenager, you want to fit in. This can drive one to create a different reality."
The crippling self-doubt even made Manganyi-Rath doubt that she would ever win the battle against family poverty and become the woman that she is today.
It was only when Manganyi-Rath started university that she realised the value of her strengths and accomplishments came from the fact that she had a warm and loving family and not how much money the family had.
"Money is not the only symbol of success. My father and mother were true partners and were their little partners.
"I realised that only when I told my true story with pride and dignity, that I didn't have to apologise for my family's financial circumstance."
The award-winning businesswoman wants young women to create their own futures
To Manganyi-Rath it is important that young women determine for themselves how they want to engage with the world. The businesswoman said to do this, women must find strength in who they are.
"If you are a receptionist today, you could be a business administrator in the future.
"Accept where you are and work hard to pursue your dreams without apologising for your circumstances."
The street hawker turned businesswoman also wants women to band together and stop silently competing with each other.
"You need to leave a door open for other women if you have opportunities and influence."
Briefly News 2022 Women of Wonder aims to inspire women
Briefly News wants to celebrate the female changemakers of 2022 by honouring a few influential, inspiring women.
The team looked for women who made a success despite some tough challenges they faced in their respective sectors.
Our goal is to create inspirational content that shows our audience what the embodiment of a resilient and strong South African woman is.
Briefly News hopes to motivate other women to go beyond their limits.
If you want to participate in our next special project or want to be featured in one of Briefly News' women empowerment articles, please email contact@briefly.co.za with Women Empowerment in the subject line.
Boipelo Mabe went from humble beginnings in Alexander Township to becoming a top 3 Miss SA finalist
In another inspiring story about a South African woman, Briefly News previously reported that humble beginnings tend to be a make-or-break aspect for many people, but not for Boipelo Mabe.
The Alexander-born woman lifestyle she has now didn't just fall into her lap. Mabe had quite a tough financial environment to grow up in, but her parents wanted better for her.
Her parents had quite the influence on her, Boipelo said:
"My parents, through their resilience and hard work, motivated me to reach for all that seemed impossible."
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Source: Briefly News
