Meet the Farmer, Brewmaster and 5 Other Incredible Women Breaking Barriers in Business
South African women are trailblazers, trendsetters and all-around business geniuses. From breaking into new industries to becoming pioneers in the country, these leading ladies have done it all. Despite their numerous challenges, their agility has shown through radiating their paths to a brighter future.
Sibongile Manganyi, Nonkululeko Gobodo, Lungile Mkhize, Tshegofatso Seoka, Ayanda, Majola, Apiwe Nxusani-Mawela, Milisa Mabinza and Yolanda Yawe-Donkers are serious game-changers.
In honour of women breaking barriers in the business world, Briefly News peaks into the lives of these seven local entrepreneurs who have been selected as Briefly News Women of Wonder 2022.
Source: Original
1. Sibongile Manganyi-Rath – from grass to grace
Source: UGC
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As a young girl, Sibongile Manganyi-Rath would help her father run his small business, which inspired her to learn the tricks of the trade.
She eventually used her knowledge to create a fruit and vegetable stall in Soweto.
Using the valuable life lessons her father taught her, she set out into the world and at 26 she quit her corporate job and never looked back.
In 2006, Manganyi-Rath launched her infrastructure and real estate development company, Indigo Kulani Group.
Her small business with two employees soon turned into a company with a turnover of more than R100 million.
The group later expanded and the dedicated businesswoman learned the importance of having a support system filled with love.
"If you are a receptionist today, you could be a business administrator in the future,” she said.
Manganyi-Rath encouraged women to lift each other up and said women must find strength in who they are.
2. Nonkululeko Gobodo becomes the first black female chartered accountant
Source: UGC
While growing up in the apartheid era, Nonkululeko Gobodo faced racism and sexism, but that didn’t stop her from breaking barriers.
She overcame several challenges along her path, including her mother’s negative comments. At 17, Gobodo fell pregnant and took a gap year from school.
At the time, she worked with her father and learnt bookkeeping. She was instantly fascinated with bookkeeping and decided to pursue her studies further.
"I wanted to be a chartered accountant because I was exposed to accounting and auditing through the auditors who were my father's auditors in that business," she told Briefly News.
The incredible academic made history by becoming South Africa’s first black woman to become a chartered accountant while under apartheid rule.
Gobodo said women have been raised to believe they are inferior, but they need to be their authentic selves without compromising or abandoning themselves.
3. Lungile Mkhize lays an egg-citing business plan
Source: Twitter
At the tender age of 14, Lungile Mkhize already had plans to join the agricultural sector.
With hard work and a leap of faith, she turned her love for farming into a lucrative business during a global pandemic.
She launched her business in 2019 with the help of her parents' pension fund.
When the lockdown happened, Mkhize applied for the Mpumalanga Youth Development Fund and was awarded a grant worth R2.5 million.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing though, and Mkhize was met with several setbacks.
She put her faith in God and continued working on her dream.
After obtaining a diploma in agricultural science from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, there was nothing standing in her way.
"It takes hard work, money and time. Don’t do it for the money, because that takes long to accumulate, but (do it) for the understanding that food is a scarcity in our country,” said Mkhize.
4. Tshegofatso Seoka learns the art of business
Source: UGC
Despite being diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus and facing numerous medical challenges, Tshegofatso Seoka rose above her challenges to create an impact on the South African art scene through her company Ms Simone.
Built around creating a platform for up-and-coming artists in the country, Ms Simone revolutionised the industry.
"South African and African art is not just art for art's sake, but questions and details social issues, socio-political and economic issues as well as frames different forms of identity expressions,” she said.
Seoka said young black women in the art sector continuously need to fight to exude excellence in practice. She encouraged others to continue to push against those who tell them they are inadequate.
The awe-inspiring individual said women in higher positions should be willing to assist those who come behind them. She said that one should be able to break barriers and smash thresholds.
5. Ayanda Majola is changing the face of beauty
Source: UGC
The genius behind a local, vegan beauty brand, Ayanda Majola, is a force to be reckoned with.
As a young businesswoman, Ayanda is determined to help people maintain clear skin through ethical means.
While creating her brand, the young woman was met with several challenges that forced her to stand up for herself.
Majola carved a name for herself in a male-dominated industry and believes the key to success is the willingness to learn.
Ayanda said it is common for young women in business to be undermined, but she urged others to never allow people to talk them down.
"We live in a society where women are constantly told how to live their lives, like what to wear and where to work. It’s important to be authentically you and have power over your own life.”
6. Apiwe Nxusani-Mawela brews up success
Source: UGC
Apiwe Nxusani-Mawela is South Africa’s first female black brewmaster and has a deep passion for brewing beer.
Through her African-inspired beer and cider company, Tolokazi Beer, the businesswoman was granted an opportunity of a lifetime in Europe that allowed her to distribute close to 200 000 cans.
Despite facing discrimination and challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic at the early stages of her company, Nxusani-Mawela proved her capabilities within the industry.
She was given a taste of the entrepreneurial life in her early years and drew inspiration from the amazing women in her circle.
She described her journey in the male-dominated industry as fulfilling and said returning to her hometown fills her with joy.
"The journey has been and continues to be a great one, with all its ups and downs.”
7. Milisa Mabinza is on an empowerment mission
Source: UGC
Milisa Mabinza is on a mission to empower and inspire others through her private equity company, Khula Lula.
The company ensures more black women receive funding for their enterprises and is one of the first black female-led equity funds in South Africa.
Her journey in the industry saw her face numerous challenges but through her strategic thinking, communication, and excellent leadership, she weathered every storm.
Mabinza believes there is a lack of initiative and incentive from the industry to change and offer more representation for women.
She said the issues hinder women to succeed and limit their opportunities, which can lead to fostering unconscious gender biases in company culture.
“Seeing a woman who shared a body like mine taking up space and dominating in the very exclusionary financial industry set a fire inside me.”
The talented businesswoman encourages others to become a catalyst for change.
8. Yolanda Yawe-Donkers is on a mission to make more inclusive dolls
Yolanda Yawa-Donkers' has gone through many obstacles, including living with HIV, to start up Luvuthando Dolls.
Yolanda had two sons when she was 25 and said it was an important part of her story as she was living with HIV. Despite her diagnosis, Yolanda was able to deliver healthy sons.
Yawe-Donkers says her children were a big part of why she stopped hating men after some traumatic experiences in the past.
Speaking to Briefly News, Yolanda said one of the biggest obstacles she had to face was suffering physical, mental and sexual abuse from men.
"I had to forgive the men and myself to move on. I'm not 100% healed but I understand now that what has happened to me is not my fault."
As a little dark-skinned girl living in the township, she found it difficult to get any dolls that looked like her. Growing up, she felt underrepresented.
"Now, these dolls (Lovuthando) do more than entertain but are part of something bigger as they offer comfort in a child's life, that who they are is enough and that they get to write their own story."
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 like to be featured in one of Briefly News' women empowerment articles, please email contact@briefly.co.za with Women Empowerment in the subject line.
Meet woman tech entrepreneur who uses innovation to empower girls through coding and business
Briefly News also reported on Thoko Miya, an iconic female tech entrepreneur who is the project manager at an NGO teaching coding to young girls and women.
Thoko has her hands in many pies in the fields of innovation and technology and fell in love with coding when she was a little girl.
The 29-year-old is a visionary and is doing her level best to address the issue of the under-representation of women in tech spheres.
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Source: Briefly News
