South African female construction entrepreneur’s visionary leadership

By Eamonn Ryan

Award winning South African entrepreneur Refilwe Sebothoma is involved in multiple businesses in the construction sector, taking a multidisciplinary approach to construction and industry.

ment or having a share of ownership in critical value chains, which means there is much more work to be done. having said that, I want to recognise and appreciate the men in leadership positions who have been very intentional about encouraging and supporting women at all levels.” the Inspired visionary & leadership Excellence awards were awarded to the supplier that had vividly mapped out its winning aspiration or long-term business vision. the metric for this award was the Strategic bhag (big hairy audacious goal) put forth by each nominated supplier, which represents a clear purpose and vision for their business over the next 10 to 30 years. south african entrepreneur and pioneer within the specialist ppE (personal protective Equipment) industry, refilwe Sebothoma, has spread her wings into executive and advisory roles within several businesses in which she has an interest.

In december 2022, Sebothoma was awarded the Inspired visionary award in South africa as well as the leadership Excellence award by Shell and groW IMpaCt for vividly mapping and executing on a winning aspiration for her business and for being a business leader that is on track to leading independent, profitable and enduring businesses. In a challenging economic environment, she has been able to realise annual revenue growth of 15.5% across the suite of businesses in the group delivering an 8% margin.

Sebothoma’s entrepreneurial background has given her a solid foundation and insight into business strategy and building a compelling value proposition. “Integrity and building great relationships are the new currency for businesses which are serious about sustainability and longevity,” she adds. Sebothoma believes this ethos is particularly relevant for young South african women looking to make strategic inroads into traditionally male-dominated sectors of the economy.

“While many industries have reported growth in women entering these fields, the growth is slow. My concern is that women are still not occupying the highest levels of manage-

Furthermore, the award recipient had to display tremendous potential and progress towards leading an independent, profitable, and sustainable enterprise. to evaluate this aspect of the award, the judges employed the leadership Circle profile tool, a 360-degree assessment that measures two fundamental leadership domains: reactive tendencies and creative competencies. Sebothoma says: “as a recipient of the award I had the most outstanding and comprehensive creative leadership profile, which the judges described as the strongest they had ever seen. this profile exemplified my superior leadership skills and demonstrated my ability to inspire and guide a team towards achieving their goals.”

“For many women in South africa, working in male-dominated industries remains a daunting and challenging experience. despite some progress, there are still numerous obstacles to overcome, including being underestimated, bullied, and expected to work much harder than their male counterparts. unfortunately, these women are often not compensated equally for their efforts, with their male colleagues receiving higher salaries for comparable work.”

She describes it as disheartening to see that women are still viewed as individuals who have to fight tooth and nail for opportunities and are only given what’s left over. “Why do we still have to ‘prove’ ourselves worthy of sitting at the table? there’s ample evidence that demonstrates the capabilities and accomplishments of countless women who have come before us, yet we still seem to be stuck having these regressive conver- sations. Clearly, there’s still a great deal of work that needs to be done to ensure that women are treated equally in the workplace. We must continue to push for progress and work towards a more equitable future for all women, regardless of their chosen profession. only then can we truly begin to break down the barriers that have held women back for far too long.”

Sebothoma spends much time mentoring and coaching future business leaders, especially women as her way of ‘paying it forward’. “I am hoping that I can support them to better navigate their entrepreneur journeys and most importantly enable them to learn from some of my mistakes which might help them grow their businesses faster. I also often partner with companies in the ESd (South africa’s transformative regulations on enterprise and supplier development) space and offer my expertise and experience.

“It’s important to remember that failure is a natural part of our journey, and we must learn to embrace it. by failing fast and failing forward, we can continue to move forward and learn from our mistakes without giving up on our goals.”

“I believe policies such as b-bbEE (broad-based black Economic Empowerment) were intended at being able to assist in women empowerment, but the reality is that they are often implemented wrong, undermined or simply ignored and hence the impact has been very minimal and we still see many cases of b-bbEE fronting and many other challenges. businesses in South africa, as drivers of the economy, have the power to be more intentional and thorough in their implementation of these policies which if executed well and there is follow through will bring much needed stability in women owned businesses.” as the founder and chairperson of refilwe’s Capital Investment, her focus is on managing diverse business investment portfolios across a range of sectors, including engineering, printing, industrial gases, property, and health & safety. this allows her to concentrate on her core strength as a business growth strategist while leveraging the strengths of her technical partners. n

She says she would like her fellow women to get the message that: “the truth is that nothing is impossible, and each one of us has the capability to achieve whatever we set our minds to, provided that we are willing to put in the work and dedication required. Continuously investing in personal growth and development is critical, as we can only give what we have. one way to accelerate this growth is by finding a mentor or coach who can help us tap into the power that we already possess. It’s essential never to be afraid to dream big and ask for help and support along the way.

“It’s important to remember that failure is a natural part of our journey, and we must learn to embrace it. by failing fast and failing forward, we can continue to move forward and learn from our mistakes without giving up on our goals. the most successful people are often those who have failed the most, but never let their failures define them or discourage them from trying again,” says Sebothoma.