PROFILE ANGLO AMERICAN
Mpumi Zikalala – blazing a trail for female leaders in mining
Nompumelelo ‘Mpumi’ Zikalala’s journey from the small town of Vryheid, situated near coal mines in northern KwaZulu-Natal, to becoming a mining industry leader is the stuff of legends.
B
ack in the mid-90s, she was sitting on a school bench
Managed Operations includes De Beers Group's operations
at the Inkamana High School in Vryheid, KwaZulu-
in South Africa and Canada.
Natal, when an Anglo American recruitment team
23 years later, she was named one of the 2018 Top 100 Global
Tireless and vocal advocate for inclusion and diversity
Inspirational Women in Mining. And her journey is far from over.
Zikalala is also one of the mining industry’s most tireless
arrived at the school to scout young engineers. Barely
and vocal advocates for inclusion and diversity, with a keen
An emerging generation of women CEOs and senior leaders Today, Zikalala is one of an emerging generation of women
interest in sustainably changing the gender balance within the industry to create equal opportunities for all. When she’s not encouraging young women to study
CEOs and senior leaders who are shaking up the mining industry
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)
with fresh perspectives and thinking. After nearly two decades
subjects, she’s mentoring professional women within the
working her way through the ranks in Anglo American’s diamond
organisation and sharing her journey to help them visualise
mining subsidiary De Beers, she was recently appointed to head
a career path.
the company’s iron ore giant, Kumba Iron Ore, marking the latest highlight in what has been a stellar career. Along with Natascha Viljoen, the CEO at Anglo American
She is also passionate about the role of South African business and corporate's fight against HIV/AIDS, STIs, TB and GBV. As the Chairperson of the South African National
Platinum, and Nolitha Fakude, the chairperson of Anglo
Aids Council Private Sector (SANAC) Private Sector Forum,
American’s management board in South Africa, the trio
she continues to bring light to the scourge of HIV/AIDS
effectively head the interests of Anglo American in the country.
STIs, TB and GBV amongst the uncertainty of the Covid-19
Zikalala's journey with Anglo American started when she joined De Beers as a chemical engineering bursar in 1996. She started working for Anglo American in 2001. Today, women account for more than 19% of core mining jobs and hold more than 29% of management positions in the Group.
pandemic. She’s not just extracting value from raw materials. She’s unearthing the next generation of female leaders in what has traditionally been a male-dominated world. We can’t wait to see what Mpumi Zikalala does next. ■
She was appointed General Manager at De Beers Kimberley Mines in 2007, becoming the first female General Manager in De Beers Group. In 2010, she was appointed General Manager of De Beers’ Voorspoed mine, and three and a half years later became Senior Vice-President of De Beers Sightholder Sales South Africa, the company that sorts, values and sells all De Beers Group diamond production in South Africa. Zikalala was made Deputy CEO of De Beers Consolidated Mines in November 2017, rising to become the first head of the Group’s Managed Operations business 17 months later.
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