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Profile: Anglo American – Mpumi Zikalala, blazing a trail for female leaders in mining
by Media Xpose
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.
Back in the mid-90s, she was sitting on a school bench at the Inkamana High School in Vryheid, KwaZuluNatal, when an Anglo American recruitment team arrived at the school to scout young engineers. Barely 23 years later, she was named one of the 2018 Top 100 Global
Inspirational Women in Mining. And her journey is far from over.
Today, Zikalala is one of an emerging generation of women CEOs and senior leaders who are shaking up the mining industry with fresh perspectives and thinking. After nearly two decades working her way through the ranks in Anglo American’s diamond mining subsidiary De Beers, she was recently appointed to head 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 Platinum, and Nolitha Fakude, the chairperson of Anglo American’s management board in South Africa, the trio effectively head the interests of Anglo American in the country.
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.
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. Managed Operations includes De Beers Group's operations in South Africa and Canada.
Zikalala is also one of the mining industry’s most tireless and vocal advocates for inclusion and diversity, with a keen 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 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects, she’s mentoring professional women within the organisation and sharing her journey to help them visualise a career path.
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 Aids Council Private Sector (SANAC) Private Sector Forum, she continues to bring light to the scourge of HIV/AIDS STIs, TB and GBV amongst the uncertainty of the Covid-19 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. ■
