Celebrating Women 2021 Edition by SundayTimesZA

CELEBRATING PLUS: GENDER PARITY IN FORESTRY I EDUCATION I MINING I IT I FINANCE I AND MORE 2021 CULTURALAFRICAMAINSTREAMING2021INSIDE:GENDERAWARDS ICON DR ESTHER MAHLANGU IN ASSOCIATION WITH www.businessmediamags.co.za

We save money for our customers by stopping cybercrime before it occurs, thanks to our wide range of innovative internet of things solutions – Mamela Luthuli

Luthuli says now is an opportune time for women to participate in the fourth industrial revolution that aims to embed technology within societies. “The fourth industrial revolution presents many opportunities. If we can provide more training, we can develop mind-blowing solutions and even cure complicated diseases. Communities have to embrace technology.”

ounder and CEO of Take Note IT Mamela Luthuli says it is advisable to have a preventative solution in place when it comes to cybercrime, as opposed to a reactive approach.

Take Note IT is a level one B-BBEE company that is 100 per cent black-female-owned. It provides professional business and technology consulting services as well as cybersecurity services. By leveraging the best software engineer and process skills, Take Note IT provides value-added services to customers. Services include, but are not limited to, early warning security solutions, incident response, security risk assessment, cyberconsulting and penetration testing.

FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION OFFERS OPPORTUNITIES

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the need for security transformation, and corporates are increasingly being targeted by criminals. Luthuli calls on organisations to move to the cloud with greater urgency while accelerating Zero Trust security. Embracing work-from-anywhere ﬂexibility while trusting no one is a tricky balance to strike, but the need for entities to do so by modernising their cybersecurity is nonnegotiable.

“We save money for our customers by stopping cybercrime before it occurs, thanks to our wide range of innovative internet of things (IoT) solutions,” says Luthuli. She says that stopping cable theft is an issue close to her heart. “South Africa is riddled with cable theft and the costly impact of interrupted electricity ﬂow. To stop cable theft, we developed the IoT Early Warning Detection Solution, which employs highly successful and innovative security and business solutions. “By preventing cable theft, it saves money and its business as usual for our clients.”

➔ Scan this QR code to go directly to the Take Note IT website. For more information: +27 87 550 www.takenoteit.co.zainfo@takenoteit.co.za5184

CYBERCRIMESAPROTECTINGFROM

PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE

The pandemic has accelerated digital transformation – many organisations are moving into the cloud and creating digital business stores that allow them to provide their services using digital channels. Luthuli says corporates should be running fourth Industrial revolution focused academy programmes to equip the youth with 21st-century skills.

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TAKE NOTE OF SKILLS SHORTAGE

For this reason, Luthuli runs a Cyber Excellence Academy that trains young people to pursue a career in cybersecurity. “By providing online and on-the-job training, we are working towards closing the unemployment gap in South Africa,” she says.

The cybersecurity industry has seen massive growth in the last couple of years. Due to an inﬂux of people working from home, protecting valuable data from cybertheft has become vital

ZERO TRUST SECURITY With today’s workforce moving outside of the physical office, modern security architectures have shifted from the “hard exterior, soft interior” model where there is a well-defined fortified perimeter and everything inside is implicitly trusted. The increased adoption of cloud, mobile and modern computer infrastructure, along with today’s distributed workforce, means that the perimeter has dissolved, leading to an ever-expanding attack surface. There is a shift in the cybersecurity mindset toward a Zero Trust framework. This framework uses an identity- and data-centric approach that focuses on data, people, devices, workloads andLuthulinetworks.says organisations must adopt and implement Zero Trust Security Framework. To do so successfully requires constantly authenticating, authorising and continuously validating the identity and security posture of each access request from every endpoint. To minimise unauthorised access to data, applications and compute resources over networks, “never trust, always verify” must extend to user endpoints.

According to the latest International Information System Security Certiﬁcation Consortium, the cybersecurity industry is facing a monumental shortfall in security professionals. Currently, there is a global shortage of 3.12 million professionals. It is said that the industry needs to grow by 89 per cent worldwide to keep up with the demand caused by the economic impact of COVID-19.

27 FEMALE OPPORTUNITY INDEX

Unpacking South Africa’s gender equality status in the areas of female leadership within government, corporations, STEM and entrepreneurship moving beyond just gender and race make sense Why higher education is a critical step towards leadership MINING Women remain in the minority in most functions in the mining aischangingindustry,thisgoingtorequirecollectiveeffort

“Madosini”

55 FORESTRY Are

Women are making signiﬁcant inroads in the rope-access industry and ﬁre and rescue services THE COVER: Dr Esther Mahlangu Image: Clint Strydom and The Melrose Gallery

50 FINANCE

73 BREAKING

What

47 PETROLEUM

A look at some of the initiatives and interventions being implemented to integrate more women into the industry ENVIRONMENT challenges do women face and how far has the industry come in its gender parity journey? BARRIERS

WOMEN IN WORK INDEX 2 CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 Contents 6 GENDER MAINSTREAMING The

71 BUILT

MINING LAW Recent changes in legislation are encouraging companies to provide greater and more opportunities for women Are women making signiﬁcant strides within this industry? Why has transformation been so slow within this sector, and what needs to happen to accelerate diversiﬁcation among the industry’s leadership?

66 FOOD

Cultural

9 2021 GENDER

37 EDUCATION

Cover

52 24

AFRICA

24 IN

30 DIVERSITY Intersectionality:

AUDITOR-GENERAL SOUTH AFRICA Tsakani Maluleka, South Africa’s recently appointed Auditor-General, shares her vision for the ofﬁce, leadership and gender transformation women being recruited at a fast enough pace to really change the face of the industry? IT SECTOR Female executives in the industry explain the barriers to entry in tech-focused careers and discuss the initiatives needed to bring more women into STEM-related positions AND BEVERAGE

DID YOU KNOW? Progress for women in work could be back at 2017 levels by the end of 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to analysis conducted for PwC’s annual Women in Work Index. challenges around gender parity on the continent MAINSTREAMING AWARDS Winner announcement for the Southern Africa, East Africa and West Africa regions CONVERSATION icons Dr Esther Mahlangu, Ouma Katrina Esau and Latozi Mpahleni share why it is important to take ownership of your culture

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We recognise that one size does not fit all and believe that upfront research into an organisation’s goals and the local market allows for a tailored solution. This means that we can go beyond the legal bare minimum for compliance and strive for sustainable development solutions.

TEG has 15 years of experience working across six provinces and covering a wide range of industries and cultures. Our team has a strong technical focus with exhaustive experience in the field of consulting, offering practical solutions that create lasting change. Training programmes and handouts have limited impact in transforming the destiny of a small- or medium-sized business. We work on the principle that to elevate a business, a catalytic strategy needs to be developed in conjunction with the business owner. Then, through a robust side by side journey of showing, mentoring and coaching, the project will deliver business growth. Over the years, we have come to realise that sustained results come from starting with internal technical excellence in the company before business leadership. Partner with us to unearth value that lasts.

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TEG is a black-women-owned management consulting firm specialising in driving social and economic development programmes in line with B-BBEE legislation “We work on the principle that to elevate a business, a catalytic strategy needs to be developed in conjunction with the business owner.” www.teg.co.za

Tshegetsang Sebeela, CEO and founder

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Our range Of services include: socioeconomic development initiatives enterprise and supplier development programmes due diligence assessments development fund management (NCR registered credit provider) project management and consulting business management training

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At TEG, our objective is to help corporate clients design and execute enterprise and supplier development and socioeconomic development programmes for their local communities.

On page 9, we highlight the results of integrated, sustainable programmes to equalise the leadership journey for women via the Annual Gender Mainstreaming Africa Awards curated by Business Engage. We also feature the visions of remarkable women academic leaders (page 37) who are working behind the scenes to ensure that the women who graduate from their institutions take up the leadership roles for which they have been groomed. On page 55, we unpack the challenges within the forestry and paper industries and the gains made for women. While all these journeys and the rest of the stories in this issue celebrate the resilience of women, we understand that the road to redressing the imbalances is still a long one.

he resilience of women has never been tested more in our recent history than it has over the past 18 months. The global pandemic, which hit us early in 2020, placed a microscope on the day-to-day struggles many within our communities, especially women, still face.

COPYRIGHT: No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written consent of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for unsolicited material. Celebrating Women is published by Picasso Headline. The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Picasso Headline. All advertisements/advertorials have been paid for and therefore do not carry any endorsement by the publisher.

The reality, which seemed to shock many as the economic fallout from the pandemic surged across our country, is that women still bear the brunt of the worst social and economic imbalances of a very patriarchal society. It is completely unacceptable that in 2021 women still must ﬁnd innovative solutions to create equal futures, whether in corporate South Africa or within their own homes. Why has the battleground for women’s rights not been cleared yet? Why are women still pandering to the whims of a male-dominated society?

Picasso Headline, a proud division of Arena Holdings, Hill on Empire, 16 Empire Road (cnr Hillside Road), Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193 PO Box 12500, Mill Street, Cape Town, 8010 ContentEDITORIALwww.businessmediamags.co.zaManager: Raina Julies rainaj@picasso.co.za Contributors: Beth Amato, Seshni Doorsamy, Delia du Toit, Ryland Fisher, Lesley-Anne Gatter, Caryn Gootkin, Anél Lewis, Mamela Luthuli, Denise Mhlanga, Puseletso Mompei, Thando Pato, Anthony Sharpe, Rodney Weidemann Copy Editor: Brenda Bryden Content Co-ordinator: Vanessa Payne Digital Editor: Stacey vissers@businessmediamags.co.zaVisser HeadDESIGNof Design: Jayne Macé-Ferguson Senior Design: Mfundo Archie Ndzo Advert Designer: Bulelwa Sotashe Cover Image: Clint Strydom and The Melrose Gallery ProjectSALES Manager: Tarin-Lee Watts WattsT@picasso.co.za | +27 87 379 7119 Sales: Jacqueline Bezuidenhout, Gavin Payne ProductionPRODUCTIONEditor: Shamiela Brenner Advertising Co-ordinator: Johan Labuschagne Subscriptions and Distribution: Fatima Dramat fatimad@picasso.co.za Printer: Novus Print ManagementMANAGEMENTAccountant: Deidre Musha Business Manager: Lodewyk van der Walt General Manager, Magazines: Jocelyne Bayer

PUBLISHED BY CELEBRATING WOMEN

celebratingCOMMENTARY THE wins

EDITORIAL

According to the World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Report 2021 (read more on page 6), it will now take 135.6 years to close the gender gap worldwide. It goes on to say that progress seems stalled, even slightly reversed. How is this possible? Well, the women we talk to in this issue of Celebrating Women, share with us that while progress along many fronts for women is slow, there certainly are pockets of success that must be acknowledged, encouraged, replicated and celebrated. As cultural icon Dr Esther Mhlangu shares on page 24, “I hope that my success can act as an inspiration to others who face challenges.”

One

Scan here: Find out how we’re partnering towards a better future.

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story is a South African story. thing we know for sure is that: Together, we learn. We care. We protect. We go places. We Together,grow. we win. We succeed. We thrive. We #ShapingTogethercelebrate. Together, we continue shaping a better future.

The World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Report 2021, says that it will now take 135.6 years to close the gender gap worldwide. The report covers the gender gap in education, politics, economic participation and access to health. When it drills down to work and the professional sphere, there is a gender gap in senior and managerial positions in the private and public sectors alike. The report states: “Within the sample of countries covered by this report, 41 per cent of professionals in senior positions are women, with some progress compared to a year ago, but still signiﬁcantly under-represented. The median presence of women in senior positions across all countries assessed by the index is 33 per cent, and only 22 countries have closed at least 80 per cent of the gap in managerial roles.” It also says that, at the same time, there are another 20 countries where gender gaps in managerial positions are still as large as 80 per cent or more. In these instances, “women make up 14.7 per cent of all managerial positions across all 20 countries, corresponding to a gap of 83 per cent”.

ColleenLarsen

6 CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021

“We believe that the best way to influence change is to strengthen and grow the current conversations; then couple that with deliberate actions.”

THE GENDER GAP LANDSCAPE IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Closer to home, the overall gender gap in sub-Saharan Africa is 32.7 per cent, as only 67.2 per cent of the gap has been closed so far. The report says: “Progress seems stalled, even slightly reversed, such that it will take 121.7 years to close the gender gap. Of the 35 countries in this region, only Namibia and Rwanda have closed at least 80 per cent of theirAlthoughgaps.” many African women are in the labour force, relatively few make it to senior positions, states the report. “Additionally, there are very large divides within the region. The median level of women in senior roles is 33 per cent, and while there are four countries

– Colleen Larsen, Business Engage ender mainstreaming in the private and public sectors has never been more important than it is now. Countless research has shown the economic and ﬁnancial advantages of a gender-inclusive workforce, most importantly, at senior management and leadership level. Yet, despite the research and the work done by organisations like Business Engage, gender mainstreaming is still a global anomaly.

Colleen Larsen, CE of Business Engage, talks to THANDO PATO about why they are taking the Gender Mainstreaming Awards across Africa, and the challenges around gender parity on the continent

HEREAFRICA,WECOME

What works for one organisation does not work for another, even if they outwardly appear to be similar. The overarching goal from our point of view is for companies to ensure that actions are followed through and that gender mainstreaming is not just an idea. We aim to drive real tangible results from the various ideas, consultations and debates.”

“We believe that the best way to inﬂuence change is to strengthen and grow the current conversations; then couple that with deliberate actions. We adhere to the ‘no man (or woman) is an island’ concept,” says Larsen. “Therefore we encourage collaboration and cross-pollination of ideas, initiatives and successes between organisations working with us. “We are delighted with the response we have encountered having held the Gender Mainstreaming Awards throughout Africa. Not only have we received a record number of entries in 2021, but also the number of judges increased from 27 in 2020 to 84 this year. The quality of the knowledge and experience of these judges in the various categories they have to adjudicate has been amazing.

SIMAGES:UPPLIED CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 7 BUSINESS ENGAGE

Larsen explains that gender parity in the private sector in Africa faces the same challenges as it does anywhere in the world. Like most organisations, the challenge facing boards is a comprehensive plan that is part of the overall business strategy. She says that collective buy-in and commitment from all stakeholders is needed, otherwise, the exercise falls by the wayside. On top of that, some regional and country-specific issues could be present and may hinder the process. “These need to be addressed and managed by the senior leadership. Such issues would mainly centre around specific religious, traditional and cultural issues, especially in heavily patriarchal societies. Although with the influence of global companies working in Africa and the proliferation of global ideas and influences there is clearly movement in the right direction.

For the last eight years, Business Engage has been focused on gender mainstreaming initiatives in the private sector in South Africa and Kenya. “But,” explains Larsen, “our plan was always to carry out our work on the whole continent. However, with us moving the Gender Mainstreaming Award to Africa as opposed to just South Africa this year, we are now interacting with organisations in Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Botswana and Mauritius. We expect this to grow over the next few years to all the major countries on the“Whilecontinent.theneed to reform gender mainstreaming practices is urgent and one that we encourage leaders to prioritise, we ﬁnd that putting timelines to it can be counter-productive.

In August this year, Business Engage co-hosted the Voices of Change movement together with partners Accenture, AECI, AngloGold Ashanti, Aspen, Astron Energy, FNB, Imperial, Life Healthcare, Nedbank, Pfizer, Refinitiv, RMB, Vodacom and Wesbank. The movement, born at the 2017 One Young World Summit when Accenture and Thomson Reuters identified an opportunity to leverage their networks and experience to create a lasting and impactful change, saw business leaders across industry refocus their commitment to harness the power of diversity and bring about real change within corporate SA. This year’s theme, “She, He, We, is Power”, refers to the collective power – of women and men – that is now needed to build a more powerful, economically inclusive future. “Barriers to career progression, societal biases, an absence of female mentors ... these and many other challenges remain. To drive change, organisations need to refocus ecosystems to support the development of women. Voices of Change strengthens the purposes of gender equality and allows partners to share their experiences, successes and measures that can empower women,” says Colleen Larsen, Business Engage’s Gender Mainstreaming Awards founder and president of 30% Club Southern Africa.

DID YOU KNOW?

EXPANDING OUR FOOTPRINT

“The overarching goal from our point of view is for companies to ensure that actions are followed through and that gender mainstreaming is not just an idea. We aim to drive real tangible results from the various ideas, consultations and debates.” – Colleen Larsen, Business Engage “We encourage collaboration and cross-pollination of ideas, initiatives and successes between organisations working with us.”

“The move to virtual meetings, almost overnight, has meant that our various initiatives such as the LeadersWalk, the BoardWalk networking events and the Board MasterClass series, which is aimed at potential and up-and-coming board members, are presented virtually. This has been an unexpected bonus as we have been able to open these events to audiences across our borders. They can now use these tools in their organisations,” concludes Larsen.

“We consider it still too early to have a deﬁnitive view on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Larsen says. “Although there are indications that, even though the pandemic has disrupted the working environment, most organisations in Africa are still following through on their diversity and inclusion strategies, which is helpful for gender mainstreaming in general.”

Everybody moves at different speeds, from individuals to organisations and whole countries. In terms of the goals, we look to each organisation that we work with to set their own goals. There is no ‘one-size-ﬁts-all’ approach.

HELPING TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES

– Colleen Larsen, Business Engage

FOR MORE ABOUT BUSINESS ENGAGE FOR MORE ABOUT THE 30% CLUB SOUTHERN AFRICA (Burkina Faso, Botswana, Côte d’Ivoire and Togo) where there are almost as many women as men in senior positions, there are another three countries (Malawi, Gambia and Mali) where women are only 15.6 per cent to 17.5 per cent of the senior ofﬁcials.”

VOICES OF CHANGE

FACING THE CHALLENGES

According to Kerney research and analysis on the equity dilemna, while female C-suite board members are under-represented across all countries surveyed, South Africa, although ranked seventh out of nine in terms of its percentage of female board members, has the highest percentage of women in top board positions at 14 per cent.

While working her way up at Nedbank to her current role as managing executive: Nedbank Retail and Business Banking Operations, her roles included strategy manager, head of Non-Resident and Embassy Banking, regional manager for Nedbank Community Banking, and executive for Risk, Compliance and Operations. Her lengthy experience in banking and exposure to clients across a wide spectrum have honed her skills in engaging with various levels of executive management, including group juniorwhereofTshabuse.takeemployeestalented,more“Nothingexecutives.fulfilsmethanseeingpassionatedevelopandupseniorroles,”says“Ihavebeenpartsomeincrediblestoriespeoplestartedasmembersofstaff

Tshabuse has even found some of her role models, coaches, and mentors within the organisation. “Retired Nedbank executive Kevin Palmer is one of the people who was instrumental in my growth and learning at Nedbank. He believed in me even when I doubted myself. He also helped fund my studies through the Nedbank bursary programme.”

NOZIZWE TSHABUSE , managing executive: Nedbank Retail and Business Banking Operations, shares her experiences of mentorship from above and below

hroughout her career, Nozizwe Tshabuse, a proponent of women empowerment, has used her inﬂ uence and experiences as a woman in leadership to engage and empower other women. Wearing many hats both professionally and personally, such as being co-pastor alongside her husband, one can tell that she is a born leader and orator.

That you needn’t wait to become an executive to assume a coaching role. You can start by simply sharing your unique gifts, experiences, and lessons to uplift those around you. “We all need that one person who believes in you and challenges you beyond your limitations,” Tshabuse concludes. banking sector in 2001 as a learner, working working Her lengthy experience in banking a wide spectrum have honed various levels of executive employees develop and take up senior roles,” says Tshabuse. “I have been part of some incredible stories where people started as junior members of staff

8 CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 ADVERTORIAL NEDBANK

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LEADING FROM WHERE YOU STAND and, through coaching, development and promotion, have blossomed into great leaders.”

Tshabuse says the principles of diversity and inclusion are so embedded in the organisation that she “was given several developmental opportunities, thanks to Nedbank’s transformation agenda”.

She also lists her leader, Ciko Thomas, the group managing executive for Retail and Business Banking, as someone who has been a great role model for the past 15 years. While going through her biggest career transition yet, from executive to senior executive, Tshabuse says that “the former managing executive of the Nedbank Integrated Channel Business for Retail and Business Banking, Brian Duguid, invested six months mentoring and coaching me to help me prepare for this opportunity”.

MENTORS PLAY A VALUABLE ROLE While much of Tshabuse’s professional success can be attributed to her talent, skills, faith and strong support structure, she believes that it would be remiss to overlook how having mentors as well as being in an inclusive organisation can advance one’s career. She says: “Nedbank approaches transformation by regarding respect as a core value. It creates an environment of inclusion that brings people together and contributes to a culture of being a great place to work for employees and a great place to bank for clients.”

“The opportunities I have been given enable me to demonstrate to other young women that they can also achieve whatever they set out to accomplish,” says Tshabuse.

That you needn’t wait to become an executive limitations,” Tshabuse concludes.TshabuseNozizwe

When it comes to becoming a mentor, she proposes that you can lead from where you are.

The foundation of her leadership style is mentorship and empowerment. She believes in challenging her employees to keep learning and improving their skills and constantly seeks ways to provide them with opportunities that will stretch and empower them for future leadership positions. Tshabuse is a banking and ﬁ nance industry expert with over 19 years of experience. She began her career in the banking sector in 2001 as a learner, working in different areas within retail banking.

The A 9th G AMainstrewar 9 Sep Accelerating equality Sponsored by In association with The Accenture 9th Gender AMainstreamingwards 9 September 2021 An initiative of h The Accenture 9th Gender AMainstreamingwards 9 September 2021 An initiative of Sponsored by In association with 9CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 The 2021 Gender Mainstreaming Africa Awards, created and curated by Business Engage and sponsored by Accenture, Absa Group Limited and Barloworld Limited, aims to encourage the private sector to buy into achieving more meaningful representation of women in the mainstream of business. This year’s awards have been expanded into Africa and now include companies in East and West Africa. GENDERAccentureMAINSTREAMINGAFRICAAWARDS2021FinalistsandWinnersANNOUNCEMENTS Naming rights sponsor Sponsored by In association with SOUTHERN AFRICA AN INITIATIVE OF BUSINESS ENGAGE GENDER MAINSTREAMING CHAMPIONS Southern Africa: East Africa: Africa:

AWARD CATEGORY CRITERIA

WOMEN ON BOARDS AWARD

ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT AWARD

CRITERIA: This award recognises organisations that have developed strategies or have already implemented measures for the progressive realisation of a greater representation and meaningful participation of women in decisionmaking structures, which must include: 1. setting targets for such representation and participation; 2. building women’s capacity to participate; 3. enhancing the understanding and attitudes of men to accept the capabilities and participation of women as their equals; and 4. developing support mechanisms for women.

10 CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021

As gender diversity is still fairly new worldwide, we understand that many companies are just starting on their journey. Do not be put off by this. You are encouraged to use the awards as a springboard to further achievements.

EQUAL REPRESENTATION & PARTICIPATION AWARD

In summary therefore, entries may be based on: 1. number of non-executive women directors on the board 2. number of women on subcommittees and a list of which subcommittees 3. entrants to supply the board diversity policy/framework, which they are obliged to give the JSE and/or 4. pipeline development – details of the outlined hard plan to improve the number of women on the board.

CRITERIA: Empowerment of women in the workforce means allowing women to have more control over their lives. It means giving them the freedom to make their own schedules, learn new skills and gain selfreliance. This does not have to relate to your own company, but can be empowering women generally in the workplace. Empowerment is created when the strengths that women already bring to the company are recognised and utilised. Research provided by the United Nations has shown that businesses that promote women empowerment and gender equality are more proﬁtable. As more businesses take part in gender equality measures and see their revenue increase as a result, the case for empowering women in the workplace is likely to become a more recognised goal. This award recognises and acknowledges organisations that have not only advanced women in their workplaces through training and capacity building, but have also successfully transformed corporate behaviour and practices.

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT IN THE WORKPLACE AWARD

CRITERIA: We consider women’s entrepreneurship development to be an important channel to women’s economic empowerment and a pillar on the road to sustainable development. Through setting up their own businesses, women can transform their opportunity to gain economic independence, overcome poverty and improve their wellbeing. Through this process, women can also become drivers of change and take a long-term perspective accounting for the consequences of our actions for our children and their children and grandchildren to secure a better future. This award recognises and acknowledges organisations that have strategies in place to allow for future empowerment of women-owned or -managed businesses or that have successfully used enterprise development as a mechanism to empower women-owned or -managed businesses. It also includes organisations that source products and services from previously underused women-owned suppliers, resulting in a number of growth-orientated women entrepreneurs who are able to service various corporates.

CRITERIA: The key focus of the 30% Club, an afﬁliate of Business Engage, is to encourage corporates to aim to achieve a minimum of 30 per cent female representation on boards. It is acknowledged that board diversity both in respect of gender and skill set leads to more successful boards.

The board of an organisation considers the strategy of the business with management and has oversight of the implementation of that strategy.

The crux of this award is to recognise and acknowledge companies that have successfully transformed their boards and board subcommittees while ensuring that female directors are judged on their experience, contribution to and involvement in the board and not their gender. It seeks to acknowledge companies who challenge themselves to diversify their boards.

CRITERIA: Sustainable development cannot be achieved without a more equitable distribution of resources and the eradication of poverty. Empowering women means giving the opportunity to thousands of women to get out of the poverty trap. Women not only constitute the vast majority of the world’s poor, but they are at a higher risk of poverty compared to men. Poverty does not only refer to material resources such as money, food or housing, but also to social resources such as access to education, healthcare or meaningful relations with other people. This award recognises and acknowledges organisations that have strategies in place to allow for future programmes or have implemented sustainable initiatives around poverty alleviation that have enhanced skills and provided income opportunities, which have positively impacted the lives of women and poor communities.

This award is to recognise and acknowledge companies that have embraced both the spirit and the letter of this new listing requirement. It also recognises organisations reporting on pipeline development and further recognises whether or not the organisation has made reference to gender or gender policies in the previous year’s reports.

4. What programmes have been put in place to provide support for the existing women on exco? 5. What programmes have been put in place to create a succession pipeline for women to break the glass ceiling and get onto the exco?

1. Number of women in executive management; 2. How many of these are board directors on the board of that company?

As from January 2017, the board of directors or the nomination committee of all JSE-listed companies, as the case may be, must have a policy on the promotion of gender diversity at board level.

CRITERIA: Women are severely under-represented in decision-making processes across the continent including South Africa and internationally. Education has been identified as the major obstacle to women’s access to leadership, and cost as the key barrier to girls’Povertyeducation.andfamilial obligations end many girls’ hope for education or the opportunity to fulfil her dreams. This award recognises and acknowledges organisations that have strategies in place to allow for future education of young women or have implemented initiatives with the objective of addressing social inequities by educating and empowering young women leaders from diverse economic backgrounds. These initiatives have positively impacted the lives of young women who will become the next generation of women leaders!

CRITERIA: A lady growing her career and who understands the responsibility that comes with being a role model and the need to inspire others to do the same. The nominee is nominated by a person or group of people who know her very well, primarily in a business role, and the nominee accepts the nomination in writing.

The company is required to report to shareholders in its annual report on how the board of directors or the nomination committee, as the case may be, have considered and applied the policy of gender diversity in the nomination and appointment of directors. If applicable, the board of directors or the nomination committee must further report progress in respect thereof on agreed voluntary targets.

INCLUSIVE LEADER AWARD

INVESTING IN YOUNG WOMEN AWARD

The nomination is made by a person or group of people who know the nominee very well, primarily in a business role, and the nominee accepts the nomination in writing.

At the same time, the award recognises that many organisations report on “transformation” or “diversity and inclusion” which may include racial, gender and other transformation issues. This is acknowledged that, like many of the other categories in the awards, the criteria for a winning award this year would naturally be set slightly lower than what would be expected in the following years as organisations get to grip with this new focus in their reporting requirements. In 2017, the organisers reserved the right to “recognise” an organisation or organisations and not bestow an award as such. This is currently the only award where nominations are actively sought by the awards’ organisers. Organisations are of course welcome to apply to be included in this category.

GENDER REPORTING BY JSE LIMITED COMPANIES AWARD CRITERIA:

EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN IN THE COMMUNITY AWARD

CRITERIA: In a multinational, those in charge of governance in the respective regions are expected to play a major role in shaping business and economic activities. They are expected to come up with a framework that will underpin the principles, policies, laws and regulations they put in place to guide these economic and business activities and the compliance thereof. We are mindful, however, that to reach this status, a pipeline programme is required to make available this talent forThisconsideration.rewardrecognises those multinationals that have successfully put in place a programme/s to shift the statistics in terms of women on their executive committees and have made successful appointments or have developed a pipeline programme geared towards appointments in the future. Judging will be based on the following:

CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 11 GENDER MAINSTREAMING AFRICA AWARDS 2021

POSITIVE ROLE MODEL AWARD

CRITERIA: Male or female who is actively sponsoring others up the ranks. They have ingrained into their leadership style a recognition of the provable benefits to their business that diversity brings, with special emphasis on gender.

3. What roles do they occupy?

WOMEN ON EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES IN MULTINATIONALS AWARDS

12 CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 GENDER REPORTING BY LISTEDCOMPANIESJSE-LISTEDAWARDCOMPANIES 1st Adcock Ingram Holdings Ltd 2nd Anglo Gold Ashanti Ltd 3rd Barloworld Ltd OVERALL WINNER: TIGER BRANDS LIMITED WOMEN EMPOWERMENT IN THE WORKPLACE AWARD LISTED COMPANIES 1st 2ndImperialRandMerchant Bank, a division of Firstrand Bank Limited 3rd AECI Limited NON-LISTED COMPANIES 1st Webber Wentzel 2nd EY 3rd Pfizer 4th Rustenburg Junior Girls School 5th The Insurance Apprentice OVERALL WINNER: WEBBER WENTZEL EQUAL REPRESENTATION AND LISTEDPARTICIPATIONCOMPANIES 1st Rand Merchant Bank, a division of Firstrand Limited 2nd Tiger Brands Limited NON-LISTED COMPANIES 1st 2ndEYRefinitiv SA, an LSEG Business 3rd Cummins Africa Middle East 4th Pfizer South Africa OVERALL WINNER: EY INVESTING IN YOUNG WOMEN AWARD LISTED COMPANIES 1st AECI Limited 2nd EY 3rd Ithuba Lottery 4th Manpower South Africa 5th Rustenburg Junior Girls School OVERALL WINNER: AECI LIMITED CATEGORY JUDGES: CATEGORY JUDGES: CATEGORY JUDGES: CATEGORY JUDGES: SOUTHERN AFRICA AWARDS THE MAINSTREAMINGAFRICASOUTHGENDERCHAMPION: TIGERLIMITEDBRANDS Malcolm Larsen Business Engage Busisiwe Sithole Absa Group Helena Conradie Satrix Refiloe Nkadimeng African Rainbow Capital Shameela Soobramoney JSE Ntombi Mhangwani Accenture Africa Jeanett Modise Sanlam Limited Wade Cooper DevelopMe Martie Janse van Rensburg Board member Dionne Kerr Siyakha Consulting (Pty) Ltd Mchael Pryke EQ Impact Dr Jerry Gule Institute of ManagementPeople Shirley Machaba PwC South Africa Megs Naidu Citi William Surmon Botswana Insurance Company Boitumelo Mogopa FNB Botswana

CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 13 GENDER MAINSTREAMING AFRICA AWARDS 2021 WOMEN EMPOWERMENT IN THE COMMUNITY LISTED COMPANIES 1st Tiger Brands Limited 2nd AECI Limited : Umbumbulu Project 3rd AECI Limited : Umbumbulu Farming Co-operative NON-LISTED COMPANIES 1st 3rd2ndEYGilbarcoPanache International OVERALL WINNER: TIGER BRANDS LIMITED ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT AWARD LISTED COMPANIES 1st Joint winners: Tiger Brands Limited and AECI Limited 3rd JSE NON-LISTED COMPANIES 1st 2ndEYAWCA Investment Holdings (Pty) Ltd 3rd SoulProviders Collective 4th 27four Fund Managers Development OVERALL WINNER: JOINT WINNERS TIGER BRANDS LIMITED AND AECI LIMITED FINALISTS: NON JSE-LISTED COMPANIES • Webber Wentzel • • Pfizer • Rustenburg Junior Girls • The Insurance Apprentice WOMEN ON BOARDS 1st Tiger Brands Limited 2nd Rand Merchant Bank, a division of Firstrand Limited 3rd Adcock Ingram Holdings Limited 4th Rustenburg Junior Girls School OVERALL WINNER: TIGER BRANDS LIMITED WOMEN ON EXCO COMMITTEES IN MULTINATIONALS 1st Pfizer South Africa 2nd Refinitiv SA, an LSEG Business 3rd Cummins Africa Middle East OVERALL WINNER: PFIZER SOUTH AFRICA CATEGORY JUDGES: CATEGORY JUDGES: CATEGORY JUDGES: Elmarie Bissett Nidaba Consulting Joy-Marie Lawrence Boardvisory Magdeline Madibela United Nations Rose Mamabolo WDB Investment Holdings Parmi Natesan IoDSA Nikki Viljoen Viljoen Consulting Naresh Ashok Brawne Capital Holdings Limited Patrice Lasserre Board Whisperer Teryl Schroenn Business Consultant Sazini Mojapelo Absa Group LImited Shepherd Shonhiwa Reatile Group

14 CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 POSITIVE ROLE MODEL LARGE COMPANIESNATIONAL 1st Charmaine Mabuza 2nd Ziyanda Ntshona 3rd Prelisha Singh 4th Susan Watts 5th Bronwyn Williams LISTED COMPANIES 1st Esha Mansingh 2nd Mpho Toolo 3rd Mamongae Mahlare 4th Thembi Sehloho 5th Gail Solomon NON-PROFIT ORGANISATIONS 1st Lynn Hill 2nd Sara Philp Cloete 3rd Belinda Petersen 4th Melissa Awu PANMULTINATIONAL/AFRICAN 1st Thandeka Ngoma 2nd Julia Modise 3rd Prinisha Khoosal 4th Dr Vuyelwa Nomakhosi Orienda (Bha) Ndungane-Tlakula 5th Fouzia Goliath INDIVIDUAL/CONSULTANTENTREPRENEUR/ 1st Arthi Rabikrisson 2nd Peta Horn 3rd Christelle Colman 4th Portia Dlamini 5th Mumtaz Mahal Suliman OVERALL CHARMAINEWINNER:MABUZA INCLUSIVE LEADER LARGE COMPANIESNATIONAL 1st His Excellency Prof Dr Ambassador Tal Edgars 2nd Videsha Proothveerajh 3rd Kesagee Nayager 4th Hannalie Marsh 5th Rashnee Pawaar LISTED COMPANIES 1st Joint winners: Simon Colman and Brian Duguid 3rd Donald Khumalo 4th Mpho Toolo 5th Joint winners: Litha Kutta and Nicola Comninos ORGANISATIONSNON-PROFIT 1st Lizelle de Wet 2nd Yashina Singh 3rd Belinda Petersen PANMULTINATIONAL/AFRICANCOMPANIES 1st Jan van der Putten 2nd Ajen Sita 3rd Jacques Fourie 4th Rhulani Nhlaniki 5th Gbile Adewunmi INDIVIDUAL/CONSULTANTENTREPRENEUR/ 1st Debbie Craig 2nd Samantha Pokroy 3rd Janine Rebelo 4th Peta Horn OVERALL WINNER: LIZELLE DE WET JUDGES:CATEGORY JUDGES:CATEGORY Andrew Crone Nedgroup Investments Chimango Chikwanda Absa Bank Zambia PLC Carina Wessels Alexander Forbes Jo-Ann Pöhl iOCO Deirdre King Jacaranda FM (94.2) Gavin Fitzmaurice Webber Wentzel Setlhare-MankankuGrace BancABC Botswana a part of Atlas Mara Michael Judin Judin Combrinck Inc CharmaineMabuza deLizelleWet SOUTHERN AFRICA AWARDS

CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 15 GENDER MAINSTREAMING AFRICA AWARDS 2021 ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT AWARD 1st Credit Bank Limited 2nd EY 3rd Let’s Create Africa 4th Hesabu Dada Initiative OVERALL WINNER: CREDIT BANK LIMITED WOMEN EMPOWERMENT IN THE WORKPLACE AWARD LISTED COMPANIES 1st Kenya Breweries Limited 2nd NMB Bank Plc NON-LISTED COMPANIES 1st 2ndEYFinancing Alliance for Health 3rd Coca-Cola Beverages Africa: Kenya OVERALL WINNER: KENYA BREWERIES LIMITED WOMEN EMPOWERMENT IN THE COMMUNITY 1st Kenya Breweries Limited 2nd Collaboration of Women in Development 3rd Hesabu Dada Initiative 4th EY 5th Joint winners: Kofar Kenya and OML Africa Logistics OVERALL WINNER: KENYA BREWERIES LIMITED EAST AFRICA AWARDS CATEGORY JUDGES: Lenin Oyuga Safaricom – Oracle Margaret Kimani SMB Bank Ltd (Kenya) CATEGORY JUDGES: CATEGORY JUDGES: Alice Oyaro Independent consultant Donna Phoebe Rege Safaricom PLC Magdalene Mwende Mulandi SBM Bank Ltd (Kenya) Eva Komba Gender, Governance and Development Specialist Waithera Mwai Nairobi Securities Exchange Plc Eva Muraya BSD Group Helen Nangonzi Absa Bank Uganda Limited THE EAST AFRICA MAINSTREAMINGGENDERCHAMPION: KENYALIMITEDBREWERIES

16 CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 EQUAL REPRESENTATION AND PARTICIPATION 1st NMB Bank Plc 2nd Women on Boards Network Kenya 3rd EY 4th Lady Askari OVERALL WINNER: NMB BANK PLC INCLUSIVE LEADER LARGE NATIONAL COMPANIES 1st James Dutkowski 2nd Laura Chite 3rd Susan Situma INDIVIDUAL OR ENTREPRENEUR 1st Catherine Musakali 2nd Eunice Kariuki 3rd Elsabeth Belay 4th Waihiga K.Muturi 5th Hazel Gachunga OVERALL CATHERINEWINNER:MUSAKALI POSITIVE ROLE MODEL LARGE NATIONAL COMPANIES 1st Laura Chite 2nd Nimo Addullah Hussein 3rd Linda Motea 4th Caroline Keror 5th Eunice Kariui ENTREPRENEUR/CONSULTANT 1st Annette Kimitei 2nd Amisa Ahmed 3rd Jane Ntunde 4th Hazel Gachunga 5th Naike Moshi OVERALL WINNER: ANNETTE KIMITEI EAST AFRICA AWARDS CATEGORY JUDGES: CATEGORY JUDGES: CATEGORY JUDGES: Ndu Okoh Host in The Situation Dorothy Ooko Google Gladness Deogratias NMB Plc Patrick Foya Absa Bank Tanzania Keabetswe Pheko-Moshagane Absa Bank Botswana Limited Janice Kemoli Ignition Consortium Tendai Murahwa Diversity Dividend Africa Ltd Risper Genga Ohaga EABL Tom Shivo HF Group Romana Rajput Interswitch GroupAnnetteKimiteiCatherineMusakali

CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 17 GENDER MAINSTREAMING AFRICA AWARDS 2021 ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT AWARD 1st Women’s Investment Club Senegal 2nd Rendra Foundation 3rd Ecobank Nigeria 4th EY OVERALL WOMEN’SWINNER:INVESTMENT CLUB SENEGAL WOMEN EMPOWERMENT IN THE COMMUNITY 1st Rendra Foundation 2nd Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta 3rd Ecobank Nigeria 4th EY 5th Women Impacting Nigeria OVERALL WINNER: RENDRA FOUNDATION WEST AFRICA AWARDS CATEGORY JUDGES: CATEGORY JUDGES: Audrey Abakah Absa Group Abena Osei-Poku ABSA Bank Ghana Uche Uzoebo SANEF Birgit la Cour Madsen Danish foreign service Nneka Eze VestedWorld Toyin Dania MEST Africa INCLUSIVE LEADER LARGE NATIONAL COMPANIES 1st Ayesha Bedwei Ibe 2nd Kofi N. Genfi 3rd Michael Mensah-Baah 4th Francis Damka INDIVIDUAL/NON-PROFIT/CONSULTANT 1st Onyeka Akpaida 2nd Efe Ukala 3rd Janet Awokoya OVERALL WINNER: ONYEKA AKPAIDA AkpaidaOnyeka CATEGORY JUDGES: Antoinette Kwofie ABSA Bank Ghana and Nigeria Dr. Juliette Tuakli CHILDAccra (Ghana) Hillary Andoh HSA PR

GenderChampion:MainstreamingAfrica CHAMPION:MAINSTREAMINGGENDERAFRICA EY

• Women

•

technology • Women entrepreneurs

At EY, we are creating an inclusive culture to enable women’s potential to truly transform society and build a better working world. Women. Fast forward seeks to empower a diverse workforce by enabling women and girls to reach their potential through education, mentorship, innovation and entrepreneurial opportunities. Creating a workforce that will support the closing of the gender gap and nurture an environment where everyone is able to become architects of the transformative age. To do this we are focused on three distinct areas: Women in leadership in In this constantly changing environment it is important to be all inclusive and ﬁnd new perspectives to innovate and maintain growth. Organisations can do this by making sure #Shebelongs, by involving more women in decisions, design and execution. Not only at the top of the pyramid, but also across all levels.

18 CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 GENDER MAINSTREAMING AFRICA AWARDS 2021 POSITIVE ROLE MODEL LARGE NATIONAL COMPANIES 1st Rejoice Wodomdedzi Foli 2nd Dr. Daniella Delali Sedegah 3rd Wunmi Adelusi 4th Mariam Lawal MULTINATIONAL/PAN AFRICAN COMPANIES 1st Chinwe Egwim 2nd Linda Motea 3rd Korede Demola-Adeniyi 4th Veronica Ofosuhemaa Owusu-Ansah 5th Naﬁsa Quainoo ENTREPRENEUR/SMALL MEDIUM SIZED COMPANIES 1st Kiki Mordi 2nd Tolulope Olorundero 3rd Omolara Yeku 4th Lena Rosenior 5th Tomie Balogun OVERALL WINNER: KIKI MORDI SUPPLIEDIMAGES: MordiKiki CATEGORY JUDGES: Cynthia Ofori-Dwumfuo Hollard Ghana Lolade Awogbade Development Bank of Nigeria Mojolaoluwa Aderemi-Makinde Google west AFRICA “theAWARDStimeisnowtoacttocreate

a world that is equitable for all.” – Julie Linn Teigland - EY EMEIA Area Managing Partner and EY Global Leader –Women. Fast forward #SHEBELONGS. LET’S #WOMENFASTFORWARDPROGRESSFASTWOMEN.FORWARD

COMBINATION OF LOGO OPTION 1 LOGOANDOPTION 3 Scan this QR code to go directly to the Sinayo Securities website. For more information: + 27 11 783 6599 + 27 83 437 www.sinayo.co.zaberniej@sinayo.co.za2595

S inayo securities pride themselves on being differentiated by our thinking process. We disrupt the status quo, thereby shifting the balance and empowering our clients to reach new heights. At Sinayo, we constantly improve our service offering by implementing effective systems to beneﬁt our trade performance. Our experienced trading desk is built on trust, honesty and excellence, and we ﬁrmly believe in executing the best solutions and service for our clients. Our vast knowledge, coupled with the latest technology, allows us to effectively execute price transitions.

BernadetteJohnson Bar, specialising in corporate, commercial and JenningsMarlene NgonyamaBabalwa

MatyoloBrendaShongweKhumo

MARLENE JENNINGS

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Sinayo Securities – a majority black-female-owned member of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange – provides ﬁnancial services to institutional investors, specialising in JSE-listed equity sales and trading

BRENDA MATYOLO

Marlene Jennings, a director and board member of Sinayo Securities, holds BCom and LLb degrees and is a nonexecutive director and general counsel at ARC Financial Holdings. Before joining ARC in 2016, she practised law as a member of the Johannesburg Bar, specialising in corporate, commercial and labour litigation. Prior to that, she worked in investment banking for 12 years, where she gained extensive experience in banking, nancial services and private equity. Her previous employers include Absa Capital, UBS, Nedbank and Merrill Lynch.

EMPOWERED WOMEN EMPOWERING FINANCIAL INVESTORS

Brenda Matyolo is a director and board member of Sinayo Securities. She joined African Rainbow Capital (ARC) in June 2016, as COO and director of ARC Financial Services, a position she currently holds. A quali ed ontological coach, Matyolo has diverse experience in building effective teams and managing projects, stakeholder management and growing small, medium and micro size enterprises.

KHUMO SHONGWE Khumo Shongwe is a businesswoman who handles investments in nancial services, hospitality and education. She is a director of Sinayo and chairperson of the board. Shongwe has a Masters in Consulting and Coaching for Change from HEC Paris and Oxford University and boasts over 16 years’ experience in the mining industry and various human resource roles, including transformation and HR consulting. A part-time faculty member of business schools involved in education development, Shongwe is a fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative – a value-based leadership development programme. She is an alumnus of the University of Cambridge and currently senior associate of the University of Cambridge’s Institute for Sustainability Leadership.

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BERNADETTE JOHNSON Bernadette Johnson boasts 30 years’ experience in the nancial services sector. A director and board member of Sinayo Securities, she is also the stockbroker-in-control and compliance of cer.

BABALWA NGONYAMA Babalwa Ngonyama, founder and CEO of Sinayo Securities, has two decades of experience in the nancial services sector. She was the rst female chairperson of the Council of the University of Cape Town and co-founding president of the African Women Chartered Accountants (AWCA) organisation. She is a lead independent director at Implats and Hollard Life Insurance. Ngonyama is also the audit committee chair of Aspen, Kagiso and Vukile properties. She was previously an audit partner at Deloittes, the CFO at Sa ka Holdings Group and chief internal auditor at NedbankNgonyamaLtd. leads several passion projects — most notably, the company graduate training programme, Project Funda, which equips young graduates in the nancial services sector with the necessary knowledge and skills required for future employment.

Johnson is a member of the South African Institute of Stockbrokers, a member of the Compliance Institute of South Africa, and a member of the Association of Black Securities and Investment Professionals. Prior to joining Sinayo, Johnson was director, GM, stockbroker-in-control and head of compliance at Arqaam Capital SA – a stockbroking rm that is a branch of an investment bank based in Dubai with key markets across the Middle East, sub-Saharan Africa and North Africa.

Itumeleng Mogale

OFFERING GIRLS THE STEM FROM WHICH TO FLOURISH

MENTORSHIP, SUPPORT AND POSSIBILITIES

➔ Scan this QR code to go directly to the Anglo American website.

“I strongly believe in the principles of WomEng – it helps to broaden the horizons of our youth and create platforms providing them with access to information and tools that, without our intervention, they otherwise would not be able to access.” – Itumeleng Mogale, De Beers Venetia Mine De Beers Group and WomEng introduce girls to a broad horizon of possibilities that can be accessed with science, technology, engineering and mathematic skills

“We also had the opportunity to explore how we can use virtual platforms to open this opportunity up to more young girls. This year, we hosted our ﬁrst virtual Ask-an-Engineer sessions, which were joined by girls across South Africa, helping us spread the message nationwide.

Mogale believes that women intrinsically possess the soft skills that the 4IR requires. This is because women tend to be more caring and thoughtful in their approach, while their presence in what has always been seen as a male-dominated environment gives these roles a softer appeal and adds new perspectives to engineering and design spaces. As a result, she notes, we will begin to see a world that is properly engineered for a diverse society.

Itumeleng Mogale, social performance specialist at De Beers Venetia Mine, explains that the programme introduces girls to a broad horizon of possibilities that can be accessed with STEM skills. “What I love most about the programme is that it says several key things that girls in the communities we operate in need to hear. First, that the power to change the future is in their hands, second, that there is a big world waiting to be explored, and last, that STEM can give them access to careers that can change how the world operates,” she says. “In these WomEng sessions, we invite mentors who work in different ﬁelds of engineering to speak to the girls about their careers and how it feels to be a woman in engineering. The aim here is to have engineers whose stories the girls can relate to.”

ways to reach the girls. A pilot project was launched in Musina where schools were asked to select 25 girls from Grade 9, and several mini Ask-an-Engineer sessions were hosted over two days at Renaissance Secondary School and Musina High School.

“Furthermore, Anglo American and Impact Catalyst have partnered to install ICT in the schools that form part of the Anglo American South Africa Education Programme. This will create opportunities to host events using virtual platforms. We expect this approach will also give girls access to research careers and opportunities that the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) will present.”

GOING VIRTUAL The programme was disrupted by the pandemic, says Mogale, so in 2020, they were unable to host the workshop for 200–300 girls in one venue. The programme had to explore alternative

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She points out that some of the girls have said that the workshops helped them make decisions about their careers in time for school subject choices. Others were truly inspired by the engineers invited to mentor them. One of the most interesting, Mogale says, was the female mine manager from the De Beers Group who came to engage the learners at their schools. “What is more inspiring for me is the support and interest of the teachers in this programme. We have also noticed a considerable interest from both learners and teachers at the schools that are part of our programme who want to participate in our initiatives.”

20 CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 ADVERTORIAL ANGLO AMERICAN

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A s an initiative that seeks to introduce girls to the world of engineering and encourage them to consider careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematic (STEM), the WomEng programme is fully supported by the De Beers Group.

“I strongly believe in the principles of WomEng – it helps to broaden the horizons of our youth and create platforms providing them with access to information and tools that, without our intervention, they otherwise would not be able to access. The world is shifting and so are gender roles in society. These are concepts that we need to introduce to girls, especially those in poor communities. In this way, the programme can help inspire them to realise that it is possible for them to enjoy a solid career, while also making a meaningful impact in their communities and the world as a whole,” concludes Mogale.

Kgadima explains that her ﬁrst experience with the company was working some 500 shifts underground as part of her practical training to obtain her mine manager certiﬁcate.

Mpho

She suggests that some of the platforms that have been created, such as Women in Mining and the Employment Equity Committee, have helped to challenge the norm around work that was labelled “hard labour” – essentially a synonym for “a man’s job”.

MODERN MINING CAN BE A REAL BLAST

MANY OPPORTUNITIES

“My advice to women considering a career in mining is don’t expect to fall in love with mining from the get-go – we are all aware of the risks involved and the physical demands.

“Mining is fun and offers a continuous learning environment, but you should always be aware of your responsibility to help pave the way for others. It will also be your responsibility to prove that women are even more capable. Stay true to yourself and remain ﬁrm in your belief that you can do the job as well, if not better, than a man,” she concludes.

Kgadima SUPPLIEDIMAGE:

“I hope for a sector that will allow women to challenge themselves mentally to be their best; one where the power that is ‘woman’ is celebrated through the culture of every organisation.” She remembers her introduction to the industry, noting that when she was in matric, a representative from Anglo American visited her school and gave a short overview of mining careers. Since there was a big push for more women in this sector, she saw this as an opportunity to seek a career that would provide some stability.

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“At that time, I helped launch an industry forum, Women in Mining, designed to help women grab opportunities, overcome challenges and connect with mentors. When Anglo American provided sponsorships and Kumba Iron Ore stepped in to fund our conference, I recognised their support for women and decided I wanted to work for them.”

Today, the opportunities are massive – there are multiple streams available and many possible careers that will contribute to you realising your ultimate potential.

While some may still claim that mining is a man’s game, women like Mpho Kgadima are proving that they are capable of doing the sector’s highly explosive jobs M pho Kgadima, who works for Kumba Iron Ore, has recently been promoted to head up the company’s auto drilling and system projects for the African region. She says that the mining sector offers so much for women, especially young talent. As a specialist engineer for automation drilling and systems, Kgadima is responsible for expediting drilling automation projects for all Anglo American Mines in Africa. Her role entails rolling out the training frameworks, best practice guidelines, equipment capability studies, increased software usage, original equipment manufacturer engagement, change management and operational readiness management.

“I initially studied mining at Unisa while trying to obtain ﬁnancial assistance to study full-time. Such bursaries often that insist the graduate work for the sponsoring company to obtain a level of experiential learning, so after obtaining a bursary and graduating from the University of Johannesburg, I joined a Welkom-based gold mining organisation,” she says.

CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 21 ANGLO AMERICAN ADVERTORIAL

“Being a woman in the mining industry does not have to translate to being masculine or doing everything by yourself. Rather, it is about being competent, willing and always prepared to do your best. Opportunities exist on every platform and with departments like Mine Modernisation, such opportunities will arise on a scale that is both bigger and safer,” says Kgadima.

➔ Scan this QR code to go directly to the Anglo American website.

EASING THE PATH Kgadima says that the current crop of women have a huge responsibility to ensure that the next group of women entering the sector will not have to ﬁght about the same things she had to. For her, it is about making the journey for those following her that much smoother.

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“After this, I made sure I was eligible for whatever job became available, initially becoming a drill and blast technician. I was also exposed to autonomous drilling, which was very exciting. I learned something new every day, was excited by the rush of blasting and explosions and loved learning about the various machines involved. I knew I had found the ideal zone and wanted to make this my career.”

As more women from the millennial generation enter the mining sector, they are increasingly proving that they can be assertive and capable

atshidiso Gama, acting manager: technical services at Kumba Iron Ore’s Sishen Mine, is one of the younger generations in the mining sector – the so-called millennials. And, she is the perfect example of why mining is no longer an industry reserved solely for men. Her current role includes drilling and blasting technical designs and quality assurance, responsibility for the safe execution of each blast, optimisation for drilling and blasting work –including the benchmarking of new technologies and innovations – costing and budgeting for drilling and blasting to ensure optimal use of explosive, and the writing of technical reports and audits around blasting activities. With a BTech mining engineering degree from the University of Johannesburg, a Mine Managers Certiﬁcate and a PGDip towards completing her MBA with GIBS, she is also no slouch academically. Gama explains that she manages a team of six individuals – four engineers and two technicians – whose main focus is to ensure compliance and optimise ways to conduct good quality blasts.

22 CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 ADVERTORIAL ANGLO AMERICAN

THE MILLENNIAL MINER

BEING OPEN TO CHANGE

DEALING WITH CHALLENGE

“I have since learned that asking nicely doesn’t always achieve the same results as being assertive – saying ‘pretty please’ may be viewed as weak. For this reason, I love being presented with the opportunity to point out that not only am I different, but also that I can do the job just as well, if not better. And, while there are obviously certain things I cannot do, I am always willing to learn.”

“At Kumba, innovation, growth and sustainability are key drivers. Businesses have to be capable of quickly adapting to a changing world –this is something millennials have more experience with than many other generations. We can more easily accept change and work with it. “The mining industry has evolved into a safe, innovative and fast-growing sector,” she says, “and the use of digital interventions has advanced our ability to mine faster, deeper and more safely. This not only positions us as quick adaptors, but has also kept us competitive in the industry.”

“I began drilling and blasting in 2017, after moving from underground operations to essentially restart my career in an opencast environment. My passion for the work has grown yearly since then. Having begun as a blaster, I acquired my opencast blasting certiﬁcate to become a drilling and blasting specialist before being promoted to drilling and blasting superintendent,” she says. Gama says she joined Anglo American because the company has a big focus on developing young talent. Thanks to a mentorship programme, she learned a lot in a short time. Her biggest takeaways were the understanding that she should never be afraid of a job and should also never allow herself to become too comfortable in a speciﬁc role – one of the key factors for her moving from underground to opencast mining.

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Asked about her experiences as a woman, she notes that in her youth she never really experienced anything signiﬁcantly different, indicating that there were also plenty of other women in her class studying mining. It was only when she joined the industry that she began to recognise the challenges women face. For example, the difﬁculties a woman faces working underground are unique and very different to the male experience.

“Of course, as a millennial, especially one with some experience, it can be difﬁcult to instruct someone who is signiﬁcantly senior to you in age. While you must display respect for them, you still need to ensure that they understand your seniority and follow your instructions.”

Matshidiso Gama

Her ﬁnal words to new young talent are:

“You are a woman for a reason, therefore, being a woman should be the driver to achieve great things. Aspire to be unique and different, shaping new ideas and innovative ways of doing things within your area of expertise. Learn to value how diverse and different you are – the world needs more people who change the narrative than those who follow the crowd. Being a woman should be your superpower!”

“I love being presented with the opportunity to point out that not only am I different, but also that I can do the job just as well, if not better.”

– Matshidiso Gama, Kumba Iron Ore

“Working on notions of masculinity and gender norms in an environment as male-dominated as mining and breaking down the patriarchal systems behind these norms offers a remarkable opportunity to reimagine mining.”

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➔ Scan this QR code to go directly to the Anglo American website.

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“That mindset has changed completely to where we are now applying this lesson to other forms of harm.

“The new policy sets out a zero-tolerance approach to domestic violence. Where it is at risk of happening, we will work to prevent it. When our people tell us they are experiencing it, we will work with them to provide the support and practical measures they need to be safe. The policy details the support –including safety planning, ﬁnancial support, emergency accommodation and leave – we can offer to employees of Anglo American and De Beers Group who are experiencing domestic violence.”

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RESPONSE

“This runs counter to Anglo American’s purpose and values and, ultimately, compromises its productivity and economic performance. On a broader scale, GBV erodes social cohesion and hampers progress on much-needed community socioeconomic development,” she says.

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In March 2021, Anglo American launched its new group policy on recognising and responding to domestic violence.

“In 2019, Anglo American launched its Living with Dignity framework to address GBV. Living with Dignity seeks to combat GBV and violence in our workplace, our employees’ homes, schools in our mining areas, and our host communities. We focus on different spheres of life because the issues are all soBotesinterconnected.”notesthatthe COVID-19 pandemic placed gender-based and domestic violence ﬁrmly on the agenda, as the number of such incidents increased sharply as the pandemic took“Byhold.mid-2020, we had refocused our GBV programme to support employees and individuals in our host communities suffering from violence. We did this through comprehensive communication programmes, ﬁnancial and in-kind support to shelters in our mining areas in South Africa and Canada and proactively identifying cases of domestic violence through our community-based COVID-19 screening programmes.”

Violence Research Institute, global private sector peers through the Business Fights Poverty network, and multilateral agencies such as UN Women, to help curb this scourge.

WHEN GENDER AND VIOLENCE COLLIDE

At Anglo American, continues Botes, the company works with organised labour – through a GBV working group – as well as different layers and departments of government. It also works closely with faith groups, nongovernmental organisations like the National Shelter Movement, peers through the Minerals Council, research bodies including the Institute of Security Studies and the Sexual

“The policy is part of the group-wide ‘Stand Up for Everyone’ campaign and is aligned to our global policy on bullying, harassment and victimisation. We are committed to providing support for all our colleagues, regardless of gender and sexual orientation, who are survivors or witnesses of domestic violence or abuse,” Botes explains.

“The key lesson we learn from our work on HIV/AIDS is that it is possible to make a tangible difference to an issue that might immediately seem too huge to tackle successfully. We believe that with the same determination and long-term view, we can have the same success in tackling discrimination, harassment and GBV,” concludes Botes.

Anglo American seeks to address gender-based violence wherever it arises – in the workplace, employees’ homes, schools and the mines’ host communities W omen have historically been under-represented in the mining industry and until a couple of decades ago it was illegal for women to work underground. Thus, the physical and social infrastructure of mining has developed, over decades, on the back of patriarchal systems – an infrastructure that the industry has helped entrench over time. Despite important progress, mining remains prone to an unequal distribution of economic and social power, which weakens the position of women at work and in homes and communities. This is obviously problematic, says Hermien Botes: head of sustainability engagement at Anglo American. Gender discrimination and gender-based violence (GBV) have an immediate impact on the safety, health and wellbeing of the company’s employees.

She adds that she remembers when “Zero Harm” as a safety goal was not universal. Many people still felt that a degree of harm to the physical wellbeing of employees was an unfortunate, but inevitable, part of mining.

Hermien Botes

– Hermien Botes, Anglo American

DR ESTHER MAHLANGU IN CONVERSATION WITH CULTURAL ICON

DR ESTHER MAHLANGU’S EXHIBITION AT THE MELROSE GALLERY HIGHLY ACCLAIMED Dr Esther Mahlangu has received many accolades and awards. These include two honorary doctorates in 2018, an appointment as “Ofﬁce of Arts and Letters” – France’s highest recognition for contribution to the arts – and an award from the United Nations in 2019. In 2007, she received “The Order of Ikhamanga” from the President of South Africa.

“I hope that my success can act as an inspiration to others who face challenges so that they can reach global acclaim through talent, passion and hard work.” – Dr Esther MAHLANGU Dr MahlanguEsther

The acclaimed visual artist shares how talent, passion and commitment can drive success.

By RYLAND FISHE RC

“I hope that my success can act as an inspiration to others who face challenges so that they can reach global acclaim through talent, passion and hard work.”

Mahlangu says that her international exposure “allowed me to travel, to meet important people within the arts and receive invitations to collaborate with museums, curators, art fairs, galleries, celebrities, and respected global brands.

elebrated artist D r Esther Mahlangu has been described as a cultural icon and as South Africa’s foremost Ndebele artist – both titles that she does not feel comfortable with. She prefers to just be known as a visual artist. “I am a visual artist who has made a valuable contribution to contemporary art over seven decades. I am from the Ndebele nation and very proud of my culture, but this is not the only thing that deﬁnes me,” she says. Mahlangu was born on a farm outside Middelburg in Mpumalanga in 1935. At age 10, she was taught the art of designing and painting houses in traditional Ndebele style by her mother and grandmother. “I realised that if I reimagined Ndebele art on contemporary mediums this would allow me to travel and expose my art on a global basis. T his led me to painting on anything from planes, motorbikes, cars and bicycles to canvas, walls, pots, mannequins and even World War 2 helmets.” Mahlangu says that she has “heard people say that I was ‘discovered’ by the French when I was invited to participate in the Les Magiciens de la Terre exhibition in Paris in 1989. But, I was already well known in South Africa before this invitation. However, this exhibition ﬁrst introduced me to international audiences”. For the exhibition, she painted a model of her house in Mpumalanga while being watched by thousands of people.

“International exposure for Ndebele art will hopefully do the same by attracting entities and parties who would be interested in purchasing and providing platforms for further exposure.

Asked if she saw herself as a role model for women, Mahlangu replied: “I hope that I am a positive role model for all people. I hope that I inspire many people who face enormous challenges, including women, to realise that it is possible to achieve global acclaim through talent, passion and commitment.” Mahlanga says that what she likes most about South Africa is “our people, our culture, and the beauty of our country”. Despite her huge international success, she has remained grounded. “I choose to live traditionally at my homestead in Mpumalanga although I have travelled extensively to many of the world’s largest cities. “Focusing on the family and the community in what is still quite rural Mpumalanga and one of the worst poverty nodes in South Africa ensures that I remain grounded as do my Ndebele traditions.” She also has a school where she teaches young people painting techniques and beadwork in the tradition passed down by her mother and grandmother. Mahlangu’s message for women is very simple: “We have an important role to play as leaders in our country’s future. As mothers, wives, teachers and leaders. Focus on doing what you love and to the best of your ability.”

T hese collaborations generated extensive media and other positive exposure, which has led to my works being acquired by many important museums and private collections.

HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER According to South AfricanHistory O nline, “Mahlangu was the first person to transfer the traditional Ndebele style of mural painting to canvas. She painted her geometric patterns on a BMW 525i in 1991, becoming the twelfth artist and first woman to take part in the BMW A rt Car Project after figures such as A ndy Warhol and Roy L ichtenstein.” Her official bio states: “Many leading museums, private collectors and corporates have acquired her works including the Smithsonian Institute, Virginia Museum of Fine A rts, National Museum of Woman in the A rts, Centre G eorges Pompidou, Museum Bochum, Musee des Beaux A rts, Iziko South African National Gallery, Pretoria A rt Museum, Jean Pigozzi, the Sovereign A rt Foundation and the World Bank, among numerous others who understand her invaluable contribution to contemporary art.”

24 CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021

T his would attract revenue for the artists and the community and support the idea of protecting and keeping Ndebele culture alive.” Mahlangu says she is “appreciative for the respect and love that I continue to receive from international and local audiences.

LATOZILANGUAGE“MADOSINI”

THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF SOUTH AFRICA LAUNCHES THE FIRST BOOK IN THE N|UU

A MESSAGE FROM

Latozi “Madosini” Mpahleni and Ouma Katrina Esau, who were both awarded living legend status by government last year, talk about the importance of promoting our culture and supporting our women. By RYLAND FISHER OUR LIVING LEGENDS

GRANDMOTHER OF YESTERYEAR Latozi “Madosini” Mpahleni has been a ﬂagbearer for indigenous South African music for decades, specialising in uHadi (bow), uMrhubhe (mouth bow instrument) and isiTolotolo (harp). Born in the Eastern Cape, she came to Langa in the late 1990s to record the album, Queen of Mpondoland, with marimba maestro Dizu Plaatjies and Mzwandile Qotoyi of DZM Records, and decided to stay. Popularly known as Gogo Madosini, she describes herself as “a grandmother of yesteryear” and the instruments she uses as being “from yesteryear”. She is considered an expert on traditional Xhosa musical bows, and tutors young girls on how to play the uHadi at her house in Langa or Libode in the former Transkei. Madosini has collaborated with many artists, including Ringo Madlingozi and Thandiswa Mazwai. Last year, she was named a living legend by the Department of Arts and Culture. However, like most South African artists, even before COVID-19 decimated their income, Madosini has been struggling to make ends meet, despite her legendary status and age. She is around 80 years old, but even that is not certain as births were often not properly recorded in the rural areas during the apartheid years. On her last trip to Paris, she fell ill and was stranded in hospital until the Department of International Affairs intervened for her to return home. Asked for a message for women, Madosini said: “Mothers are the bearers of homes, but they are mistreated. We must tie a protective robe around them. Women must be strong and pray: ‘God be with your people, your child who is a girl, who is a boy.’ Everything we throw back to God.”

Latozi “Madosini”Mpahleni KatrinaOumaEsau

Ouma Katrina Esau has walked a long and lonely road to preserve N|uu, South Africa’s last San language. Esau, 88, is the last person to speak the language ﬂ uently, especially after her brother and two sisters, who all spoke N|uu, passed away recently and during 2020Sherespectively.isdetermined that the language should not die and has opened a school in Upington, where she has lived for many years, to teach the language.

“The road that I have walked has been difﬁ cult, but I did not want to give up, because I did not want the language to become lost,” she said in an interview. “I am the only one who still speaks the language. There are people, including children, who I am teaching, but they are not speaking ﬂ uently yet. There are many people who are keen to speak the language, but they are still learning.” She was acknowledged by the Department of Arts and Culture as a “living human treasure” last year. This year she received a bakkie and other support from the Northern Cape government, but still struggles to keep her school open. Esau was born on a farm and moved to Upington when she was already an adult. Over the past few decades, she has travelled all over South Africa and even to Botswana to promote the N|uuShelanguage.seesherself as a role model for women. “I feel that women have to stand up for and do stuff for themselves. They must use the opportunities that we neverEsauhad.”hopes that her youngest son, her granddaughter and “other youngsters” will take over from her when she is no longer around.

THE KEEPER OF N|UU

MPAHLENI

SUPPLIEDGALLERY,MELROSETHEANDSTRYDOMCLINTIMAGES: SUPPLIEDIMAGES: 25 IN CELEBRATINGCONVERSATIONWOMEN2021

Trade,Department:Industry and Competition REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA the dtic MineralDepartment:Resources and Energy REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA mineral resources & energy The Industrial Energy Efficiency Project and its partners celebrate the achievements of all the highly talented and skilled women – and men – in the energy field in South Africa, and laud them for their commitment to a better future for us all. For more about our work and training courses, visit www.ieeproject.co.za / www.ncpc.co.za WOMEN POWERING CHANGE genderAdvancingequality and the empowerment of women is not a “women’s issue” – it is a matter of economic efficiency, effectiveness and sustainable growth. CAPACITY BUILDING THROUGH THE IEE PROJECT We’ve come a long way – But there is still a LOT to be done 7125223300 Total (since 2011) 21.6%42.2%19% Women (since 2016) Engineers, technicians & managers trained in Energy Management Systems (EnMS) and Energy Systems Optimisation (ESO) National experts trained in EnMS & ESO EnMS and ESO trainers trained Training 19-2021THA

“We’ve found that when women are encouragedempowered, and unfettered –theybusinessgender-biasedbypracticesthrive.”DonnaRachelson

EDUCATION Markman believes human development in SA remains unsatisfactory. “Our focus should be on strengthening education, employment, healthcare and authentic anticorruption measures, as well as safety and security if we want to strive for a broad and sustainable base of women in entrepreneurship, management andAdequateleadership.”voice and representation of female leaders may require identiﬁcation of suitable candidates, reasonable accommodation of family responsibilities, and the implementation of effective mentoring and personal development opportunities, notes Wiss.

totalisn’ttheUnfairofforConstitutiongrandiosetheHowever,andopportunitieseconomictobothmenwomeninprinciple.formanywomen,realitydoesnotreﬂecttheidealsofsay,theandotheracts,example,thePromotionEqualityandPreventionofDiscriminationActorEEA.”SouthAfrica’srankingpleasingeventhoughwomeningovernment

The survey reveals that from 1970 to 2020, South Africa has not had any female head of government. In the past 12 months, the country scored 97.56 for the total number of women in government. Other categories include women in management (87.2), women in entrepreneurship (93.6), women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) 82.9 salary level and gender wage gap (88.8), female access to education (81.9), women in legislation (91) and maternity leave days (120).

Rachelson says while many organisations may highlight the development of women as a key initiative, the quality and impact of the execution is not always effective in achieving the desired results. She and her partner Inge Walters offer the IgniteHer programme to corporates in a bid to fast track the development of women into leadership. “We’ve found that when women are empowered, encouraged and unfettered by gender-biased business practices they thrive. Given the opportunities and support, women can become visionary, motivated, values-based and accountable leaders who enable a positive work environment,” says Rachelson.

Donna Rachelson Karin Wiss

According to Vanessa Baard, director at ByDesign Communications, the fact that women occupy a limited number of top positions in JSE-listed companies is evidence there is still plenty of work to be done.

lthough great strides have been made in enabling equal inclusion and participation of women in the workplace, South Africa still has a long way to go. This is according to Donna Rachelson, a women development advocate, branding and marketing enthusiast, author and speaker, in response to The Female Opportunity Index 2021 South Africa ranks 61 out of 100 countries with a total score of 77.67 for its achievements in female leadership, management and entrepreneurship, as well as advancements in access to education and parental leave.

“There is still work to be done to realise a minimum of 50 per cent representation and meaningful access and participation of women in decision-making structures.”Businesscopywriter and trainer Tiffany Markman says: “Our country offers comparable

CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 27 RESEARCH

“However, we must celebrate where progress has been made.” Baard has worked in the communications industry for 25 years and believes this is one of the most transformed industries with several women heading successful communication ﬁrms, locally and Karininternationally.Wiss,faculty manager at Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of Law, points to good progress such as the implementation of legislation, the Employment Equity Act (EEA) (1998) and the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act (2000), since democracy.

recorded the highest score (97.56). Markman says COVID-19 has widened the income gap between women in lower-income jobs, like domestic work, and those in public ofﬁce. “The pandemic has exacerbated the inequalities between men and women. Of the three million jobs lost between February and April 2020 in South Africa, around two million were held by women,” she points out.

UNPACKING THE FEMALE OPPORTUNITY INDEX

DENISE MHLANGA engages with business leaders across various industry sectors around South Africa’s gender equality status in the areas of female leadership within government, corporations, STEM and education

Wiss explains that the administrative environment in higher education is more complex. It is here that career planning within an institution could be facilitated through an integrated personal development and advancement plan.

As a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, Rachelson strongly believes women can succeed with the right support. In her bestselling book, Play to Win: What Women can learn from Men in Business, Rachelson says when women combine their core strengths and innate qualities they become powerful with some of the “rules” that men play in the game of “Womenbusiness.should view business as a game and not take things personally. It is vital as women that we are able to ‘show up’ and be ready to take our rightful place in the world of work.”

“Once satisﬁed, determine if there’s a sweet spot between those things and the compensation you’ll need to survive and to grow your business.”

Entrepreneurship Women in entrepreneurship had the second-highest score (93.6) according to The Female Opportunity Index 2021. The Veuve Clicquot Women’s Entrepreneurship Barometer 2020 reveals that more than half of South African women (54 per cent) consider themselves entrepreneurs, as do 61 per cent of men. Of the 17 countries measured in the barometer, South Africa has the highest level of female entrepreneurship.

• Be clear about the position you are aspiring to.

At home, she is already teaching her daughter and son that they have the right to choose to be where they want to be no matter theirShegender.saysthey have to know that dedication and hard work are key to success. “At ByDesign, our biggest asset is our people. To this end, we invest heavily in mentorship and development programmes designed to suit individual needs to enhance their career growth and performance.”

Women hold a substantial number of leadership positions, including dean of the faculty, three (of four) research chairs, two (of three) departmental chairs, and faculty manager.

“Women in higher education should be encouraged to actively plan and verbalise their ambitions early on in their careers,” Wiss says.

“Nothing drives a hustle mentality like the knowledge that you’ll have a warm bed to sleep in, no matter what happens.” Markman points out that beyond this, her relative comfort with ﬂexibility is what prevented her from panicking in March 2020 when the country went into hard lockdown due to SheCOVID-19.adjusted quickly enough to doing business during the pandemic to deliver what new and existing clients needed and could afford at the time.

Many female executives are unlikely to step up to leadership positions. This is because organisations’ legacy practices and cultures are not equipped for the levels of diversity and inclusion required of business today, statesOrganisationalRachelson.leaders need to build diversity and inclusion policies as key strategic objectives that support women development programmes in the workplace. Furthermore, these inclusionary initiatives should incorporate men and line managers to address biases in recruitment, selection, promotion and retention processes, she adds.

“The pandemic has exacerbated the inequalities between men and women. Of the three million jobs lost between February and April 2020 in South Africa, around two million were held by women.” – Tiffany Markman BaardVanessa MarkmanTiffany

WOMEN IN MANAGEMENT

• Choose a team to help you achieve your goal.

In various sectors of the economy, women are at the forefront. Like many others, Baard has carved her entrepreneurial journey while empowering other women. “In our ﬁrm, individuals determine their destiny regardless of gender. I care about progressing other people’s careers – their impact, experiences, attitudes and their ability matters the most.”

“Higher FacultyStellenboshacademic58sheacademictopwomenrepresentationshouldlevels.representedwomenstriveinstitutionseducationshouldtoensurethatareproperlyatallSpecialattentionbegiventoofatseniorandmanagementandlevels,”says.AccordingtoWiss,percentofstaffatUniversity’sofLawarewomen.

• Consistently work on your conﬁdence levels, along with building and marketing your personal brand.

• Navigate your career intentionally.

For aspiring entrepreneurs, she advises that before leaving traditional employment, test the market exhaustively. Find out what your prospects need and will pay for (not just what you think you can do for them).

She offers some practical tips for women aspiring to managerial positions.

• Build the plan, understand the gaps and create an implementation strategy.

28 CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 SUPPLIEDIMAGES: RESEARCH

In academia, the career path is typically structured, for example, from junior lecturer to professor or a leader in a relevant ﬁeld of study.

TIPS FOR WOMEN WHO ASPIRE TO BE LEADERS

THE OPPORTUNITYFEMALE INDEX

Baard believes education starts at an early age with instilling conﬁdence in children.

Having run a successful business for over a decade, Markman acknowledges her privilege. Things like food security, shelter, access to essential resources and an excellent education have helped her build a resilient business.

CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 29 ➔ Scan this QR code to go directly to the Everite’s website. For more information: 086 133 www.everite.co.za3835

verite has done well to employ women in various positions of leadership. However, the company recognises that it still has a distance to go to achieve equal representation in the workplace.

Everite’s Basadi champion, Florence Cairncross says: “We are consistently challenging traditional gender norms through interactive conversation, educational initiatives and awareness programmes. “Studies have shown that women are likely to be more inclusive and bring a team-building approach to leadership, which can be of great beneﬁt to any organisation. During Women’s Month, we host events aimed at encouraging women to own their success, and share initiatives undertaken throughout the year.”

BASADI promoting gender equality

SUPPLIEDIMAGES:

The Basadi programme aims to: • promote gender equality and equity in the workplace and address prevailing gender inequalities – promoting policies for institutional change so women and men beneﬁt equally; • ensure equitable access to training, mentoring and networking opportunities, and inﬂuence and contribute to the development process of female employees in particular; and • be instrumental in building a positive and diverse organisational culture where all employees are valued equally and a place where unique strengths and talents thrive.

The Basadi women’s empowerment programme is driven by a team of very capable and committed women.

Everite’s Basadi initiative, which advocates for women, is celebrating its sixth year of existence and has become recognised in every facet of the business

Regarding the disproportion in leadership positions between females and males, Cairncross says that Basadi established a mentoring programme to promote female leadership. “The programme, Mentoring Circles, brings together the experiences, knowledge and interests of women and men to strengthen Everite’s gender mainstreaming agenda.

“The Take a Girlchild to Work programme is in its third year. Everite has partnered with a technical school in the Vaal region to expose girls to “traditional male jobs.” The ultimate aim of this programme is to enrol these participants in Everite’s learnership programme.

Basadi is instrumental in advocating for women to bring their authentic selves to the table.

ABOUT EVERITE Established in 1941, Everite produces a wide range of materials that satisfy the needs of the building industry. Everite is renowned for its comprehensive range of Nutec Roo ng and Cladding Solutions, which include bre-cement roo ng, cladding, ceilings and building columns, among others. Nutec products are distributed through leading stockists countrywide. An established export market further endorses the international acceptance of the Nutec Roo ng and Cladding Solutions’ range of products.

Everite is also an appointed licensee by the Xella Group to manufacture Hebel Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC). The company has enjoyed considerable success in speci cation of the product to landmark projects in South Africa with projects ranging from ultra-high-end high-rise buildings, multistorey student accommodation to single storey low-cost housing applications for both the new build and refurbishment markets.

“Gender mainstreaming is an integral part of Everite’s transformation strategy. Contributions of both women and men are acknowledged through the presentation of annual awards during the closing ceremony of Women’s Month. This year we have introduced a new awards category – Female Brand Ambassador of the Year. “It is important to bring women together to focus on career advancement and the ongoing change we want to see in our industry, ” concludes Cairncross.

30 CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 THOUGHT LEADERSHIP: DIVERSITY SUPPLIEDIMAGES: T

According to the JSE’s listings requirements, issuers are required to adopt a policy on the promotion of broader diversity on the board, focusing not only on race and gender, but also on the promotion of other diversity attributes such as culture, age, ﬁ eld of knowledge, skills and experience. The company must publish its performance against the policy annually in its integrated report.

GATTER , head of people at Investec, unpacks why gender is just one component of a deeper discussion on diversity and inclusion

Lesley-AnneGatter

A MOVE TO INTERSECTIONALITY

RACIAL DIVERSITY ON BOARDS

LESLEY-ANNE

According to statistics released by the UN Sustainable Stock Exchanges report, Gender Equality on Corporate Boards (2021), women hold 29 per cent of the board seats in the top 100 listed companies in SouthThatAfrica.compares with an average of 20 per cent on major G20 exchanges and ﬁgures of 12 per cent in Japan, 10 per cent for the Shanghai bourse and 7.4 per cent in South Korea. South African women chair 11 per cent of the companies, beating the G20 average of 5.5 per cent.

The latest PwC Non-executive directors: Practices and fees trends report reveals that among the JSE top 100 companies, the most represented group at board level were white (48 per cent), with black African nonexecutive directors making up 40 per cent. The remaining two categories reﬂect low percentages – Indian/Asian (7 per cent) and coloured (5 per cent). This split remains unreﬂective of South Africa’s racial demographic.

DID YOU KNOW?

GENDER’S ROLE IN INTERSECTIONALITY

WORLD DIVERSITYFORUMSECONOMICCASEFOR GENDER EQUALITY ON BOARDSCORPORATEREPORT

Creating a workplace culture that values intersectionality is not possible without true buy-in from leadership, which is reﬂected in actions and policies. Building a workplace that prioritises intersectionality requires ongoing education and awareness – and organic education where such topics can be brought into everyday conversations without risk of repercussions or judgment. Organisations must transition from intent to action. While we still need to go further than the gender conversation, it is certainly the ﬁrst step.

SA OUTPERFORMS GLOBALLY

While the presence of women in leadership teams and boards of directors is a start towards the goal of achieving diversity, this is one factor. The real goal is a far more sophisticated approach to multiculturalism and that of Intersectionalityintersectionality.considers different systems of oppression, speciﬁcally how they overlap and are compounded. Focusing on women does not solve the broader systemic problem, but having set targets for women across the organisation is an important initial step. Representation is key to transformation, but it must be accompanied by inclusion (changing behaviour) and belonging (the sense that you can be yourself and feel like part of a community). This is the true alchemy of intersectionality, where the platform of inclusion and belonging will drive organisations meaningfully towards equity and equality.

he standing of women in corporate South Africa currently can be viewed as positive, according to statistics released by UN Sustainable Stock Exchanges. Women’s representation is in a good space; never before has there been this much focus by corporate SA on inclusion, and the language of diversity and inclusion is now more robust. However, gender is but one component of a deeper discussion of diversity. Although women have borne the brunt of economic and social losses stemming from the pandemic, issues around transformation and sustainability globally have gathered momentum. Such was the scale and impact of the pandemic that it fostered a greater sense of humanity in people. For this reason, as well as the thereinforcingpandemicbias,racismsignifiTheseimportantremainedagenda,governanceandenvironmental,pervasivesocialcorporate(ESG)transformationanengagedandconversation.socialissues,thecanceofstructuralandgendergotnoisierastheprogressed,asensethattimeforinclusionand belonging can no longer be delayed. The global financial crisis had also previously demonstrated that diverse teams outperformed their homogenous competitors. It showed that better ideas come from teams where members demonstrate real difference, and diverse notions of upbringing, education, values and thought are highly beneficial. Diversity does not relate only to race or gender. True diversity requires intersectionality: a group of people varied in backgrounds, knowledge and ideas.

The pandemic has upset some conventional wisdoms and given pause to rethink issues. The move to intersectionality is one of them – as we focus on rebuilding with diversity, inclusion and belonging at its core.

Diversity does not relate only to race or gender. True diversity requires intersectionality: a group of people varied in backgrounds, knowledge and ideas.

Legodi was 12 when she was ﬁ rst arrested, and Zondo was 14 when she joined AZANLA. Makhosazana Xaba reminded us about the importance of celebrating the women whose names we may never know because their task was to look after MK combatants like herself, ensure that they ate and had a place to sleep without ever discussing who the person they were protecting was because it would be too risky. As Xaba explained: “I was shielded and fed by women whose names I do not know. I was shielded and fed by women whose faces I could hardly see.” She called for creative ways to celebrate these women’s contributions and create spaces for those who are still with us to heal their wounds so that they can unseal their lips and share their lives. The colloquium closed with the launch of Malibongwe: Poems from the struggle by ANC women, edited by Ambassador Lindiwe Mabuza under the name Sono Molefe, and Shanthini Naidoo’s Women in Solitary: Inside the female resistance to apartheid. As Ambassador Mthembi-Mahanyele explained, the Malibongwe anthology was a way to allow women to express their pain, homesickness andTheanxieties.colloquium highlighted the need to tell more stories and create more spaces for reﬂ ection about South Africa’s past. The colloquium is part of ongoing research that will culminate in a book project in an area still requiring further research.

32 CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 ADVERTORIAL RHODES UNIVERSITY

Celebrating, naming and unsealing women’s contributions to the armed struggle in South Africa.

➔ Scan this QR code to go directly to the Rhodes University website. ➔ Scan this QR code to watch the full two-day colloquium.

Modise celebrated women’s contributions by naming some women who played important roles in the armed struggle, yet are “least known and least spoken about”.

Atwo-day colloquium (9–10 August 2021) focusing on women’s roles and contributions to the armed struggle for national liberation in South Africa was hosted by Rhodes University (Political and International Studies Department), Nelson Mandela University (Centre for Women and Gender Studies) and the University of Cape Town (Historical Studies Department). This was to mark 60 years of the founding of the armed wings of the African National Congress (ANC) and Pan Africanist Congress, uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) and the Azanian People’s Liberation Army in 1961. The colloquium was an intergenerational reﬂ ection on women’s contributions to and legacies of the armed struggle that included veterans such as Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Thandi Modise, who opened the colloquium, and other veterans of the ANC and MK such as Makhosazana Xaba, Honourable Baleka Mbete, Ambassador Naomi Ribbon Mosholi, Ambassador Lindiwe Mabuza, Ambassador Sankie Mthembi-Mahanyele, and Totsie Memela, and veterans of the Azanian People’s Organisation’s military wing the Azanian National Liberation Army (AZANLA), Thulasizwe Legodi and Ntombizodwa Zondo. As part of the Soweto Generation, Minister Modise left South Africa to join MK in 1976 at the age of 17. She reminded us that it was not easy for women to join MK because the ANC was “focusing on young men to get into MK and young women to go to Modiseschool”.celebrated women’s contributions by naming some women who played important roles in the armed struggle, yet are “least known and least spoken about”. Among them are Dr Nomava Shangase, who looked after the soldiers’ health and ensured that women in MK were protected. She is credited with containing malaria in the MK camps in Angola. Modise also spoke about “Elizabeth Nhlapo, who was actively carrying out missions within South Africa”, and Nonzwakazi Singxashe, who could run faster and shoot better than the men with whom she was training. A ZANLA combatants Thulasizwe Legodi and Ntombizodwa Zondo spoke about their decision to escape South Africa for Zimbabwe and Botswana at the height of the state of emergencies in the 1980s.

For more information:

By DR SIPHOKAZI MAGADLA

WOMEN POWER

www.ru.ac.zarhodesuniversityRhodes_Unischool/rhodes-university

Tebello Nyokong, “the builder-in-chief” turns 70 and celebrates 29 years at Rhodes University’s Department of Chemistry, writes DR SIPHOKAZI MAGADLA D istinguished Professor Tebello Nyokong’s 29 years at Rhodes University’s Department of Chemistry is marked by a belief that research is a way of “systematically studying your environment and trying to improve it”.

For Nyokong, this has taken two forms. One, mobilising national and international funding to buy world-class equipment that enables students and collaborating researchers to test, sharpen and provide groundbreaking solutions to questions in medicinal chemistry and nanotechnology, rooted in a commitment to make science beneﬁt Africans. Second, she has transformed the ﬁ eld of chemistry by producing generations of African graduates who understand that science must help African countries to be self-reliant.

SUPPLIEDIMAGES: CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 33 RHODES UNIVERSITY ADVERTORIAL

Nyokong credits her father for her sense of conviction and vision of a better society. She is the ﬁ rst born of David and Jeminah Malikhetla, who lived in Sharpeville before moving to Lesotho, her mother’s birthplace, after the Sharpeville massacre. Her family pieced their lives together in Motimposo township in Maseru, a place of refuge for many South African activists after the Pan Africanist Congress and African National Congress were banned following the Sharpeville massacre.

Nyokong is driven by love, pride and commitment to Africa, which she uses to contribute to building a better society. She has graduated 56 PhD students and 56 Masters students in the ﬁ eld of medicinal chemistry and nanotechnology. She has 861 publications (including patents). In 2020, at the height of a pandemic, she published 46 articles, and in 2021, 45 and counting.

A former student, Dr Vongani Chauke, aptly describes Professor Nyokong’s legacy: “She’s a liberator. She isn’t scared – and if she was, she wouldn’t show it.” Professor Tebello Nyokong in her lab.

By the time they graduate under her supervision, Nyokong says her students know how to conduct, write, and present their research to different audiences. They leave her guardianship with the understanding that science is not conﬁned to laboratories and purely for research, but is to be used for the beneﬁt of people and communities.

SHE HAS TRANSFORMED THE FIELD OF CHEMISTRY BY PRODUCING GENERATIONS OF AFRICAN GRADUATES WHO UNDERSTAND THAT SCIENCE MUST HELP AFRICAN COUNTRIES TO BE SelF - RELIANT.

For more information: www.ru.ac.zarhodesuniversityRhodes_Unischool/rhodes-university

SocietyaBuildingBetter

Nyokong’s father never stopped believing that the apartheid system would be defeated through the power of education. She explains that he made her feel that no one is better than her. She explains that “he instilled that your thoughts matter”. This is a belief she has imparted to the students she has worked with as she shows by example that her success is not an exception, but rather that it can be multiplied with commitment, vision, and hard work.

Nyokong explains that research supervision became important for developing students into the future staff for institutions in countries across the continent. “From about 2004, I began admitting foriegn students who could become valuable assest to their country.”

Many of these are co-published with the students she supervises. She strongly believes that when she co-publishes with a student on their project, the student becomes the lead author. ➔ Scan this QR code to go directly to the Rhodes University website.

34 CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021

Khoza’s current research interrogates authorial identity in artistic practice by posing the question, “what difference does it make ‘who’ is speaking?”. Through a critical analysis of postcolonial artist practice, she investigates how artists use visual language to not only speak, but also rethink ways of speaking. Khoza has participated in several exhibitions, such as the Gwanza Month of Photography at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe; Rechewed at the Centre of Historical Reenactments; Out of Thin Air at the Michael Stevenson Gallery, Cape Town; After-after Tears at The New Museum, Museum as Hub, New York; Regions A-G, Johannesburg Library; BLIND SPOT at the National Arts Festival, Grahamstown; next thing you know, Blank Gallery, Cape Town; Poetics of Relation; and LiveInYourHead, Geneva. She is currently enrolled at WiSER (Wits Institute for Social Economic Research) as a History of Art PhD student. Her PhD research examines the historicity of blackness, black existence, and black expressive culture, particularly the role images play and have played in shaping the concept, perception, and representation of blackness. She’s an avid reader and spends her spare time travelling.

PROFESSOR JEN SNOWBALL MBALI KHOZA DR SIPHOKAZI MAGADLA

PROFESSOR JEN SNOWBALL Professor of Economics

MBALI LecturerKHOZAinArtHistory and Visual Arts

DR SIPHOKAZI MAGADLA Senior lecturer, Department of Political and International Studies

Dr Magadla is from Ludaka in Ngqeleni. She grew up in Thabo Mbeki Township in Libode and studied at Zingisa Comprehensive High School in Mthatha. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Political and International Studies from Rhodes University, a Masters in International Affairs from Ohio University, USA, as a Fulbright Scholar, and a PhD in Political and International Studies. Her PhD examined women’s roles in the armed struggle and their participation in the South African National Defence Forceled military integration and demobilisation process. She teaches on war and militarism in Africa, the armed struggle in South Africa, African feminisms, gender and citizenship. She was awarded the Rhodes University Vice Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award in 2018. She served in the Presidential High-Level Review Panel of the State Security Agency in 2018. Her journal and chapter publications include: Women combatants and the liberation movements in South Africa: Guerrilla girls, combative mothers and the in-betweeners (2015); Theorizing African women and girls in combat (Palgrave, 2020); and The lives of women ex-combatants in postapartheid South Africa (Palgrave, 2021), among others. She is currently completing a book on women and the armed struggle in South Africa.

CELEBRATED WOMEN ACADEMICS AT RHODES UNIVERSITY

Prof Snowball has a PhD in Applied Economics from Rhodes University and has received a Gold Medal for the best PhD thesis by the Economics Society of South Africa and the Vice Chancellor’s Distinguished Research Medal. She is also the chief research strategist at the South African Cultural Observatory, a multi-university, national research organisation funded by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture. Her research interests are in the cultural and creative economy and environmental and natural resource economics. Prof Snowball’s interest in the cultural and creative industries started when she ﬁrst attended the National Arts Festival as an undergraduate student. Her love of cultural festivals inﬂuences both her current research and how she spends her leisure time. Her research work in cultural economics has included mapping the cultural and creative industries in South Africa, a study of cultural occupations and a study on the value of the repatriation of African museum artefacts. She has published widely in the economics of arts and culture. She is a member of the Journal of Cultural Economics editorial board, the journal managed by the Association for Cultural Economics International.

KONZAPHIOZSUPPLIED,IMAGES:

AssociateLUBAALEprofessor of Law Prof Lubaale obtained her LLB degree from Makerere University and LLM and LLD degrees from the University of Pretoria. Her LLD thesis engaged with the evidentiary and procedural barriers to advancing criminal accountability for child sexual offences. She joined Rhodes University in 2020 to teach the law evidence and criminal procedure. She is a Y-rated researcher by the National Research Foundation, which appointed her to serve on its Standing Panel for the Humanities and Social Sciences until 2023. She has served as a law reviewer for publishers including Springer Nature, Palgrave Macmillan, the Journal of Sexual Aggression, Speculum Juris, De Jure, South African Crime Quarterly and Journal of Law, Society and Development. Her current research interests are in criminal law from a domestic perspective, international criminal law and women and children’s rights. She is a member of the Network on International Law and Policy in Africa and the Organization for Women in Science (including the social sciences) for the Developing World. Her interest in women’s rights saw her embark on an edited book project due for publication by Springer Nature in September 2021 titled Violence against women and criminal justice in Africa. When she is not behind her laptop, she enjoys a good run, spending time with family and serving in her local church.

Prof Mothibe holds a BSc, BSc Hons, MSc Med Pharmacology and PhD focused on Pharmacology from Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University. She is registered with the Health Professions Council of SA as a medical biological scientist. She is also a member of the South African Society for Basic and Clinical Pharmacology, the South African Association of Health Educationalists, the Toxicology Society of South Africa and the South African Society of Clinical Pharmacy. She has many years of experience teaching basic and clinical pharmacology, including clinical toxicology, complementary, alternative and traditional medicines. She is passionate about pharmacology education and the decolonisation of its curriculum. Her research interest is on the pharmacology and toxicology of medicinal plants, particularly African traditional medicine. She believes that traditional medicine plays a notable role in public health. Her recent research project includes the in vitro effects of commercial herbal medicines used as African traditional medicines on human platelets and neutrophils. In her spare time, she listens to music, enjoys reading, good comedy and loves taking long walks.

Dr Kajee a former school teacher, occupies the Educational Leadership and Management (ELM) ﬁ eld where her teaching and programme co-ordination span the university’s South African and Namibian offerings.

Lecturer in Education

PROFESSOR theAssociate(MMAMOSHELEDI)MAMZAMOTHIBEprofessorandheadofPharmacologyDivision

Dr Kajee’s PhD study utilised Maton’s Legitimation Code Theory to analyse masters programmes in ELM at South African universities. Her supervising masters and doctoral studies provides the opportunity for debate and personal moral interrogation. When collaborating with students, she encourages inclusive feminism, centring on activist voices. Her recent research interests seek to magnify how inequitable social and political histories play out in educational programmes. In this vein, her academic projects have community furtherance at their Whencore.theacademic pens are down, she can pick up a whisk with ease - so too a Gen Z colloquial dictionary and pet poop-scoop (with lesser proﬁciency). At home, she is the listener to climate crisis lectures delivered by her daughter. She is yet to hold an Instagram account – much to youthful amusement. Dr Kajee aspires to take a rest, but life keeps getting in the way.

www.ru.ac.zarhodesuniversityRhodes_Unischool/rhodes-university

DR FARHANA KAJEE

For more information:

CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 35 RHODES UNIVERSITY ADVERTORIAL ➔ Scan this QR code to go directly to the Rhodes University website.

PROFESSOR CHARLENE

PROFESSOR (MMAMOSHELEDI)MAMZAMOTHIBEPROFESSORCHARLENELUBAALE

DR KAJEE

FARHANA

“Organisations need to identify barriers that exist within and equip women with the tools to overcome these barriers”

Prof Zsa-Zsa Boggenpoel [Research Chair in Property Law]

Academics have a unique opportunity to influence and shape thoughts of future leaders and therefore the presence and voice of more women must be celebrated. Today 58% of the permanent academic staff members of the Faculty are women and we are proud of the women that hold leadership roles in the Faculty. They offer sound advice regarding leadership and support:

“Amid countless obstacles and life storms that confront today’s women daily, courageous and collaborative women’s leadership as in the 1956 Women’s March, has opened up unique spaces for women to lead purposefully and make a difference for themselves, their communities and humanity as whole thus advancing social justice and peace.”

Ms Karin Wiss [Faculty Manager]

The centenary of the Faculty of Law not only presents a good opportunity to reflect on enduring hurdles that impact women’s progress in the workplace and how to address these, but also to celebrate how far we have come regarding the role and influence of women in academia.

“I encourage women who are considering entering academia to do so and to take steps that focus on their expertise, remain true to themselves, seek out mentorship and ultimately contribute to the increased presence of women in leadership roles in universities.”

women leadershipCelebrating

The Faculty of Law at Stellenbosch University was established in 1921 and celebrates its centenary this year. In 1921, the Faculty of Law consisted of 2 professors and 7 students. It was only 60 years after its establishment, that the first female academics were appointed. Belinda van Heerden, Debbie Hamman and Julia Sloth-Nielsen were all appointed during the 1980s and paved the way for other women in the Faculty. Belinda van Heerden later became a judge and thereafter judge on the appeal court and Debbie Hamman and Julia Sloth-Nielsen, both would go on to become professors of law at the University of the Western Cape. In 1994, Juanita Pienaar was the first woman to be promoted to full professor at the Faculty and in 2012 Sonia Human became the first female dean of the Faculty.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on all aspects of academic life. Many women academics have borne multiple burdens as they juggle caring for children, home-schooling, supporting elderly relatives, and trying to do teaching and research from their homes. The pandemic is an opportunity to rethink how we can structure academic work environments to be more supportive of the burden of care, which still falls disproportionately on women.”

“Women must make room for each other – at all levels. If need be we have to pull and push, continuously supporting and encouraging. Moving forward, we have to participate at all levels, contributing and making a difference.”

Prof Sope Williams-Elegbe [Head of Department: Mercantile Law]

Prof Juanita Pienaar [Vice Dean: Research and Internationalisation]

“Authentic and responsible mentorship, is for me about seeing potential in people and providing the opportunity, space and support to make their paths to success easier. We need more positive role models, people who can encourage others to have confidence in themselves. I hope my life experience and academic journey can encourage young black women to believe that it is possible to reach any goal they set for themselves.”

Prof Nicola Smit [Dean]

Faculty of Law at Stellenbosch University at the Master the Law with an LLM from Stellenbosch University – visit www.sun.ac.za/law for more information

Prof Thuli Madonsela [Law Faculty Trust Chair in Social Justice]

“It is up to women as leaders to understand the gendered nature of organisations that create obstacles to the advancement of women in the workplace and it is up to women as citizens to push for the equal representation of women at all levels and in all spaces.”

Prof Sandy Liebenberg [HF Oppenheimer Chair in Human Rights]

“Determination is about putting your heart, mind and soul into what you want to achieve and pursuing your goals relentlessly,’’ she adds. “It is about rising above all odds.” But will this “mental toughness”, which Angela Duckworth of the University of Pennsylvania deﬁnes as a strong predictor of success, be sufﬁcient for women to assume leadership positions in our country’s higher education institutions? Mayekiso says that while progress has been made to break the back of male domination, much still needs to be done. South Africa has 26 public universities, but there are only six Stellenbosch,Universitylawsociallabourprofessordeaninhigherpositionsof19.5accountWorld”,Leadershipin“Women’sLeadersforInternationalAccordingvice-chancellors.tothelatestBriefHigherEducation(July2021),RepresentationHigherEducationAroundthewomenforonlypercentleadershipineducationSouthAfrica.NicolaSmit,andofandsecurityattheofsays

CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 37 EDUCATION

REPRESENTATION ON CAMPUS Smit notes that Stellenbosch’s Faculty of Law only appointed its ﬁrst female academics 60 years after its establishment, with the ﬁrst female professor appointed just 24 years ago, in 1997. Fortunately, the pace of transformation has since accelerated, and two women deans have been appointed since 2012. Two out of three heads of department are women and soon one of two vice deans will be women.

Stellenbosch University has one female vice-chancellor and a woman registrar. “The largest gender inclusion gains have been at senior management level with chief and seniorMayekisodirectors.”says women account for more than half the staff at the University of Mpumalanga (UMP). At the executive level, there is 38 per cent female representation and a third of the deans are women. There are also six women occupyingprofessorsvariousleadershippositions.

– PROFESSOR Nicola Smit, University of StellenboschProf Thoko Mayekiso Prof Nicola Smit

Women have grit, determination and resilience, but is this enough to help them secure leadership positions in higher education?

P rofessor Thoko Mayekiso, vice-chancellor of the University of Mpumalanga, was just 13 years old when her father told her: “You are a girl of great determination”. It’s this grit that has seen her occupy academic and leadership positions at four higher education institutions over the past three decades.

GENDER EQUALITY WARRANTS GREATER ATTENTIONBARRIERSANDSACRIFICES

In their research article, “Enabling and empowering women in leadership in South African universities – assessing needs and designing a response”, (January 2021), Oliver Seale, Patrick Fish and Birgit Schreiber state: “For women to take up senior leadership roles more potently, it is essential that they not only cope with and compete in patriarchal systems, but more so, are equipped to change patriarchal hegemony and shift the management discourse and culture to a pluralistic leadership culture where transformational leadership becomes the norm.” Smit agrees, saying that while personal preferences, circumstances and family responsibilities certainly play a role in women assuming leadership roles in education, institutional culture is the determining factor in achieving an inclusive environment where women leaders have a distinct voice. “Challenges and obstacles get strewn on our path as women, having nothing to do with our ability, but with archaic practices like patriarchy and sexism,” adds Mayekiso.

“More needs to be done to increase the representation of women at the level of academic leadership, in particular as full and associate professors and heads of department.”

there are more women in senior positions in the educational sector, excluding vice-chancellor positions, than a decade ago. “But it is not clear whether this is because of empowering interventions or despite the absence of such interventions.” She says there is still not enough structural support for women in the education sector. Currently, about 50 per cent of deans in law facilities at universities around the country are women. “However, more needs to be done to increase the representation of women at the level of academic leadership, in particular as full and associate professors and heads of department.”

ANÉL LEWIS speaks to three academics who occupy leadership roles at South African universities

Furthermore, in the past, women were seen primarily as “homemakers not fit to take seats in the boardroom”, says Dr Mabokang Monnapula-Mapesela, deputy vice-chancellor, Rhodes University. “Women have to make huge sacrifices to balance family and work life. Without proper support, they may find leadership expectations overwhelming.” Smit posits that a lack of sufficient female role models, as well as insufficient mentorship and coaching, prevent women from ascending the leadershipMayekisoladder.agrees, saying: “Where there are no role models for aspirant women leaders in higher education, and where there are no monitoring mechanisms to push the agenda of equality, gender equality can lag.” MonnapulaMapesela adds: “Leading, especially at a higher level, has always been seen as a privilege enjoyed by men. As a result, universities are struggling to redress inequalities. Unfortunately, there are not enough women who are ready to assume leadership positions.”

In her keynote address at a Women’s Day event last year, the University of Cape Town’s chancellor, Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe, said: “Universities are well-positioned to inﬂuence society by promoting gender justice, reaching the goals of South Africa’s democracy and developing innovative research to foster economic growth.” Smit agrees, saying that an inclusive and equal society is only possible when people are “socially conscious with a strong value system”. Education allows for an awareness of acceptable conduct and decision-making. “In this regard, law faculties have an important role to play in helping realise the constitutional values and fundamental right of equality for all.”

•

EDUCATION AS A LEVELLER

•

“Education is emancipatory and liberating. It unlocks one’s potential and opens further opportunities for a better life.” – Dr Mabokang MonnapulaMapesela, Rhodes University

“Where there are no role models for aspirant women leaders in higher education, and where there are no monitoring mechanisms to push the agenda of equality, gender equality can lag.”– Professor Thoko Mayekiso, University of Mpumalanga

•

38 CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 SIMAGES:UPPLIED EDUCATION

There has also been a steady increase in women graduates. She says that 66 per cent of graduates this year were women. Furthermore, the university has clear targets to diversify staff, especially at senior levels, and there are several programmes in place to mentor women academics to become leaders and advance their academic careers. “Progress is slow, not only at Rhodes University, but in the higher education sector in general,” says Monnapula-Mapesela.

MAKING STRIDES Smit says that while the majority of students and staff at the University of Stellenbosch are women, gender equality still warrants attention. “The ongoing problem of gender-based violence in South African society and unequal recognition and (disparate) pay of men and women in the workplace require speciﬁc attention in the pursuit of gender equality.” The university does have various initiatives, programmes and research chairs with a focus on gender equality on campus. But Smit says more needs to be done as the goal of realising gender equality in the country has yet to beUMPrealised.also has policies and createsleadership.advancementwhichinwomen.programmesdevelopmenttoempowerStafftakeparttheHERS-SAAcademy,focusesontheofwomeninTheuniversityalsoopportunitiestoinspire

•

FAST FACT In SA, out of the 6 per cent of the population with degrees, women hold 52.3 per cent of the total number.

and mentor women. “Our open-door policy as university management contributes to us being accessible to both staff and students and a consistent source of motivation,’’ says Mayekiso. Its Gender Forum and Transformation Committee monitor the institution’s gender equality. “Role models who are female, in executive management, and are innate qualities that women bring to their leadership roles because of their experiences and challenges. Mayekiso says women have empathy and resilience. They are also able to listen and view matters carefully. “There is a way in which women leaders go an extra mile in applying these qualities to how they lead.” She adds that their resilience is evident in how women leaders, such as Jacinda Ardern, prime minister of New Zealand, were able to guide their countries in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Source: Higher Education Department’sTrainingEducationPost-SchoolandMonitor at dean and director level, give great signals for the equality agenda.” This encourages women to aspire to greater heights in their respective careers, she explains. This is evident even among the students. The current Student Representative Council (SRC) president is female, as is 57 per cent of her team. Rhodes University has had a women-dominated SRC for two consecutive years, Monnapula-Mapesela.says

UNIVERSITIES WITH VICE-CHANCELLORSFEMALE University of Zululand Nelson Mandela University • Walter Sisulu University UNISA University of Cape Town • University of Mpumalanga

The only way for women to reclaim their position as equal citizens is by studying further, says Monnapula-Mapesela. “I encourage young people, especially women, to embrace learning opportunities available to them and to use them wisely.” She adds: “Education is emancipatory and liberating. It unlocks one’s potential and opens further opportunities for a better life.” Mayekiso concludes: “Gains made can be easily lost if we do not ensure that there is a critical mass of women, who will drive the equality and equity agenda. We need women who will lift as they rise in the academic and administrative echelons.”

WOMEN’S TOUCH American businesswoman and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg says: “In the future, there will be no women leaders, just leaders.” But, there Dr Mabokang Monnapula-Mapesela

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Founded in 1904, Rhodes University has a well-established reputation for academic excellence. A small university with just over 8 500 students, it enjoys the distinction of having among the best undergraduate passes in South Africa, outstanding postgraduate success rates and the best research output per academic staff member. This is a testimony to the quality of students the university attracts and its commitment to student development and success. Students can undertake a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in the faculties of humanities, science, commerce, pharmacy, law, and education. With a highly favourable academic staff to student ratio, Rhodes University students are guaranteed easy access to academics and close supervision. The university takes pride in its motto, “Where Leaders Learn”, and in producing graduates who are knowledgeable intellectuals, skilled professionals and critical, caring and compassionate citizens who can contribute to economic and social development and an equitable, just and democratic society. Rhodes University looks to the future with confidence, secure that as indawo yolwazi (a place of knowledge) and through the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research and community engagement, it produces graduates that make a vital contribution to human and social development. Where Leaders Learn

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RISING THROUGH THE RANKS Mayekiso is deeply steeped in academia. The expression, “rising through the ranks”, appositely describes her academic and professional trajectories. In her sterling academic career, Mayekiso has held positions of senior lecturer, associate professor, professor, head of the Department of Psychology and vice dean at the then University of Transkei (now called Walter Sisulu University).

While at this university, she interspersed her teaching role in psychology with clinical practice, serving as a part-time clinical psychologist at the Mthatha General Hospital. She has taught psychology with a focus on developmental psychology, psychopathology and psychotherapy at all levels – from undergraduate to postgraduate. A distinguished scholar and accomplished academic, over the years, Mayekiso has attracted several scholarships and fellowships. Notable among these is the German Academic Exchange Scholarship (DAAD) to the Free University Berlin. She was awarded a Commonwealth Fellowship to the United Kingdom where she practised as an honorary clinical fellow at the Greenwood Institute of Child Health, University of Leicester, while simultaneously serving as a clinical psychologist in the Department of Medical Psychology, Leicester General Hospital. She joined the University of the Witwatersrand (WITS), Johannesburg in 2001 where she served as the head of the School of Human and Community Development, chair of Psychology, deputy dean, and then acting executive dean in the Faculty of Humanities. The South African University Vice Chancellors Association and the American Council on Education awarded her a fellowship to the University of Washington, Seattle, USA, where issues of diversity, inclusion and transformation loomed largely. Here, she had the opportunity to shadow a female provost. While at WITS, Mayekiso participated in a number of institutional structures including council and senate, which honed her knowledge and skills as an academic leader and manager. She proceeded to the Nelson Mandela University in 2007, as an executive dean in the Faculty of Arts, and then deputy vice chancellor (Research and Engagement) in 2009. As the executive dean of the Faculty of

40 CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 The University of Mpumalanga’s ﬁrst vice chancellor, Professor Thoko Mayekiso, has an impressive and long record of academic and professional achievements

A ppointed in November 2014, Professor Thoko Mayekiso is the ﬁrst vice chancellor of the University of Mpumalanga (UMP). As a founding vice chancellor, Mayekiso had the privilege of pioneering the university’s trajectory to a comprehensive institution. The University of Mpumalanga enrolled its ﬁrst cohort of students in 2014. highly qualified Mayekiso obtained a BA, BA Honours, and MA in psychology, from the University of Fort Hare. She furthered her studies at the Free University Berlin, Germany, where she obtained her D Phil (cum laude) in psychology. She also holds a Higher Education Diploma (postgraduate) from the University of South Africa. She is registered as a clinical psychologist with the Health Professions Council of South Africa.

A ACADEMICSTERLINGCAREER

Arts, following the merger of the University of Port Elizabeth and Port Elizabeth Technikon, Mayekiso had to steer the faculty after the difﬁcult merger processes. While at the helm of research at Nelson Mandela University, she contributed to creating an enabling research environment and conducive ecology. This was exempliﬁed by policies that made the pursuit of higher degrees by staff members possible, culminating in remarkable research outputs and more academics obtaining PhDs. In addition to the Research Portfolio, Mayekiso was responsible for the Internationalisation Portfolio; Library and Information Services; Engagement Portfolio; Centre for the Advancement of Nonracialism and Democracy; and the HIV/AIDS Unit. Here, she was leading at the highest echelons of the university, where matters of strategy, governance, sustainability, institutional transformation and risk mitigation were key, including community engagement and stakeholder management.

PASSIONATE ABOUT MENTORING STUDENTS

MULTIFACETED LEADERSHIP STYLE

The four institutions where Mayekiso has worked each have different histories and have contributed in different ways to her leadership. The international exposure contributed immensely in preparing her for her role as the vice chancellor of a new institution. She had to provide strategic leadership not only to the academic project and operations of the institution, but also to the new infrastructure project. During her inauguration as vice chancellor in 2015, Mayekiso said: “Pioneers have to build a firm foundation, mindful that what they are creating should be marketable, sustainable and enduring. Generations yet unborn must find a thriving university, one they will be proud to join because we who pioneered it laid a firm foundation and got into this immense project with body, mind and soul.”

“PIoneers have to build a firm foundation, mindful that what they are creating should be marketable, sustainable and enduring”. Professor Thoko Mayekiso

CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 41 UNIVERSITY OF MPUMALANGA ADVERTORIAL

➔ Scan this QR code to go directly to the University of Mpumalang’s website.

SUPPORTING TRANSFORMATIONGENDER

Mayekiso is a C3-rated scientist by the National Research Foundation. She has supervised 20 Masters students and 12 PhD students. She has published extensively in accredited journals and has written 52 journal articles and 8 book chapters. She was an associate editor of the of Psychology in Africa Thoko Mayekiso stakeholder management. when living under constant uncertainty due stress. Strategies to deal with stress, One Journal and editor-in-chief of the SAHARA Journal of Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS. She is a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) and the International Association of University Presidents, chairperson of the Universities South Africa Research and Innovation Strategy Group and a board member of Higher Health. She has been a member of many professional organisations including Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA), executive member of the South African National Committee for the International Union of Psychological Science, board member of the International Council of the Science Union and the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect. She was also the founding member of the Mthatha Child Abuse Resource Centre.

The University of Mpumalanga has shown remarkable growth in student numbers, enrolling 5 401 in 2021 across its two campuses – Mbombela (main) and Siyabuswa (second campus). The university is making strides in terms of gender transformation this year. During 2021, it has appointed its rst female SRC president, Vuyelwa Magagula, a new chancellor, Mandisa Maya, president of the Supreme Court of Appeal, and Prof Shirley Sommers as the deputy vice chancellor: Teaching and Learning. And, Professor Thoko Mayekiso says: “I have been granted a second ve-year term of of ce as vice chancellor. This provides me with an opportunity to balance the consolidation of achievements over the past seven years with growth.”

For more information: Mr Tlangelani Ubisi Director: Stakeholder Liaison and Communication University of Mpumalanga 013 002 0004 | 076 245 www.ump.ac.zaTlangelani.Ubisi@ump.ac.za9934

SUPPLIEDIMAGES:

Mayekiso has an abiding interest in mentoring and developing students. She exhorts the students to be the best versions of themselves by exposing them to programmes that cater for their holistic development. As vice chancellor at UMP, she has created the Vice Chancellor’s Scholarship Programme where students who are excelling academically are exposed to essential personal and leadership skills, particularly in terms of optimising time and eradicating the bad habit of procrastination. In addition, students get to learn competencies like being mindful and resilient – requisite skills at this time when living under constant uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic triggers much stress. Strategies to deal with stress, as well as creative problem-solving and entrepreneurship are inculcated among students, thereby optimising their opportunities and development. One of the recipients of the Vice Chancellor Scholarship in 2017, Confidence Ndlovu, is the first UMP student to obtain a Masters degree.

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS AND AFFILIATIONS

which

responsibility

DO YOU HAVE A MINING PROJECT WE CAN HELP WITH?

The company aims to provide cost-effective quality services that exceed industry norms and are compliant with statutory practices and codes of conduct. Stenda Trading focuses on innovative methods of service delivery to meet client needs timeously. Trading operates according to a set of deﬁned values, include striving for excellence, and efﬁciency in the services it provides, the protection of client’s information, respect, dignity and fairness. It believes in developing and empowering its employees and is committed to social initiatives.

She has over ten years’ experience in the mining industry including coal and mineral processing, building ventilation structures, conveyor belt installation and maintenance, and project engineering, Stenda Trading (Pty) Ltd is a 100 per cent black-female-owned, company providing multidisciplinary mining-related services. The services provided are speciﬁc and can be tailor-made to suit each clients’ individual needs.

“The company aims to provide cost-effective, quality services that exceed industry norms and are compliant with statutory practices and codes of

conduct.”EXPERIENCED

AND PASSIONATE LEADER Stenda Trading is ably led by its founder and managing director Tshidi Dlungwane. Dlungwane holds a BEng in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Pretoria, a postgraduate diploma in Business Administration and an MBA from the Gordon Institute of Business Science. She has also completed a course in project management through the University of Cape Town, which she uses extensively to plan and execute projects for Stenda Trading’s clients.

Contact us for more information: Phone: 013 110 0765 | Mobile: 082 306 8713 Email: Website:admin@stendatrading.comwww.stendatrading.com

SERVICES OFFERED Ventilation services • Air crossings • Refuge bay • 400kPa and 140kPa containment and explosion-proof walls • Guniting/shortcreting • Brick walls • Brattices • Regulators Other services • Specialised roof and ribside support • Conveyor belt installation and maintenance • Contract mining Stenda

convenience

It was established in 2016 by an experienced metallurgical engineer with extensive experience in the mining sector, who recognised the shortage of women-owned businesses providing technical services to the mining sector.

conﬁdentially,

Viljoen notes that if one looks at the challenges facing women in the industry, as highlighted by the white paper, it includes ablution facilities, sexual harassment, personal protective equipment (PPE), the impact of mining on reproductive health, and the requirements of physical work. “At Anglo American Platinum, we continue to improve our company policies and physical workplaces to be more women-friendly. Some things are quite easy to do, such as improving infrastructure like change houses and toilet facilities for women or providing two-piece overalls that make it easier for women to use the lavatory. We have also done signiﬁcant work to improve our sexual harassment policies and create awareness of harassment and

“The Minerals Council’s white paper on women in mining, published last year, shows that women make up just 12 per cent of the industry in South Africa, lagging behind other mining countries such as Australia and Canada, where women still represent less than 20 per cent of the workforce.” – Natascha Viljoen, Anglo American

Anglo American Platinum CEO Natascha Viljoen points out that the industry has changed quite signiﬁcantly since she started working as a young metallurgist, nearly 30 years ago. “As a woman, I needed special permission to go underground and had to be accompanied by a chaperone. Today, legislation and workplace policies and procedures promote equality not only based on gender, but also race, background, religion and culture, and we are seeing women working at all levels of the industry. This progress is perhaps best demonstrated by the fact that my colleague, Nolitha Fakude, the chairperson of Anglo American’s management board in South Africa, was recently elected the ﬁrst female president of the Minerals Council in its 131 years of existence,” she says. “However, women still remain in the minority in most functions in the industry. The Minerals Council’s white paper on women in mining, published last year, shows that women make up just 12 per cent of the industry in South Africa, lagging behind other mining countries such as Australia and Canada, where women still represent less than 20 per cent of the workforce.”

Globally, fewer than one in ﬁve leadership positions in mining are ﬁlled by women, points out Carol Brandt, metallurgy training manager at PRISMA, a training services company that specialises in mining courses.

While women are represented at all levels of the mining industry, they remain in the minority in most functions. It is imperative that this changes as quickly as possible, writes RODNEY WEIDEMANN

The mining industry contributed 8.2 per cent of the country’s total G D P in 2020. South Africa’s mining industry employed a total of 451 427 people in 2020.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 43 MINING

THEPlatinumINDUSTRY

ining has historically been an industry that is very much male-dominated. Despite changes to the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act to drive greater inclusion, and a growing movement toward diversity, women remain dramatically under-represented within the sector as a whole, not only in South Africa, but also around the globe. Promoting gender equality and diversity in mining will take a collective effort. Essentially, those in leadership positions need to empower employees to challenge the existing stereotypes and shift mindsets toward a culture of inclusion throughout the industry.

“It is widely acknowledged that diverse and inclusive workplaces are more successful in the modern world, where innovation is a key driver. And, since women think differently, they can add value in many areas. While the traditional mindset around mining is that it requires nothing but physical strength and dominance, this has become increasingly less relevant as technology has evolved.” Natascha Viljoen DID YOU KNOW?

“I am particularly excited about the far-reaching impact that technological advancements are having on the industry.

MUST DIG DEEP TO BECOME MORE DIVERSE

gender-based violence across the business,” explainsViljoenViljoen.addsthat the future of work also opens up many new opportunities to develop a truly diverse workplace, making the industry attractive to people who may not have previously considered a career in mining.

“The mining industry is unfortunately held back by its traditionally patriarchal culture. Statistics show that the numbers of women in mining are mostly in lower-level positions – this means that cultural change needs to be driven from the top,” she says.

Moving from pneumatic to electrical drills, for example, has made the traditionally male job of an operator much safer. Now we see automated drills that are operated remotely from a control room, including by young women who have grown up using technology,” she adds.

“Making the mining environment more conducive to a larger proportion of female employees means taking things right back to basics,” says Visser. “Women have different needs to men, and policies such as maternity leave, sexual harassment, empowerment, and professional growth are a must. It is also imperative to provide access to childcare and decent housing in mining communities.”

Even more basic, she continues, but often overlooked, is access to the right PPE. Women are not the same size or shape as men, and they need gear tailored to their bodies, both for their safety and their dignity.

Source: Minerals Council South Africa

WOMEN EMPLOYED IN MINING IN 2020

44 CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 SIMAGES:UPPLIED MINING

Today, notes Brandt, innovation is the key to success, and job satisfaction has become a driver for many in the workplace. Female leadership styles lend themselves to this, fostering a more supportive and nurturing environment, which in turn drives greater employee engagement and improves motivation and morale. Companies recognise this, but acting on it has proven a challenge. Not every organisation has a structured plan in this regard, says Alet Visser, ofﬁce manager at “Globally,PRISMA. we see plenty of companies spending time planning how they will hire more women in leadership roles, but with no clear plan to develop and keep them. Companies must establish a culture with models and policies to include women in the workplace.”

– Alet Visser, PRISMA strong, and the reality is that women and men have different needs.

“It is essential not to look at diversity only in terms of gender, but also race, background, religion and culture. However, building a diverse, capable team isn’t enough. It must be accompanied by a culture of trust and understanding, ensuring people are comfortable sharing their views, open to change and able to bring their full selves to work. For the best results, you want to create a workplace where every person can come to work every day and is enabled to do their best work,” she says. Management roles may be inherently gender-neutral, even in mining, and women are physically capable of many of the same tasks as men, especially with new technology, but the mindset remains an issue, according to Brandt. She believes that gender stereotypes remain A LONG WAY TO GO According to the Minerals Council of South Africa, the number of women working in the mining sector has increased signiﬁcantly in the past 15 years or so – from around 11 400 in 2002 to some 53 000 women in 2015 and 54 154 in 2018. However, while there has been growth since gender equality legislation became enforceable, this rise has still been slow. The statistics show that women represent just 12 per cent of the mining labour force of almost half a million people and just 16 per cent of top management and 17 per cent of senior management.

“In South Africa, there is insufﬁcient published data on the health and safety concerns and issues of women in mining. These include, among others, the availability of welfare facilities underground, physiological changes and psychological vulnerability inherent among women that may affect their health and safety at work, and the impact of shift work on women’s family lives. There may also be resistance by their male counterparts to fully accept and regard women as equal partners,” explainsUltimately,Brandt.the aim should be to develop career paths for women within the sector, with initiatives such as mentorship of women by women. To do this, the culture needs to change and stereotypes and mindsets need to be “Womenchallenged.andmen are not the same, but these differences are what makes the addition of women immensely valuable. By encouraging women to participate more fully in the sector, they can play a role in boosting innovation and should contribute to the growth and ongoing relevance of the industry,” concludes Brandt.

Carol Brandt

“Making the mining environment more conducive to a larger proportion of female employees means taking things right back to basics.”

FAST FACT Women account for 12 per cent of the mining industry.

• The gold industry employed 12 281.

Source: Minerals Council South Africa MINERALS COUNCIL SOUTH AFRICA

“Taking it even further back, companies should look at their hiring process as this could also play a vital role in either encouraging or inhibiting gender equity. The way jobs are advertised, and even where they are advertised, impacts the type of person who will apply for the job,” she says. Viljoen agrees with Visser that there is a need to improve support to the workforce, for example, working mothers, who are often the primary caregivers. “Creating a supportive environment during a critical career development phase that may coincide with starting a family, or having the ﬂexibility to re-enter the workplace at a later stage are all measures that should be considered.

“Matters like diversity and gender equality are also increasingly important for investors and customers as part of a broader focus on companies’ environmental, social and governance performance,” she notes.

Viljoen indicates that the beneﬁt of having a diverse team lies in the richness that comes from different perspectives in the workplace and around the boardroom table. This, she infers, is critical for building a mining industry that can play a pivotal role in assisting the recovery of the economy and building a sustainable future.

• In the diamond industry, 2 001 women were employed.

A WORTHY GOAL

• In PGM, 20 432 women were employed.

NEW OPPORTUNITIES

• The manganese industry employed 12 627.

Meet our women in mining. Together, we continue shaping a better future.

“If we are collectively united in purpose around changing the status quo, we can make a difference.”

#ShapingTogether

- Nolitha Fakude, Chairperson of Anglo inManagementAmerican’sBoardSouthAfrica

39748_2

Our transformation journey is a key component of our Purpose of re-imagining mining to improve people’s lives. We are committed to driving gender equality throughout our business and the host communities in which we operate. Our women have powerful, important stories to tell – stories that speak of their tenacity, hard work, commitment and sacriﬁce. At Anglo American, we want to do more than just applaud the rich diversity of skills, ideas, perspectives and value they bring to our business, communities and our country. We want to bring them to the centre, where they weTogether,belong.celebrate.

“I am an unapologetic female leader and encourage other women to be as well. When ﬁghting any past prejudice, representation is important, so we enjoy female leadership at every level within our business, from directors and environmental specialists to ofﬁce managers and service providers.

DOING DIFFERENTLYTHINGS“MypartnersandItakealessformalandmorepractical‘hands-on’approach,whilealsoleavingthe‘boys’club’behind,alongwithitsexclusionarylanguage.”–LiliNupen,NupenStaudedeVriesIncorporated Lili Nupen

“The good news is that the legal requirements, while they are tick-box criteria, nonetheless encourage companies to view women seriously and provide them with opportunities to perform roles and functions that were historically held by men. So legislation needs to continue supporting women along with all previously disadvantaged people. “In my view, although women may not technically need the leverage from a skills and ability perspective, merit and capabilities are not easily recognised in male-dominated spaces.

“I believe women tend to have a greater focus on creating collaborative working environments where emotional intelligence is just as important as intellectual intelligence. This often creates working environments that are more conducive to creative thinking and the sharing of ideas, which, ultimately, enhances production,” Nupen says.

“Women need to champion other women and highlight the values and skill sets we add to the mining sector. I also expect men – at least the ones I work with – to champion women’s inclusion equally ﬁercely. If we all do that, we will elevate the overall level of skill sets and experience we need in mining,” Nupen explains.

THE POWER OF RELATIONSHIPS

She notes that women in the industry, like Nolitha Fakude and Natascha Viljoen, are providing new and innovative ways of managing traditional operations. These women are leading with an eye on inclusion and collaboration. They proudly embrace their feminine approach while achieving phenomenal results.

By RODNEY WEIDEMANN I n the mining sector, the growth and rise of women has been quite significant recently, with total participation having jumped fivefold in the past 16 years, including a growth in the numbers in senior management. This can be attributed to the fact that women are now included in section 2(d) of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, explains Lili Nupen, director at the law firm Nupen Staude de Vries Incorporated (NSDV). She says the inclusion highlighted the need to appreciate that women were discriminated against in the mining industry.

Asked about the journey that led her to start a company that approaches gender challenges differently, Nupen says her entire journey has been determined by the relationships she has made and kept. She believes that a happy working environment is one where there is transparency, respect for each other, and a general culture of collaboration without ego.

“I think that people resonate with people –not with large buildings and fancy pens. My partners and I take a less formal and more practical ‘hands-on’ approach, while also leaving the ‘boys’ club’ behind, along with its exclusionary language.”

“There has deﬁnitely been a greater inclusion of women in the mining industry, particularly over the last few years. I think more women are completing degrees that were typically reserved for men, such as engineering and science. These have empowered women to showcase their value in a male-dominated environment.”

“Our values attract a balanced team. This is not because we are pro-women, but rather because we are anti-exclusionary. We believe everyone, regardless of gender, pronoun or preference, should be allowed to contribute in their unique way,” she concludes.

Lili Nupen, director at Nupen Staude de Vries Incorporated, shares that women need to champion other women and highlight the values and skill sets they add to the mining sector.

46 CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 MINING SUPPLIEDIMAGE:

“It is vital that past prejudices are addressed with speciﬁc purpose, and because of this inclusion, I have no doubt we are seeing more female CEOs in major mining companies than ever before,” she says.

Nupen points out that legislated preference has been the catalyst for women to emphasise their innate talent and put the cynical tick-boxing exercise to rest. The industry is better for it, she adds, but legacy systems take a long time to change – this is one of the main reasons she launched her business.

She says that NSDV has transparent and progressive policies – such as employees being permitted to take as much leave as they like through the year, no set ofﬁce hours and encouraging collaboration and skills transfer by sitting in open-plan ofﬁces, so employees can discuss and debate ideas.

Tshepi Phosa, founder of Milviforce Puma Nelspruit, ﬁrst took an interest in the petroleum industry in 2013 when started an internship with Brent Oil during school holidays. She noticed, during her training, that at the time only 20 per cent of the industry globally was made up of women. “I was interested in ﬁguring out what the industry entailed. I felt that there should be more women involved and I wanted to be one of them.” Phosa says she loves the constant challenge of this dynamic industry, which has taught her negotiation skills and helped her to understand the remuneration structures, among other abilities. “That so many women had failed within this space was alarming. The way men were so shrewd and undermined the role of a woman really fuelled my wish to transform this sector. The creation of jobs and being impactful within male-dominated spaces has always been one of my goals in life.”

Intentional social networking builds enormous capital in the future.” She admits it’s a challenging industry to ﬁnd your feet in. “In the beginning, funding was a major problem especially as the equity base was low and even a business overdraft was impossible.” That is why she is so passionate about the assistance that WOESA offers. “We offer WOESA member companies, organisations and individuals services that focus on developing a knowledge base and building capacity among women through education and training. We also facilitate access to business opportunities and do advocacy work for women by participating in drafting legislation and policies.”

Offering advice to women in the ﬁeld, Moabi-Makasi says: “Work hard and lead with ethic and integrity. Lift others, especially your staff.” She says that taking a long-term view of the business and seeing herself as a custodian of the business for the next generation has helped her stay the distance. “And,” she stresses: “Network, network and network.

BE BUSINESS-SAVVY

Milviforce Puma Nelspruit was formed when she obtained her ﬁrst petrol station in September 2015. Within a year, the business had increased its petrol output volumes from 175 000 to 350 000. This was achieved through Phosa’s astute networking

PUSELETSO MOMPEI speaks to two women with their feet ﬁrmly on the pedal when it comes to breaking into and succeeding in the petroleum industry

In her memoir, Fuelling Futures: From Inﬂuence to Impact, which details her journey in the industry, Phosa says her recipe for success is respect, honesty, working diligently and most importantly focusing on her goals.

“Work hard and lead with ethic and integrity. Lift others, especially your staff.”

– Pinky Moabi-Makasi, New Africa Petroleum Holdings

CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 47 PETROLEUM SUPPLIEDIMAGES: P

inky Moabi-Makasi is the managing director of New Africa Petroleum (NAP) Holdings (Pty)Ltd and has been its executive director since 1997. She is also the founding director of Women in Oil and Energy SA (WOESA), which comprises WOESA Investment Holdings and has about 1 000 women investors. She says that the petroleum sector is still very much male-dominated. “Decisions are not made in the boardroom. I can think of projects where we, especially as WOESA women, lost out as we partly didn’t understand the ‘language of doing business’.”

Moabi-MakasiPinky TshepisoPhosa and introduction of strategic marketing campaigns that constantly brought trafﬁc to the site. She says that it was only after growing the business that she felt her male colleagues began to trust her management style and believe in her vision for the site. Phosa advises women entering the sector to be business-savvy and keep their eyes open for unscrupulous behaviour. Experience has taught her that “women need to ensure all agreements are signed prior to making any introductions between a buyer and potential supplier”. She says that “in the beginning, I was too trusting – that was my downfall. I’d make introductions trusting that we all have ethics, and not knowing that a deal could be taken away right under myShenose.”adds that the nature of the business demands that you constantly monitor your cash and staff and that daily reconciliations are never neglected.

TRANSFORMATIONFUELLINGEFFORTS

“I strive for perfection daily and believe in building others along my journey.”

AndprimarilyinThere’sthebygenderThetforenvironmentpost-pandemicanCreatingenablingwomenorisepandemicmayhavesetparityprogressbackageneration,accordingtoWorldEconomicForum.alsobeenanincreasegender-basedviolence,linkedtolockdowns.there’sanincreasing financial gap between men and women. As the global economy slowly recovers and we embrace the new normal, how are women being empowered to live in a post pandemic world?

By Kanyisa Mkhize, CEO of Sanlam Corporate We’ve spent the better part of the past 18 months being strong, courageous, resilient “all-rounders” and about 100 other adjectives that essentially all amount to being selfsacrificing. And it’s enough. We don’t have to be “every woman”. My wish for my mother, for my sister and every other woman in South Africa is that they entertain even for a second, the idea of taking care of themselves and filling their own cups. Over this time, I’ve learnt the importance of being grateful for every moment. Of being more present with family and friends. I’m prioritising my health and wellbeing and that of my colleagues. To keep the spirit of the women who marched in 1956 alive, we need to invest in ourselves –financially, mentally and physically. Data from Stats SA (December 2020) found 41.8 percent of South African households were female-headed, highlighting the significant financial pressure women are under. And of the 3 million job losses during the 2020 lockdowns, 2 million were women. Financial equality is critical and we need to actively increase the opportunities for women (that want to) to earn their own income and accumulate assets. We need to make it an imperative to remove any structural/socioeconomic barrier to this. And where a woman has chosen to work – we should fight to close the gender pay gap such that in each household, there is a level playing field when it comes to earning potential. There is no middle ground. It is either we do something about it and reap the benefits that come with having more of the population economically engaged or we do nothing and allow our socio-economic ills to overcome us a society.

In celebration of Women’s Month this year, four of Sanlam’s leaders share what the month means to them, along with their suggestions for navigating uncertainty and how to live with confidence. You don’t have to be ‘every woman’:

By Natalie Jabangwe, Group Digital Executive Officer at Sanlam Financial inclusion for women means more economic opportunities. More importantly, it represents the opportunity to change the social outcomes of generations of women. If anything, the pandemic has taught me that women need to strive towards financial literacy and build their financial confidence. My advice to women is to use every opportunity to learn about managing your money and making it work for you. Whether you’d like to learn how to budget, save, set financial goals, etc. – use your connection to the digital world to access the tools that will help you. For me, living with confidence is having the courage to start something, despite the challenges. It’s harnessing our deep experiences and failures, in business and life, to craft solid plans to achieve our goal. I believe that now more than ever, women throughout the world are struggling to navigate their identity in the workplace, at home and in social spaces. The realities we face today are different to what our mothers experienced, not to mention the added pressure of social media and trying to keep up with the Khumalo’s. However, we need to forgive ourselves for not meeting everyone’s expectations and most importantly, our own. We have it in our DNA to support and inspire, but we cannot do it if we don’t take care of ourselves. This Women’s Month, I’d like to avoid dwelling on things that are out of their control.

But with persistence, and by celebrating the small wins, over time you will have guaranteed success. Take control of what you can, even if it’s just scheduling an hour each day to write down one thing you’d like to achieve. This will give you a sense of comforting structure and accomplishment. Avoid dwelling on things you can’t control:

The work for women is ongoing. We cannot be truly happy while some of us still face unemployment, poor health and poverty. I believe we all have a role to play in helping women feel financially confident and fostering greater economic inclusion. This pandemic has shaped how I show up as a leader in the workplace, every decision I make should always have a positive ripple effect. It is important to me that my place of work isn’t merely profit-driven but has a greater purpose to advance women- and humankind.

My wish this Women’s Month is that we all recognise our uniqueness rather than focusing on our weaknesses. Whether it be in the workplace or at home, we need to lead with the purpose of motivating and celebrating each other – an ‘each one teach one’ approach. We all have a role to play in our respective areas of influence and if anything, the pandemic has taught us the power of coming together to have a greater impact. We urge our corporate contemporaries to join us in finding real, sustainable ways to financially include women, from promoting deserving candidates and paying people fairly to fostering flexibility and providing fair maternity and paternity leave. Importantly, employers can also play a pivotal role in providing regular financial education to employees, even if this is through informal monthly meet-ups or discussion groups. It’s these kinds of innovations that move the needle and build financial

Doconfidence.yourresearch,

By Liezl Myburgh, CEO at Sanlam Collective Investments

Each one teach one – why we all need to lift one another up:

The power of confidence:financial

By Abigail Mukhuba, Group Financial Director of Sanlam

do the planning and if things don’t necessarily go according to plan, learn the lesson and see how you can do things better next time. Living with confidence doesn’t mean you’ll always have absolute control over how things turn out.

Transformation in the ﬁnancial services sector is happening at a slower pace than its progressive charter code could have enabled. Two industry insiders discuss the next steps to ensure true change.

“Most organisations do not have effective mentorship programmes to help prepare black and female employees for senior leadership roles.” – Jeanett Modise, Sanlam

BIG STRIDES NEEDED

Shanna Caromba, chief operating ofﬁcer of Discovery Insure, says that while transformation has been in play in the sector at least since the passing of employment equity legislation, commitment to upskilling and developing equity candidates and women has only received the required attention in recent years. The ﬁnancial services sector has historically been perceived as a white male-dominated industry and such perceptions take time to unravel, she adds.

Sanlam recognises transformation as an absolute business and economic imperative, says Modise. “For us, it’s a case of taking deliberate action to empower more people to live with conﬁdence and meaningfully participate in the economy. By transforming the sector, we have a positive ripple effect in communities –and our country and continent at large.”

“While female representation has progressed well, more needs to be done to further progress African female representation.”

The Sector Education and Training Authority for the Finance, Accounting, Management Consulting and Other Financial Services sector estimates that black Africans occupy 42 per cent of jobs in the sector, while the black demographic (black African, coloured and Indian) together occupies 48 per cent of managerial positions. Although most employees in the sector are female (56 per cent), women occupy only 48 per cent of managerial positions.

50 CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 FINANCE E

By DELIA DU TOIT

Indeed, the sector has not progressed as much as it could and should have, particularly at senior management levels, says Jeanett Modise, group human resources director at Sanlam. “Report after report of the Commission for Employment Equity conﬁrms this. Unfortunately, transformation is often focused on better scorecard ratings, rather than meaningful change.”

And real change is happening within these organisations. Discovery Insure actively recruited talent for various senior roles, says Caromba. “This has placed us in a strong position from a transformation perspective. We carry out extensive talent mapping, including targeting a large percentage of high professionals in senior management positions from a female perspective. We also upskill people within the business and actively track progress in terms of time to the next position.”

DID YOU KNOW?

FUTURE PERFECT

meaningful roles. This would improve retention levels and representation at all management levels in Carombaorganisations.”agrees.“While good targets are a starting point, role models are critical. When women join organisations and see women in leadership positions, they tend to stay, so creating aspirational roles where emerging female talent see opportunities to grow is important. There is a responsibility to ensure that people are equipped and supported to take up senior roles. Organisations can support transformation through a commitment to upskilling and developing equity candidates.”

INDUSTRY CHALLENGES

Perhaps the true signiﬁcance of the industry code is its focus on broader societal transformation, such as extending impactful ﬁnancial solutions to those previously excluded socioeconomically, she adds. “There are also some genuine constraints hindering progress.

The recently published Sanlam Gauge shows that sectors with their own transformation codes – like the ﬁnancial industry – outperform those with generic codes, says Modise. “The sector is fairly representative at lower levels up to middle management. What is needed now is a concerted drive to develop these black and female employees to prepare them for promotion opportunities into senior levels. Appropriate talent management strategies can close the gaps. Employees with potential should be offered development opportunities, effective mentorship, promotion and deployment into

The legacy of our education system continues to affect the number of black learners in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects, which are essential for the technical skills needed for most roles in the ﬁnancial sector. We have also seen poor retention levels of black employees, especially at middle management level. And most organisations do not have effective mentorship programmes to help prepare black and female employees for senior leadership roles.”

SANLAM GAUGE REPORT 2021 Jeanett Modise DRIVING SUSTAINABILITY AT DISCOVERY SUPPLIEDIMAGE:

conomic activity in the finance, real estate and business services industry increased at an annualised rate of 7.4 per cent in the first quarter of 2021, according to Statistics South Africa – making it one of the top-performing sectors in the country. And yet, despite the sector being one of the first to adopt a charter code for transformation in SA, transformation remains slow – especially at the higher levels.

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– Tsakani MalulekE, AUDITOR-GENERAL SOUTH AFRICA

sakani Maluleke became the first woman Auditor-General South Africa (AGSA) in December last year, having also been the first female deputy AGSA before that. She believes this is due to good succession planning in the organisation, which ensures that government departments spend taxpayers’ money responsibly. “People have responded pretty well. I have not had any negative feedback to my appointment, especially around the gender aspect. There’s been enough of a track record to give comfort that this appointment makes“Theresense.isalso the inspirational aspect of being the first female. It’s been a cause for celebration, which I understand to be less about me and more about this moment that others have created for me to emerge as the“Thesefirst. sort of achievements – first female or first black person – are less about the individual. They are more about a reflection on a journey that others have been on, men and women who advocated for, fought for, and prepared for a moment such as this, where I can emerge as the first female AGSA.” Maluleke says that her office represents South Africa’s demographics “in the most inspiring way”. “Half of the 3 500 people we employ are female and the majority black – about 70 per cent black African. We have an interesting mix in terms of representing South Africa’s demographics right across our institution and across the different levels: Exco has been 50 per cent black and 50 per cent female for the last five or six years. That level of representation is seen throughout the rest of the institution.”

Accredited by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants, it’s a graduate employment programme for people to do their articles here. People then write their board exams and, ultimately, qualify.

Continuity of vision Maluleke says this success is because of a continuity of vision and effort from successive AGSAs. “There are things that Shauket Fakie, the ﬁrst AGSA, had to do to lay down the foundation for this level of success. There are things that Terence Nombembe, the second AGSA, had to do. There are things that Kimi Makwetu – my immediate predecessor – had to do. There are things that I have to do.

“For example, we have the largest training scheme in auditing for trainee auditors.

“The scheme was started when Terence was still deputy AGSA and Shauket was AGSA. When Kimi came, he grew it signiﬁcantly. When I arrived, I made changes to the scheme. Ones that will bring about a change in the way we recruit and train. With every single leader, there is a continuity of vision, and we all bring our bits to make things better. We have delivered more than 1 200 qualiﬁed CAs(SA), operating in different parts of the country, and whose lives have been transformed forever.”

It starts with a VISION

MALULEKE AT HOME Maluleke says most of her spare time is focused on her two daughters, aged eighteen and four. “That takes up a great deal of my time and energy and focus in different ways. The rest of the time I spend with my mom and myMalulekesiblings.”used to run marathons, but says she is losing that ability. “I’m a little bit ashamed to call myself a runner, but I still dabble. I haven’t let go of it completely. The idea of being a marathon runner is slowly fading away, but I can still put in a good 5km or 10km.” MalulekeTsakani “There is also the inspirational aspect of being the first female. It’s been a cause for celebration.”

RYLAND FISHER speaks to Tsakani Maluleke, South Africa’s recently appointed Auditor-General, about her vision for the Auditor-General’s ofﬁce, leadership and gender transformation ADVICE TO OTHER YOUNG LEADERS Maluleke says she has two messages for young women who look up to her. “First, their dreams are valid – they must believe this. Second, none of us are perfect.“When we look for people to admire and respect, we ought to accept that people are imperfect. This is something that worries me when we talk about role models. We want perfection, and when that person does something wrong because they are fallible human beings, then we fall apart because now our role models are imperfect, instead of taking the good and accepting the not so good.”

AUDITOR-GENERAL SOUTH AFRICA 52 CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 SUPPLIEDIMAGE T

CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 53 STANDARD BANK ADVERTORIAL

“In 2020, we invested R677.5m on employee development (men and women), equating to an average of R14 275 per employee. Across the group, 14 per cent of employees attended the management and leadership development programmes – 51 per cent were women,” she says.

Sethlatswe says Standard Bank recognises that its success lies in creating a diverse and inclusive environment, hence its Diversity Statement of Intent: “As the leading African ﬁnancial services organisation, we believe that diversity is critical to the success of our business strategy, whether we are investing in new markets with our diverse clients across the globe, or we are seeking outstanding talent to help us drive innovative solutions for our clients. Diversity is a fundamental element of everything we do.”

(SEE) impact strategy, Standard Bank has identified seven impact areas in which it believes it can best achieve its purpose, namely to drive Africa’s growth, while making a substantial positive impact on society, the economy and the“Weenvironment.selected these areas based on their relevance to our core business as a provider of fi nancial products and services and the priority needs of Africa’s people, businesses andSethlatsweeconomies.”emphasises that financial inclusion is one of the group’s selected impact areas. “Accelerating the financial inclusion of women in Africa by promoting the United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 5 and 8), and the AU Agenda 2063 is the best way we can contribute to a more diverse and gender-equal world.”

“Locally, we partner with TopCo Media to present the annual Standard Bank Top Women Conference in recognition of organisations and individuals working to uplift women in business and society, as well as proﬁle women leaders and trailblazers.” Sethlatswe

➔ Scan this QR code to go directly to the Standard Bank website. For more information: www.standardbank.co.za mployee diversity and inclusion is a competitive differentiator, and diverse organisations perform better ﬁnancially, according to the McKinsey & Company’s Diversity wins: How inclusion matters 2020 report. “A diverse and inclusive workplace makes everyone feel equally involved and supported in all areas of the workplace,” says Boitumelo Sethlatswe, head of Societal Impact, Group Corporate Citizenship, Standard Bank Group. She explains that achieving diversity and inclusion is more than policies, programmes or headcounts that often look good on paper.

Other initiatives include partnering with the UN Women HeForShe movement to promote gender equality, and the provision of US$3m funding for the women empowerment programmes and business sustainability in Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda in partnership with the UN Women Climate Smart Agricultural projects.

GENDER MAINSTREAMING INITIATIVES

SUPPLIEDIMAGE:

Boitumelo

Sethlatswe says gender equality is a fundamental human right and Standard Bank is committed to helping create a gender-equal world. Gender equity is a primary focus area for the group, and this starts from recruitment to skills development and promotion.

Another speciﬁc intervention is the Last Mile development programme aimed at supporting selected individuals to take the step from executive to chief executive. The focus is on increasing the representation of women chief executives at country and regional levels, Sethlatswe points out.

The Standard Bank Group is committed to helping create a diverse and gender-equal world. By DENISE MHLANGA

Last year, the group launched the African Women Impact Fund Initiative in partnership with the UN Economic Commission for Africa, aimed at creating a sustainable investment platform to grow the number of women asset managers in Africa.

“We offer various targeted skills development interventions for women across the group and have set targets for women representation at senior management and executive levels.

In 2020, Standard Bank appointed six programme participants to country-level chief executive roles – two are women. Promotion is always based on core competencies and capabilities.

Furthermore, she explains that as part of the company’s social, environmental and economic

“We are on track to meeting the group’s goal of increasing women executive positions to 40 per cent by 2023. Currently, women account for 33.6 per cent of executive positions across the group. The percentage of women board members has exceeded the 2021 target of 33 per cent, and has increased to 35 per cent from 22 per cent in 2018,” Sethlatswe adds.

“Accelerating the financial inclusion of women in Africa by promoting the United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 5 and 8), and the AU Agenda 2063 is the best way we can contribute to a more diverse and gender-equal world.” – BOITUMELO SETHLATSWE

BANKING ON EMPLOYEE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSIVITY FOR SUCCESS

As we look to the future, it is clear that we have an obligation to play a role beyond making and selling renewable, circular, biobased products that can have a sustainable impact on climate change. Within this context, taking on the role of Head of Sustainability is both exhilarating and daunting and I am looking forward to the challenges ahead.”

Dr Tracy Wessels was recently appointed as Sappi Limited Group Head of Sustainability in January 2021 but has been with Sappi since 2001. She has a PhD in Organic Chemistry from UKZN and started her career in Sappi as a Scientist in Research & Development at the Saiccor Dissolving Pulp Mill. She transitioned into a Customer Technical Services role for the Dissolving Pulp Segment, which covered both the applications R&D and Customer Technical Services and headed up the Dissolving Pulp Centre of Excellence for several years prior to her new appointment. She brings a strong technical background to her new role, coupled with significant customer relationship management experience and regular engagement on technical and sustainability-related matters. Tracy shares her thoughts on her new role.

Celebrating women

“Sappi’s recently launched Thrive25 strategy includes an ambitious purpose statement outlining Sappi’s intention to ‘build a thriving world by unlocking the power of renewable resources’. Although sustainability has been a core strategic focus for Sappi for many years, in the Thrive25 strategy, it has been integrated even further into the business and is the foundation that underpins all of our strategic pillars. Sappi’s key resource is woodfibre. Our work to unlock the power of renewable resources is aimed at benefitting people, communities and the planet. It links to one of our key sustainability strategy pillars – acting as a custodian of land and forests. What this means in practical terms, is using woodfibre not only for business profit but also for generational prosperity, as well as investing in, and searching for, innovative ways to leave the planet better than we found it. Our leadership challenge is to ensure that sustainability is deeply embedded into our culture and decision-making processes. We recognise that current and future stakeholders, in particular Generation Z-ers, want to have a positive purpose that improves the world in some way. We believe that sustainability underpins everything we do and helps attract and engage skilled employees and customers. We have chosen to align our sustainability targets with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which has given us more clarity and purpose. The ambitious goals we have set ourselves cannot be achieved unless every employee understands how their efforts contribute to our success and is engaged and motivated to perform. It is therefore critical that there is not only an understanding of WHAT we are trying to achieve but also the WHY, which is why our purpose statement and alignment to the SDGs is so significant.

Source: Bathabile Ntshingila, Sappi NtshingilaBathabile MakhosazanaMavimbela

MORE ABOUT THE FORESTRY SECTOR CHARTER COUNCIL

CARYN GOOTKIN looks at gender integration in the largely male-dominated forestry sector T

DID YOU KNOW?

The forestry industry is currently facing land claims through the Land Reform Act. Sappi partners with beneﬁ ciary communities to transfer skills, provide seedlings and offer support where needed, giving the community a guaranteed market for their timber. It is common for half the community workers to be women.”

ReesJulia

Most forestry opportunities are in rural areas and provide informal work opportunities for the unskilled.

he Forestry Sector Charter Council, set up in terms of the Amended Forestry Sector Code, is mandated to report on transformation in the industry. Makhosazana Mavimbela, FSCC’s executive director, says: “We must change the landscape at both operational and decision-making level by giving women opportunities at C-Suite, board and top management level. Women on boards can inﬂuence the operations and direction of Unfortunately,companies.” there is little progress at C-Suite level, especially for black women, as conﬁrmed in the FSCC’s latest Annual Report On The Status Of Transformation In The Forest Sector 2020/2021. However, at board levels, things are improving.

WOMEN MUST BE GIVEN MORE OPPORTUNITIES

“Until recently, no one believed a woman could operate a machine, drive a truck or manage a farm, but this is changing,” says Ntshingila.

EQUALITY AT PLAY Julia Rees, a director of She is Forestry, owns Dargle Poles, a family-run business. “I am protected from many of the challenges women in the andandshetimbercorporateindustryface,”says.“Irunthebusinessmarketingsidehaveneverbeentreated differently as a woman. The industry has been incredibly supportive, mainly, I think because we run an efficient business and take an active role in industry issues. On odd occasions, I may not be taken seriously at first, but this is short-lived and I have never feltBeingpatronised.”surrounded by mainly male employees is a source of concern for Rees. “If a conflict arises with a threat of violence, I rely on the male managers to assist me. We work around all our weaknesses and fill the gaps with team managers who have these strengths. We have a mix of male and female managers who all have different strengths that together make a wonderful team.”

“We need to showcase and raise the profile of women in the industry,” says Mavimbela. “Women in influential positions have a responsibility to demonstrate courage, confidence and capability so that other women see the potential and believe that they too can reach this level.” She believes in true integration. “We ask the industry to promote us on merit so that our representation is impactful,” she says. “There is a need to fully comprehend the importance of gender integration, show willingness, create a pool of potential women for promotions and then mentor them so that they are not set up for failure. We must inculcate a culture that addresses gaps: Why are there no women there? How can we get more women to occupy these positions? I want to believe we will be seeing changes if we sincerely address these gaps.” Bathabile Ntshingila is a project manager at Sappi and a director of the nonprofit company, She is Forestry, an independent industry body for women. “She is Forestry arose out of a women’s webinar the industry held last year during Women’s Month. The webinar highlighted the need for a sustained and sustainable intervention,” she says. “Our mandate is to support all social and economic activities aimed at removing the bottlenecks preventing women from entering and excelling in forestry. As a woman, it is very difficult to be promoted; men get preference, and biological differences are seen as constraints. We must encourage skills development, research, and entrepreneurship training for women.”

“Women play a vital role in such settings,” says Mavimbela. “Their zealous and caring nature gives them an advantage in preparing the seedlings that will eventually be processed into ﬁne paper. We need to value their contribution in the value chain and see their transformation in a similar pattern.”

CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 55 FORESTRY SUPPLIEDIMAGES:

RAISE THE PROFILE AND SKILLS OF WOMEN

Gender inequality remains a systemic problem within the agriculture sector, which is why Tiger Brands champions a number of programmes that focus on female empowerment through its Enterprise and Supplier Development activities (ESD). Aggregator Lusanda Moletsane of Khumo Ea Tsebo (KET) Advisory Services is one example. Since receiving a mentor and a R10ml lowinterest loan from Tiger Brands, she has become a supplier of small white beans used in the production of KOO baked beans. Her mentor offers technical advice to support crop commercialisation by increasing productivity and boosting yields by means of soil preparation, planting, weed and pest control and harvesting. Lusanda’s two farming clusters currently cover 10 000 ha and include 10 farmers – four of whom are black women. And her expansion plans are ambitious. She aims to have 100 000ha under her supervision within five years. Similarly, by boosting its reliance on local production, Tiger Brands’ national logistics needs have also increased. This has seen the company diversify its supplier value chain to include more female-owned companies. More than half of the company’s outsourced logistics companies are black female-owned, such as Tshimoloho Group owned by 40-year-old Kholiswa Zondani. A quarter of her trucks service Tiger Brands with the opportunity to negotiate favourable pricing.

South Africa’s largest food manufacturer is playing a key role in the transformation of the country’s agricultural sector. It is doing so by encouraging more females, particularly those from previously disadvantaged backgrounds, to enter the traditionally male-dominated sector across its entire value chain.

The company also does its best to ensure Kholiswa’s vehicles are fully utilised to reduce the need for her trucks to run empty legs.

If we are to see real, long-lasting impact on food security at a household, community and economic level, we need to empower more women to enter the agriculture sector and its servicing. Female labour in crop production across sub-Saharan Africa stands at 40%, according to The Living Standards Measurement Study. Out in the fields, a positive correlation between females and an increase in crop productivity has been widely reported. It’s also a well-known fact that a woman’s income stretches much further and has a far greater impact on food security and the nutritional outcome of children.

Inclusive growth has long been the cornerstone of Tiger Brands’ developmental mandate, with a particular focus on including black-, female-owned SMMEs (small, medium and micro enterprises) in the company’s operations, from farmers and aggregators to various suppliers across its value chain.

Anecdotally, when female agri-entrepreneurs arrive for meetings, it’s often a case of clients looking over their shoulders expecting to see a male who will talk business. This despite the fact that the Women in Agriculture report by The Sustainability Initiative of South Africa and the Western Cape Department of Agriculture found that respondents overwhelmingly agreed that more women are needed in agriculture because they are more empathetic leaders and collaborators, good problem-solvers and effective communicators.

The support comes in the form of much needed mentoring, training and skills development, business funding, access to the market, as well as commercialisation strategies to help build womenled businesses and sustain them in the long term.

Farming Portal reported that every rand earned by a woman has the same impact on the household as R11 earned by a man.

This kind of ongoing business support enables these SMMEs to service one of the continent’s largest listed companies – whereas previously they may have been outcompeted by larger, more entrenched businesses.

thewomenSouthEmpoweringAfricantotransformagriculturalsector

For Tiger Brands, this is not merely a box-ticking exercise; its approach is part of the company’s business strategy to nurture and nourish more lives every day. Indeed, in the current economic climate, SMMEs are fuelling job creation and driving socio-economic development more so than many other larger businesses. Tiger Brands encourages its SMME suppliers to service other clients across a number of industries with the understanding that growing South Africa’s economy means creating opportunities across the board, not only when it serves to benefit them. Gender inequality remains a systemic problem that requires a multifaceted approach, particularly in South Africa. After all, gender equality is paramount to realising the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and should be addressed from a public and private perspective.

Sadly, many women still face gender discrimination in what is considered a predominantly male-dominated industry. The greatest barriers of entry for women in agriculture include the lack of self-confidence, training and experience, and childcare support, among many others.

Celebrating Nolufefe Maqubela, female farmer for Khumo Ea Tsebo (KET) Watching her father work the soil and reap his harvest is what inspired Nolufefe Maqubela to follow in his footsteps. Though she first specialised in poultry, since then she has expanded her portfolio to include crop farming as a supplier of small white beans to Tiger Brands via KET. She has installed a solar system to ensure that her farm, which is part of KET’s Bronkhorstspruit Farming Cluster, consistently has electricity. Maqubela’s background as a social worker is what inspired her to employ six young employees, in the hopes of refining their skills and growing their experience, and to encourage other youth to embrace careers in agriculture.

Celebrating Mahlatse Malepane, female farmer for Servicios Empresaviales (SE) Holdings

“ “

In her former professional life, 36-year-old Mahlatse Malepane was working a corporate job in Sandton. In 2015, she yielded to the desire to become an entrepreneur by pursuing farming in her home village in Limpopo, just like her father had taught her as a young girl. Today, her family-owned farm employs nine people and creates seasonal job opportunities for over 50 villagers. This multiplier effect has created a sustainable income in her village, where farmers are deemed ‘Champions of the Village’. Malepane is one of five farmers who supplies SE Holdings.

Agriculture is a business, being a farmer is a profession. Women are nurturers by nature and agriculture is sexy. Farming is not what it used to be; it has evolved. You can wear designer outfits and still be a farmer.

- Mahlatse Malepane

“ “ Treat farming like a business. Growing up you think it’s a male orientated job, but women have done a lot in the sector. Embrace the space as a woman, be aggressive and make use of technology and software to enhance your business.

- Nolufefe Maqubelwww.tigerbrands.com

To learn more visit:

- Luyanda Sondiyazi

Celebrating Luyanda Sondiyazi, female farmer for Khumo Ea Tsebo (KET)

Sixty-two-year-old Luyanda Sondiyazi is breaking all gender and age stereotypes by encouraging more young women to look for employment and investment opportunities within the agriculture sector. Even though she is a qualified medical technologist with numerous other business interests, her family’s farming heritage stretches back two generations to her maternal and paternal grandfathers. Sondiyazi started farming in 2006 when she acquired land in Bronkhorstspruit through the Proactive Land Acquisition Strategy for Agricultural Development programme. She began with egg production, expanded into horticulture and now supplies South Africa’s largest food manufacturer with small white beans through KET. Brace yourself, there will be challenges, however, you should forget about what men will say. Sometimes you are disadvantaged by being a woman, challenge authority, but develop a tough skin. Allow your passion to lead you.

“ “

LuthuliMamela CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 DoorsamySeshni SUPPLIEDIMAGES:

STEM arena. First and foremost, they must contend with South Africa’s bitter history of apartheid and, by extension, the political unrest experienced earlier this year. Exacerbating societal constructs is the ever-present spectre of South Africa’s deeply ingrained cultural roles, which have historically favoured a male-centric society. In turn, all these factors have led to bullying, discrimination and overt sexism in both the college application and hiringThereprocess.isnoproblem that cannot be solved by human ingenuity, willpower and resilience. A growing South Africa suffers from a deep gender divide when it comes to jobs involving science, technology, engineering or mathematics and there is an undeniable deficit of women in key tech-centred roles.

MAMELA LUTHULI, founder and CEO of Take Note IT, shares how developing high-impact solutions are important for creating an eco-system of women in the secto T he latest statistics from the United Nations Educational, Scientiﬁ c and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) paint a vivid picture of the gender gap in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers. UNESCO’s 2021 science report’s section on women and the digital revolution reveals that only 28 per cent of tertiary graduates in engineering are women, and 40 per cent of those are in computer sciences, and women comprise just 22 per cent of the workforce in artiﬁ cial intelligence. This is despite the world accelerating progress towards the fourth industrial revolution and a growing skills shortage in the sector. So, why are we not seeing more women taking up these opportunities?

While there are broader issues like equitable access to opportunities, coupled with socioeconomic complexities, women have limited exposure and understanding of what is available with regard to STEM. Education and training are key to creating a mass of skilled women. Exposure to the industry, linked to on-the-job training opportunities, remains a critical entry point. We founded the Take Note Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence to train and upskill young people, majority female, and provide them with work opportunities locally and internationally. Small, high-impact solutions are equally important for creating an ecosystem of women in the sector, accompanied by stronger, more targeted interventions like exposure to the vast options available, funding and training. And once they’re in the system, additional efforts are needed to Education and training are key to creating a mass of skilled women. Exposure to the industry, linked to on-the-job training opportunities, remains a critical entry point. retain talent and create an enabling professional environment that fosters growth. I remember being constantly undermined and intimidated by technical jargon and having to prove myself threefold – this is the reality for many women in our area of work. Discrimination and a lack of career growth contribute substantially to brain drain, as many peers opt to leave the industry. There is room to change the current reality, but we must be intentional in our approach. We must teach our daughters to dream big; there is power in dreams. With the current skills shortage, there is more than ample opportunity for all of us.

2021 SCIENCEUNESCOREPORT number of organisations and initiatives seek to remedy South Africa’s gender disparity by providing support and intervention throughout the educational journey, from the beginning of the pipeline up to job placement. As a women-owned tech company, ZonkeTech fosters a culture of continuous learning, transparency and gender equality. Our policies mandate an ethos of awareness and understanding of gender equality in the workplace by implementing a mentoring system that encourages morale and educates employees. The multiplicity of viewpoints within our organisation ignites creativity and innovation. It has also helped us identify and seize new opportunities. Our clients come from all walks of life; gender empowerment has diversiﬁed the way we interact with our clients. If your organisation reﬂects the client, then you are more likely to communicate effectively with them.

SESHNI DOORSAMY, director at ZonkeTech, unpacks the barriers to entry in tech-focused careers

CLOSING THE GENDER GAP IN STEM CAREERS

REMEDYING DISPARITY

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP: IT 58 T rue progress is predicated on the interplay of multifaceted viewpoints. A nation cannot excel, nor can it rise to the status of leadership, if educational opportunities are not equal across multiple demographics. South Africa suffers from a deep gender divide when it comes to jobs involving science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) and there is an undeniable deﬁcit of women in key tech-centred roles. But where does the problem originate? Is it a matter of restrictive, sexually discriminatory hiring practices, or is there a deeper issue at play? The reality of the situation is extremely nuanced. Young women in South Africa face numerous hurdles when it comes to excelling in the

The country has had to make a significant effort to overcome deeply encoded social roles and the inertia of its entrenched sexist history.

ZonkeTech’s efforts begin with the idea of visibility. Historically, there has been a profound lack of female role models within the South African workforce. This is more or less the product of a “chicken or egg” situation. In previous years, South African women have had little efﬁcacy or voice within the country’s tech sector, meaning fewer opportunities for role models to Doorsamyarise. points to Dr Grace Hopper, the famous American admiral and computer scientist who invented the COBOL programming language, as a source of personal inspiration. But admiring an international role model from afar is not the same as having a visible role model embedded in your own workplace. That’s why ZonkeTech stresses the need for an environment where every woman in the IT arena is considered a role model. After all, the company is at the forefront of South Africa’s efforts to establish a greater level of gender parity in the workplace.

SUPPLIEDIMAGES: CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 59 ZONKE TECH ADVERTORIAL

omen make up just over half the population of the entire African continent, and yet they are only responsible for building a small portion of Africa’s total gross domestic product, states a McKinsey report on women’s equality in Africa. Signiﬁcant issues with gender inequality exist across the entire breadth of Africa. Even South Africa, one of the continent’s most thriving economic centres, has struggled to establish equitable professional footing for its female workforce despite the nation’s rapidly changing social norms. South Africa has a lot of work to do to establish more equitable gender parity in its workforce. Fortunately, the country is emblematic of the larger, continent-wide push to establish a more equal job market, with key players like ZonkeTech actively leading the way.

FEMALE PROGRESS IN THE WORKPLACE

BREAKING UP THE BOYS CLUB

The road to gender parity is a long and arduous one, but it must be travelled to ensure that women are given equal opportunities

South Africa is well-positioned to radically improve its gender parity in the workplace over the coming years, but the road to equality is long and fraught with difﬁculty. The country has had to make a signiﬁcant effort to overcome deeply encoded social roles and the inertia of its entrenched sexist history. But true progress doesn’t always come from the top down; it often requires the efforts of women-owned businesses that lead from the front, with luminaries such as ZonkeTech director Seshni Doorsamy, to affect real change.

EVERY WOMAN IS A ROLE MODEL

Conﬁ dence lies at the heart of ZonkeTech’s gender-based initiatives. On a professional level, the company works to educate and empower its staff, hiring a diverse range of men and women who engender multiplicity from the corporate point of view. This serves as the cornerstone of building positive female role models in South Africa’s tech culture. Through a robust programme of community service, ZonkeTech is proud to present those role models to South African society. South Africa still has work to do to achieve true gender parity, but positive change starts with visibility. Professional women – especially in the tech-based arena – need a template for success, an idea to emulate and a tangible dream to reach for. Doorsamy and the team at ZonkeTech are more than happy to carry the torch for their sisters and colleagues across the nation. Seshni Doorsamy

➔ Scan this QR code to go directly to the Zonke Tech’s website. For more information: www.zonketech.co.za

PAVING THE WAY FORWARD In 2020, ZonkeTech was named one of the best B2B companies to do business with by Clutch.io and won honours for UX and UI designs at the CSS Design Awards. ZonkeTech has established itself as a leader in South Africa’s bustling tech sector through its superior software solutions, female-led corporate culture, and dedication to the surrounding community. This is due in great part to Doorsamy’s understanding that gender parity is about more than just what happens inside the ofﬁce. The team at ZonkeTech actively seeks to bring inclusivity to South Africa’s culture.

BACK BASICSTO

S outh Africa’s first female chartered accountant Elizabeth Kruger qualified in 1917. But, another 70 years went by before the profession gained its first black female chartered accountant in Nonkululeko Gobodo. When the African Women Chartered Accountants (AWCA) was established 19 years ago, there were only 407 African, Indian and coloured female CAs(SA) out of a chartered accountant population of 20 903. Though we now live in an era where celebrating the “first black to …” narrative is often frowned upon or viewed as unnecessary, the AWCA has always carried our mission to the world with much aplomb. Zama Khanyile

60 CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 African Women Chartered Accountants president Z AMA KHANYILE and deputy president BUHLE H ANISE report on the initiatives undertaken to provide greater support at the grassroots phase to young black females entering the profession

The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) described the overall 2021 APC pass rate of 43 per cent as disturbingly low. leadership sleepless nights would be a grave understatement. In a recent conversation with AWCA’s founders, we came to the collective realisation that the current black female pass rate had declined to pre-2002 levels when the decision to establish the AWCA was being deliberated. This regression, given that we had already made giant strides in growing these numbers, is a debilitating one. It’s an awareness that has certainly frightened us and compelled us to tweak our strategy and pour more resources into supporting the “Identify” tier of our strategy – our grassroots phase. At one time, both the chartered accountancy profession and the APC pass rate were thriving. To reﬂect and keep up with these successful and boisterous times, we changed our mandate slightly by introducing programmes that supported the rest of our membership base – recently qualiﬁed members, those in middle management and lastly, members on executive levels. Furthermore in 2016, we launched our entrepreneurship forum to provide support to those members who had pursued the entrepreneurial route. The present, however, calls for us to show up to this “dwindling pass rate war” fully armed and ready to encourage more young black females to enter the profession and arrive prepared to weather every storm. We will support from the ground up by curating more experiences and events that support our new members’ most fundamental needs.

THE ASSESSMENT OF PRECOMPROFESSIONALPETENCE(APC)PARATORYWORKSHO

The aim is not to stop at just producing more black female CA s(SA), but also to empower them with the kind of expertise that will assist them in comfortably occupying leadership positions.

To say that witnessing black females sitting at the bottom of the pass rate has not caused the AWCA’s present and past

Previously referred to as the FQE Workshop, the APC Workshop was established as a support structure for candidates who were unsuccessful in the second board exam. It has subsequently grown to become one of the AWCA’s ﬂagship programmes. In line with the AWCA’s second pillar of nurturing young aspiring chartered accountants, the APC Workshop aims to provide a holistic intervention for the APC candidates by supplementing academic support with much-needed mental and emotional motivation, as these areas were identiﬁed as some of the stumbling blocks in passing the exam.

• Identify. Developing young talented girls with the potential to become CAs(SA) through initiatives such as school visits, career workshops, student chapters at universities and the AWCA bursary fund.

• Leadership. Development of both aspiring and qualified black female CAs(SA), which encompasses The AWCA Leadership Academy, entrepreneurs forum and round table discussions.

ABOUT AWCA

The organisation’s unwritten motto is “Develop as you Lead”. To realise its vision, the AWCA board has adopted the “three-tier strategy”, which includes:

FORGING AHEAD Granted, the 2020 and 2021 declines could be partly credited to the havoc wreaked by the global COVID-19 pandemic and all the social inequalities it heightened and brought to the fore. On the ﬂipside, it also isn’t enough to pin all the blame on a mere pandemic. The reality of any unequal society is that where others work doubly hard for their success, there are certain groups whose success will be handed to them on a diamond-encrusted silverTherefore,platter. ours isn’t a mission that seeks to encourage black female candidates to internalise inequalities and brand themselves victims. Instead, we want to teach them to bulldoze any ounce of inequality and obstacle that stands in their way by exposing them to varied corporate and entrepreneurial opportunities that will help make their APC experience less intimidating. It may sound too simplistic, but adequate exposure to the right opportunities is the thin line between a “pass” and a “fail”. We’re taking it upon ourselves – and inviting more organisations and corporates to help build the dream of a young black female – to open doors for job shadowing, agree to mentor requests, willingly share information and create opportunities where ever we can.

• Nurturing. Training and developing aspiring black female CAs(SA). This is done through the preparatory workshops before writing the two qualifying exams, mentorship and power teas.

CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 61 AFRICAN WOMEN CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS ADVERTORIAL

The AWCA is a nonproﬁt organisation whose vision is to accelerate the advancement of black females who have qualiﬁed as, or are aspiring to be, chartered accountants

Our mission is to increase South Africa’s number of black female CAs(SA) while also ensuring that their career goals are not impeded by whatever systemic challenges they face along the way. Bridging the gender gap between qualiﬁed male and female CAs(SA) is also another focus area. The aim is not to stop at just producing more black female CAs(SA), but also to empower them with the kind of expertise that will assist them in comfortably occupying leadership positions.

CRISIS IDENTIFIED

However, in the past three years, an alarming trend linked to the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) exam has emerged. The APC is a competency-based assessment that, via a case study, assesses the candidate’s ability to demonstrate their professional competence. This includes a review of a candidate’s ethical, personal and professional attributes and their application of these skills to real-world scenarios using their technical know-how. The case study requires candidates to respond to real-life tasks expected of entry-level chartered accountants CAs(SA).

The year 2021 further magniﬁed the aforementioned trend, corroborating it as an area of urgent focus. Out of a total of 1 639 black females who took the 2019 APC, 934 were unsuccessful. The 2020 results saw a 14 per cent drop with 1 368 of the 1 792 black females who sat the APC exam failing.

The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) described the overall 2021 APC pass rate of 43 per cent as disturbingly low. Even more concerning was the black female pass rate of a mere 24 per cent, out of the 1 792 candidates who wrote the exam.

CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 COVID-19Accordingpandemic.to Africa’s The rate have, 2019. to Buhle Hanise AWCA Bursary Fund, which currently funds 129 students. Furthermore, these generous donations assist the AWCA’s continuity and ability to provide tangible initiatives that help advance our members.

AFRICAN

Our mission is to increase South Africa’s number of black female CA s(SA) while also ensuring that their career goals are not impeded by whatever systemic challenges they face along the way.

For a nonprofi t organisation like the AWCA to execute these changes, improve the black female APC pass rate and continue to positively impact more lives, we depend on individual and corporate membership fees as well as corporate sponsorships – both monetary and through service. We are in the second year of South Africa’s triple burden – unemployment, inequality and poverty – which is being worsened by the global According to Statistics South Quarterly Labour Force Survey, Quarter 1: 2021, our first quarter 2021 unemployment rate sat at an alarming 32.6 per cent. The survey further revealed that the offi cial unemployment rate among youth (15–34 age group) was 46.3 per cent and 9.3 per cent among

ADVERTORIAL WOMEN CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS

SUPPLIEDIMAGES: to the AWCA website.

For more information: +27 11 621

Facebookwww.awca.co.zaadministrator@awca.co.za6881/2@AwcaSATwitter@AWCA_SAInstagram@awca_saScanthis

AWCA BURSARY FUND

The objective of the AWCA Bursary programme is to offer support to black female students who aspire to qualify as CAs(SA), not only in the form of ﬁnancial backing, but also in the camaraderie that comes with being part of a group that has faced similar pursuits in their careers and lives.

All bursary students are given access to AWCA mentorship, round table and Celebrate Success initiatives. They receive tutoring and guidance where needed to ensure their academic progress, as well as build and strengthen their leadership and other social skills.

The AWCA insists on maintaining a close relationship with each of our student chapters. Bursary students are required to join the student chapters at their respective universities, which offers yet another mode of support for them, as well as instilling in them the culture of identifying, nurturing and leading future generations.

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againstSouthgraduates.universityWhileAfricabattlesmanyragingsocialwars,letusrememberthatthewaragainstpovertyandinequalityisoneofthemostpressingasitrobscitizensoftheirrighttoliveinadignifiedmanner.wayofstandingachancethiswaris by continuing to spread the educationLockdowngospel.restrictions have, once again, put a damper on our fundraising initiatives – the biggest among them being our annual fundraising fl agship event, The Woman of Substance Gala, which we last hosted in 2019. That said, we would like to humbly urge our stakeholders and those that believe in advancing South Africa through education to fi nd it in their hearts to support the

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE OF LOOK LIKE? Media A SPACE DEFINED AND DRIVEN BY A HARD-WORKING CORE OF INDUSTRY-LEADING WOMEN Women who care deeply for our clients and our channel partners. Women who create ideas, products, platforms and opportunities. Visit dstvmediasales.com/news today to see how the women of DStv Media Sales are reimagining the future of media solutions. THE POWER OF Together FOLLOW US @DStv_MediaSales DStv Media Sales (PTY) Ltd. Copyright 2021 Leading emergencetheof Total Video & Hybrid Platform Models, Redefining key Strategy Transformationand imperatives growth-focusedBuilding ArchitectureEnterprise Optimizing EcosystemsBusiness

COMMUNITY SUPPORT

• Women’s development programme – a training programme aimed at embedding the behaviour shift linked to a team member who becomes a thinking partner.

• formal training • experiential learning • women development and coaching programme • networking and social events • community projects • women awards. Other notable focus areas include mentorship, ensuring gender parity for promotions and appointments, deﬁ ning targets for women in senior leadership roles, and creating an empowering culture for women.

Some key initiatives:

• A driver learnership programme for unemployed women to help improve gender diversity in the truck driver workforce.

An impactful gender diversity strategy goes beyond compliance and expands to the communities in which we operate. Therefore, we are deeply seated in supporting and empowering women in sport on the African continent – as evidenced by our sponsorship of the Imperial Wanderers Stadium, the Imperial Lions Female team and our recent sponsorship and partnership with the Momentum gsport Awards. Imperial funds 31 per cent of the largely women-driven network of Unjani clinics, which provide healthcare services and promote self-care. The Imperial and Motus Community Trust has provided 50 libraries across South Africa, impacting the lives of over 52 000 learners, and Imperial contributes to empowering women in communities through the gift of reading. Imperial participated in the February 2021 launch of the government’s Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) Response Fund 1, pledging its ongoing support for this initiative. We have subsequently created a gender-based violence programme to address this urgent issue both within the organisation and on the AfricanImperialcontinent.hasalso become a proud signatory to the UN Global Compact and the Women’s Empowerment Principles, established to help abolish laws discriminating against women by 2030, as well as foster business practices that empower women. As we strive for equality in many areas of business and society, Imperial believes that gender diversity should be at the core of decision-making, ensuring it becomes a key business imperative.

➔ Scan this QR code to go directly to the Imperial website. For more information: www.imperiallogistics.com

The forum’s charter highlights ﬁve areas:

Last year, Imperial achieved its ﬁ rst gender diversity award – ranking second in the Women Empowerment in the Workplace category of the 2020 Business Engage Gender Mainstreaming Awards. In March 2021, Imperial’s Group CEO Mohammed Akoojee publicly pledged to a 30 per cent gender equality ratio in senior management by 30 June 2021. Currently, the company’s board comprises 40 per cent black female leaders with two additional appointments in February Gender parity and empowerment are critical imperatives at Imperial 2021, and women ﬁ ll over 70 per cent of mid to top management positions. Imperial’s Global Women’s Forum is a key catalyst for our gender diversity ambitions, prioritising gender equality and supporting the development and advancement of women across the group and the African continent.

• Youth development programme – a workplace entry programme aimed at equipping South Africa’s youth for work while building a talent pipeline for the business.

• A support network for employees who require professional assistance regarding their mental and overall wellbeing.

INANDDIVERSITYACCELERATINGEMPOWERINGWOMENTHEWORKPLACE

• Flexible working hours providing women with the flexibility to work around their family commitments.

We aim to ensure that 25 percent of all new employees are women and that women occupy senior leadership

Acceleratingroles.gender diversity and equality across the organisation is everyone’s responsibility.

64 CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 ADVERTORIAL IMPERIAL

A t Imperial, we believe that gender diversity should be underpinned by both transformation within the business and support of the larger network of women in the communities in which we operate. It is a shift in culture and behaviour that helps to address key challenges and optimise opportunities for growth and social upliftment. However, this needs to be driven by the collective – bringing female empowerment to the fore through both males and females within organisations because real gender transformation is about digging into the fabric of the organisation and unravelling every aspect that does not align with our gender diversity

Imperial’sobjectives.genderdiversity programmes are therefore structured accordingly. Our goals and our commitment remain unwavering as we aim to ensure that 25 per cent of all new employees are women, that women occupy senior leadership roles, and that accelerating gender diversity and equality across the organisation is everyone’s responsibility. This is evidenced by the deliberate actions set in motion since 2020 and the results achieved to date.

Phillipine Mtikitiki, vice president of the South Africa Franchise, Coca-Cola Africa, says that as companies increasingly recognise women’s unique skill sets and attributes, they prioritise diversity and inclusivity across the board. “At Coca-Cola Africa, we are supportive and ﬂexible enough to accommodate the particular needs of women in the workplace. This includes providing management training, tools and resources to help women advance their careers to more seniorMtikitikipositions.”sayssupport also extends to helping women strike a work-life balance – part of making the fast-moving consuner goods sector more gender-inclusive.

Thanks to artiﬁcial intelligence and robotics, manufacturing is sophisticated and attractive to female employees. “Women bring a distinct perspective to leadership and strategic direction that might not have been considered previously as they were under-represented in these functions,” notes Ratshefola. As a result of an increase in multidisciplinary teams within the manufacturing process, women play a vital role in establishing social currency, building trust, offering support and encouraging new integrated ways of communicating beyond the technical aspects of the job. “South Africa’s business community needs to proactively create awareness about the beneﬁts of increasing female participation in manufacturing and operations of the future.” Ratshefola says women should be given opportunities to enter previously male-dominated sectors from an early age. This lays the foundation for a supportive environment, which enables their success. CCBSA’s integrated approach to transformation has resulted in a 3.5 per cent managementandinmanagement,40.5managementrepresentationfemaleatexecutivelevel,percentinsenior44percentmiddlemanagement33.2percentatjuniorlevel.

– Velaphi Ratshefola, Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa Velaphi Ratshefola Phillipine Mtikitiki

DENISE MHLANGA takes a look at some of the initiatives and interventions to integrate more women into the manufacturing side within the food and beverages industryT

INCLUSIONARY INITIATIVES

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raditionally, some aspects of the food and beverages sector were mostly male-dominated. However, in the past decade, a wide range of opportunities have opened up for women with roles ranging from supply chain management to logistics, operations, marketing, planning and commercial strategy.

Creating awareness around gender inclusivity

66 CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 FOOD AND BEVERAGES

Additionally, the Women@CCBSA programme is essential in ensuring the mental and emotional health and wellbeing of team members, especially during these difﬁcult times of coping with COVID-19.

Velaphi Ratshefola, managing director for Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA), says that globally, gender parity in the sector is advancing. “Even so, women representation is low in certain subsectors like manufacturing, while in marketing and hospitality, we have made greater strides.” Ratshefola says the advancement of gender equity in the food and beverage sector, as with other industries, requires progressive cultural norms that reﬂect acceptance and empowerment of previously disadvantaged groups. “Transforming the sector should be a long-term vision. Society cannot advance unless its women are an integral part of the economy and fabric of that society. Enabling government policies around diversity and inclusion will expedite the realisation of this vision,” points out Ratshefola.

“Transforming the sector should be a long-term vision. Society cannot advance unless its women are an integral part of the economy and fabric of that society.”

FAST FACT According to Stats SA, manufacturing output fell by 11 per cent in 2020, with sharp declines in production volumes across all broad sectors including food and beverages. The manufacturing sector’s contribution to overall GDP was 12.9 per cent in 2020.

Furthermore, the company has spent R3.4bn in preferential procurement across 805 black-owned suppliers, of which 413 are blackWomen@CCBSA,female-owned. a women-led network, is a platform that enables women to engage, coach and mentor each other and, at the same time, manage their personal lives outside of the“We’veorganisation.seentremendous growth with experienced and successful female leaders mentoring and coaching young women professionals,” says Ratshefola.

Coca-Cola Africa’s Lead Inspire Connect (LINC) initiative is a powerful tool in women development and career progression. Mtikitiki says that within LINC, inﬂuencer members help advance women in their careers. They provide peer-to-peer counselling and resources, training, inspiring talks and much“Wemore.have the power and potential to connect as women across Africa. Our focus on the continent is based on three pillars: career development, personal development andThenetworking.”company has also established Lean in Circles to help women access resources to connect with other women, build new skills, and support theirShecareers.points out that these initiatives are paramount and showcase how Coca-Cola is committed to empowering women. “When companies help empower women to achieve equality and empowerment, it has broad ripple effects that are good for society,” adds Mtikitiki.

“Whencommunities.wehelp women address the challenges that hold them back, we set them free to become who they are capable of being,” says Phillipine.

uring her more than 20 year career in the Coca-Cola system, Phillipine has worked across the multinational’s business units and bottling entities. She served as Vice President and General Manager for the East and Central Africa regions before being appointed as the first black female South African to head up the South African franchise of the multinational beverage giant at the beginning of 2021.

When women thrive, communities and economies thrive.

“One of the most exciting aspects of my job is embedding what I have learnt across the Coca-Cola system to help empower women across our value chain,” says Phillipine. “Whether it is the Coca-Cola system supporting female entrepreneurs with access to microloans or providing our female employees with mentorship and sponsorship opportunities, inclusivity and diversity underpin our way of working.”

Phillipine’s previous work in East and Central Africa saw her closely involved with The Company’sCoca-Cola5by20initiativewhichsetoutin2010toenableempowermentof5millionwomenentrepreneursbytheendof2020.Thatgoalwas

“When you address the structural inequalities and economic barriers that women entrepreneurs face by providing business skills training, mentoring networks, financial services and other assets to support women and their businesses, you change lives,” she adds. “Of course, the challenges facing female entrepreneurs across the world remain enormous so collective and deliberate action over time— among the private sector, government and civil society—will be essential for transformative change.”

EMPOWERING WOMEN THROUGH WATER ACCESS Phillipine explains how water, especially in water-scarce Africa, is closely linked to women’s economic empowerment. Women spend significant amounts of time collecting water for their families – keeping young girls out of school and limiting their ability to find employment later on. In addition, lack of access to water, hinders the health and safety of their families.

As Phillipine says, “Now more than ever, we must stand together to enable the economic empowerment of women, making a positive difference that will be felt for generations to come.”

She attributes much of her success to supportive mentoring, sponsorship and guidance from senior role models – both male and female – in the company and in her community.

For more information: ccsainfo@coca-cola.comwww.coca-cola.co.za0860112526

Whether it is the Coca-Cola system supporting female entrepreneurs with access to microloans or providing our female employees with mentorship and sponsorship opportunities, inclusivity and diversity underpin our way of working.” Africa

ADVERTORIAL

“Gender inequality is not something one organisation or company can solve alone, we need to work together to come up with sustainable solutions.”

“Harnessing resources from a vast network of partners, including governments, the private sector and civil society, RAIN demonstrates how collaboration can support projects with multiple socioeconomic benefits.”

This is why Phillipine Mtikitiki, Vice President of Coca-Cola’s South Africa Franchise is passionate about empowering women and young people for a brighter future. surpassed in 2020, with 5by20 having created shared value for more than 6 million women, their families and communities.

To contribute to 5by20, Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA) launched its Supplier Development Conference in 2017 and launched a R100m fund to assist young, upcoming black entrepreneurs in the Coca-Cola value chain, including young women. Through this fund, the company has transformed the lives of approximately 805 black-owned suppliers, of whom more than half are black female-owned Phillipinesuppliers.says effective partnerships with likeminded organisations—and the ability to scale and adapt programming to local challenges— are essential factors in achieving progress when it comes to bringing women into the fold.

SouthFranchiseAfrica

BREAKING BARRIERS FOR WOMEN ACROSS AFRICA

Over the past decade The Coca-Cola Foundation’s Replenish Africa Initiative has improved water access for more than 6 million people across 41 countries and territories through a range of water-based initiatives tailored to address local community needs.

ENABLING WOMEN TO THRIVE

The initiative has enabled the empowerment of more than 400,000 women through access to water, saving them significant time from water collection and creating opportunities for employment, entrepreneurship and skills generation through water-related projects in their

“Think of the potential we could fulfil and economic growth we would see if women were genuinely included in our economies,” says Phillipine. “Because they invest in the future and their families, women help drive countries forward. We need to understand the barriers that prevent them from having equal opportunities and find new ways of economic inclusion.”

A desire for a different lifestyle, more pay or dissatisfaction with working conditions are just a few of the drivers of this switch. South Africa has a below-average rating of 4.95 (out of 10) according to the 2021 World Happiness Report. This is a major challenge for companies looking to keep their best people, particularly female professionals who, according to the Microsoft report, are the most likely to rethink their work situations. For Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA), which recently announced that it had obtained Level 1 broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) accreditation, keeping workers motivated hasn’t happened by chance. Attaining 40.5 per cent representation of women in senior management, 44 per cent in middle management and 33.2 per cent in junior management has presented a monumental task of not only attracting skilled professionals, but also ensuring that they are supported holistically and retained in Three dedicated CCBSA female directors share their challenges and strategies to keep their teams motivated, energised and conﬁdent about the future.

TRANSMIT CLARITY TO TEAMS AgathastrategyMasemola,andperformancedirector, says a full appreciation of the changing landscape and some of the shifts in the business in the early days of the pandemic ensured that she could provide clarity for her team and offer assurance about organisation-wide plans to manage the business during these uncertain times.

“It was also important to empower my team to focus on delivering their objectives,” she says. “I always maintain that the role of a leader is to transmit clarity to teams, empower the team by removing execution roadblocks and unlock organisational networks to help emerging leaders build relationships with their peers and seniorMasemolaexecutives.”leads a team of specialist consultants who work from different locations and, in the past, relied on travel for physical interactions when necessary. While the team is accustomed to working in an ofﬁce environment, the nature of their work means they could successfully work remotely and still deliver exceptional performance.

“With extended lockdowns, the team very swiftly adapted to working from home and established routines to ensure that they remain connected and proactively build relationships with other people in the business,” she says.

A s COVID-19 fatigue sets in, companies around the world are reporting different sets of challenges, the least of which is increased levels of demotivation as employees start to look for a change and new ways of working. According to a 2021 Microsoft report on work trends, 41 per cent of the global workforce are considering resignation this year, and companies are struggling to keep their

– Agatha Masemola Agatha DirectorPerformanceStrategyMasemola,andatCCBSA.

CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021

“With extended lockdowns, the team very swiftly adapted to working from home and established routines to ensure that they remain connected.”

WOMEN LEADERS DRIVE NEW WAYS OF WORKING

Three female directors at Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa delve into the tough challenge of keeping workers motivated during these uncertain times

“The good news is that my team took the lead on some work based on understanding how megatrends will shape the operating environment. One of those trends is the New Ways of Working project, and the COVID-19 pandemic offers an opportunity to fast-track the migration of work from a physical office to the virtual office,” Masemola says. Her team partnered with the HR department to shape the New Ways of Working for CCBSA, premised on the idea that remote working will be a long-term feature of work, especially considering the multigenerational diversity of workplaces. “To retain and attract millennials and zoomers (Generation Z), it is important for organisations to embrace flexible work arrangements,” she adds. “That’s exactly the recommendation that the team made to the leadership team. After 15 months since the first lockdown, I am confident that we have embraced the new ways of work across all generations and have created a work environment that is agile and embraces change, but most importantly, considers the views of all employees and acts on those.” best employees. are theThreeorganisation.dedicated share their challenges and strategies to keep

Potential meant improving access to company networks and fostering the culture of education, mentorship and guidance.

“Remote working can, unfortunately, result in less motivated employees, which can then lead to poor performance and results,” she says. “My strategy was focused on addressing negative motivators, such as emotional pressure, economic pressure and inertia for work, which is bound to increase as people wonder if there’s a point in even trying.” To mitigate these three demotivators, she focused on empowering employees through “As leaders, we were honest and transparent about the pandemic and its impact on our operations.” – Nozicelo Ngcobo employees to focus on problem-solving and value creation, not just the mundane tasks.

Nozicelo Ngcobo, Director for Public Affairs, Communication & Sustainability (PACS) at CCBSA. Play, Purpose and Potential Play allowed a at “A safe working environment has been key logisticssays.

CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 69 COCA COLA BEVERAGES SOUTH AFRICA ADVERTORIAL South BeveragesAfrica

which we are operating Microsoft work trend index: 2021 World happiness report: Flora Jika, LogisticsatDirectorCCBSA.

“As leaders, we were honest and transparent about the pandemic and its impact on our operations,” she says. “We engaged and communicated very early – long before the ﬁrst lockdown – and consistently on the health and safety protocols that we all need to adhere to so we can keep each other, our families, our social partners, our business partners, and ourselves safe. We have continued to prioritise health and wellness while addressing the genuine concerns around COVID-19 head-on.”

now required it,” she says. “I encourage people to get their strength from vulnerability and be authentic about it. People are interested in how you deal with issues because this gives them the sense that you trust them, and you’re making them part of navigating a solution.”

➔ Scan this QR code to go directly to the Coca Cola website. For more information: 011 848 www.ccbsaco.commedia@ccbagroup.com2600

Purpose entailed focusing on impact and increased visibility through connectedness.

“A safe working environment has been key to meeting our deliveries to customers so we always ensure that we have more than the minimum safety standards in place. As we are on site, it is arguably more important to keep employees motivated, so we increased the frequency of calls, messages and emails to keep everyone connected and informed,” sheJikasays.says that although logistics teams are on the ground, leading through virtual platforms increased the extent to which she could tap into her vulnerability and share a little more about her personal whichthehowever,areapreviously“Ironically,experiences.ithasnotbeenanthatIvisitedoften,Ifoundthatcircumstancesunderweareoperating

SAFE WORKING ENVIRONMENT

PEOPLE FIRST Nozicelo Ngcobo, director for public affairs, communication and sustainability, says that by putting people ﬁrst, having the foresight, and managing through decisive adaptability, the business has been able to keep employees on its side.

Flora Jika, logistics director, says that given the nature of the logistics function, her team members have been at work physically throughout the pandemic. “This can be emotionally draining when every second day a colleague goes into isolation. And more so when someone succumbs to illness,” she says. “In these trying times, we learnt the importance of keeping in touch and letting everyone know that we’re thinking of them during deliveries, performing warehousing activities, and even while they are at home.

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HOW CAN GENDER EQUALITY BE ACHIEVED AT THE SENIOR LEVEL?

“Women could be breaking ground and making huge strides if only the industry had acknowledged transformation through appointments of equally qualiﬁed females in key management positions that women currently, do not occupy.” This, Ntshona believes, will pave the way for future generations of females to enter the industry.

BETH AMATO explores the level of transformation in the built environment and the challenges women leaders face W hile still considered a male-dominated industry, 48 per cent of South African construction companies are owned by women, reports the Construction Industry Board.

“The industry has to be more inclusive, accommodating and committed to training, mentoring and developing women. These efforts must be monitored and reported on. While there is ample training, not much is known about the impact of this training and whether potential employees match the demands of the work environment. In addition, many employers in this industry are unsympathetic towards mothers, believing that it prevents them from performing their duties to the fullest. More needs to be done by employers to create policies that provide both men and women with greater support to manage work and family life,” Ntshona notes.

“We’re ticking the boxes in terms of training and we’re seeing women occupying roles at junior and middle management levels, but there isn’t fair representation higher up,” she adds.

“We have to ask why we are only halfway to these targets,” says Mayisela. While there has been signiﬁcant progress, especially in terms of training young women to enter property-related ﬁelds (Mayisela noted that more than half of the graduates are female), the numbers don’t level at executive and board level.

In addition, gender-inclusive policies and practices are needed to ensure equal opportunities for both women and men and to address any kind of discrimination or bias, including pay levels and employment conditions.

The International Labour Organisation explains that an inclusive business culture starts with a gender-balanced workforce and includes a critical mass of women in management, senior leadership and on boards of directors.

Mayisela says the WPN found that in the property and built environment, women comprise only 15 per cent of executive and board level positions in South Africa, falling short of the original target, set by the 30% Club Southern Africa, of 30 per cent female representation at all executive levels by 2020.

Targeted policies around ﬂexible working hours and paternity leave can further lead to greater inclusivity and work-life balance for both men and women.

Nonku Ntshona, CEO of Nonku Ntshona & Associates Quantity Surveyors, agrees, saying that while the built environment employs 10 per cent of the total working female population in South Africa, the industry has not transformed enough. “For example, there is still a perception that women are better suited to certain roles and functions – those that require “softer” skills.

BRATING WOMEN 2021 71 THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT CELE SUPPLIEDIMAGES:

NO MORE EXCUSES Mayisela doesn’t believe we can keep on making excuses for this. “The property and built environment industries must make a concerted effort to retain graduates and make the executive environment female-friendly. They must adopt a cradle to grave approach, one that is well thought out and not reactive to quickly meet targets.”

STILL NOT ENOUGH GENDER PARITY

There’s ample research to show that having women in leadership positions in the workplace is beneﬁcial not only to companies, but also to broader society. As the WPN says: “Empowering women in the workplace – and particularly into positions of leadership – causes an economic ripple effect … When the South African commercial property sector deliberately prioritises the advancement of women, the beneﬁts that arise are far-reaching in their scope and impact. If we are looking to South Africa’s long-term prosperity, prioritising women in leadership isn’t merely a business necessity, it’s a macroeconomic imperative.”

“We’re ticking the boxes in terms of training and we’re seeing women occupying roles at junior and middle management levels, but there isn’t fair representation higher up.” – Nonhlanhla Mayisela, Women’s Property Network

“And, says Ntshona, “big players must go beyond ticking boxes and paying lip service to achieving gender parity.” Mayisela has high hopes that in the next three to ﬁve years, the property and built environment will have greater gender equality with a 30 per womenrepresentationcentofonboards and in executive structures.

“But,” says Nonhlanhla Mayisela, CEO of Izandla Property, and chairperson of the Women’s Property Network (WPN), “we’re still not where we should be in terms of gender parity in the built environment in South Africa. ”

Nonhlanhla Mayisela

NtshonaNonku

ANTHONY SHARPE looks at two industries where women are leading and taking charge

– Arlene Wehr, Cape Town Fire and Rescue Service WehrArlene

Women have to face ongoing challenges and ﬁght stereotypes around equal access to opportunities because of what others believe must remain the domain of men.

“It was tough coming through the ranks in a male-dominated environment. Gaining the respect and discipline of my subordinates was a challenge: some men don’t take commands from a woman easily.”

CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 73 BREAKING BARRIERS SUPPLIEDIMAGES:

As you go up the levels, you need training in ﬁrst aid, conﬁned spaces and the like. “Many people want to work in the rope access industry at the moment,” says Mofokeng. “Prior to COVID-19, these skills were in high demand.”

Cape Town’s summers are hot, dry and windy – perfect conditions for fi res to fl are up and get out of control. You’d think, then, that being in charge of fi re and rescue services for eight districts across the Cape would be a nightmare.

SKYRIDERS

Not so for Arlene Wehr, divisional commander of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Service. “I’m the fi rst woman to work in operations at the fi re service in its more than 170 years of operation,” says Wehr. “I’m based at the oldest fi re station in the city, on Roeland Street, where I started my career as a fi refi ghter. I am proud and privileged to be here and manage all of this.” Wehr was one of the fi rst women to work in fi re services when she started back in 1996. “It was tough coming through the ranks in a male-dominated environment. Gaining the respect and discipline of my subordinates was a challenge: some men don’t take commands from a womanDespiteeasily.”this, Wehr progressed to senior fi refi ghter, platoon commander, station commander and now divisional commander. She says it took hard work, dedication, commitment and a strong support base: her family. “My husband, children, parents, brother and sisters are all essential. If you don’t have a support system in place, it’s really diffi cult.” Things have improved since she started in the service, she says. “There’s been a huge increase in female recruits. When I joined, there were only male uniforms. We had to wear male pants – which are not cut for improvementstherebeenwaterwhichshowering,menwaiteither.womenablutionswerebodies.women’sTherenoseparateforbackthenWehadtountilallthewerefinishedbytimethehothadusuallyusedup.”Wehrsaysarestilltobe made, but that opportunities exist for women. “This job can be diffi cult. The hours are long and it requires physical strength and fi tness. But the paths are open. I’ve come through all the ranks, so it should be easier for other women.”

MofokengRethabile

“Often with rope access, you need to pull yourself up a rope, which is why people may think it’s unsuitable for women.” – Rethabile Mofokeng, Skyriders

“You don’t need any prior qualifications, not even matric. For level 1, you just need a medical certificate to show you’re fit to work at heights.

TACKLING STEREOTYPES HEAD ON

TAMING BLAZES AND BLAZING TRAILS

DON’T LOOK DOWN For most people, dangling from a rope high above the ground is likely to be something they do as relief from the humdrum of a 9–5 job. But for rope access technicians, this is the 9–5: ascending and descending ropes to perform work in hard-to-reach places. While rope access may be about localhard-to-reachaccessingplaces,companySkyriders is working to make the industry more accessible to women. HR administrator and skills development facilitator Rethabile Mofokeng says the company presently has one female supervisor, who leads a team of technicians, and three female technicians – all hired under employment equity targets. “Things have improved, but there are still barriers to women in this industry. I think there’s a perception that women can’t do jobs that require strength. Often with rope access, you need to pull yourself up a rope, which is why people may think it’s unsuitable for women.” Mofokeng says Skyriders has been on a mission to help women get into the industry. “Prior to COVID-19, we trained seven women for free in 2019. We want to make people aware that it’s not just men who can do this job.” An important component of this, she says, is visibility. “We try to put them on site, where it’s all about work. For women to be on a big site like a power station, for example, is great exposure.”

Gender dynamics aside, Mofokeng says rope access is a remarkably democratic industry.

Untitled-5 2 2021/09/02 3:59 PM

ANDEMPOWERMENTEDUCATION,EQUALITY

Q: What is the signi cance of Women’s MokholoDudu

76 CELEBRATING WOMEN 2021 ADVERTORIAL SAMSUNG Dudu Mokholo, chief marketing ofﬁcer for Samsung Africa, discusses the empowerment of women in Africa, the vital importance of education and the opportunities for women in the tech industry

Q: What is the signi cance of Women’s Day to you?

A: For me, Women’s Day is a constant reminder of the struggles we, as women, face in terms of equality. Women’s Day is the one day or month that we can stop and acknowledge all the sacriﬁces that our mothers, grandmothers and great grandmothers made so that we could be recognised as formidable leaders in society today. I believe the future is created today, so this is also a good time for us to reﬂect on ways we can contribute to ensuring that those who follow us are given fair opportunities for success – this is something I’m very passionate about.

H aving already excelled in her previous position as chief marketing ofﬁcer for Central Africa, Dudu Mokholo was recently promoted to chief marketing ofﬁcer for Samsung Africa, leading all the marketing teams throughout the continent. She is a seasoned marketer with over 20 years’ experience in classical marketing and an MBA from WITS Business school. Mokholo’s experience has been gained across retail and various fast-moving consumer goods categories within South Africa, as well as a number of African countries, including Nigeria. Mokholo is known for her commitment to talent management, diversity and inclusion. She answers some questions about the importance of empowering women and the pressing need for greater education opportunities for females, plus she offers some valuable advice to young women wanting to enter the business world.

TALKING

Samsung Electronics is shaping the future with its transformative ideas and technologies. The company is rede ning TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, cameras, digital appliances, printers, medical equipment, network systems and semiconductor and LED solutions.

Samsung is focused on education in a big way. Its bursary and education programmes are helping a new generation of young girls to fulﬁl their true potential and work towards a brighter future for themselves and their communities.

The new, more ﬂuid environments these employees demand, in which childcare, working hours, and workplace structures will be transformed, have the potential to alter the mindsets and preconceived notions that often hold women back.

More importantly, it is critical for young girls to venture into the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) ﬁelds.

Education is one of the most important means of empowering women with the knowledge, skills and self-confidence necessary to participate fully in the development process. More importantly, it is critical for young girls to venture into the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics fields.

The vision is to fast-track young people into the electronics job market.

Q: How does sustainable business relate to the United Nations campaign for achieving gender equality by 2030?

A: The United Nation’s global Generation Equality campaign focuses on tackling the continued fight for women empowerment. This year’s Women’s month theme of “Generation Equality: Realising Women’s Rights for an Equal Future” tied into that global initiative, and called for all stakeholders, regardless of industry, age or gender to get involved in facilitating the changes needed to achieve the 2030 goal. That goal may be years away, but the implementation must begin now.

As leaders, we need to remember the signiﬁcant roles we play in shaping young women to take up the baton in future.

• Know your strengths and leverage them every day.

• You are enough, Don’t let others deﬁne who you are.

• Embrace who you are and grow from there.

According to UNESCO (Girl Code report), globally only 35 per cent of STEM students in higher education are female. This gaping gender gap is concerning especially as STEM jobs are careers of the future so it is incredibly important that our young girls participate in those ﬁelds.

A: When I first joined Samsung, the leadership team consisted of only men; fast-track to today, and I am the first black women to sit on the board of Samsung South Africa. At present, we have just over 30 per cent representation in leadership and the overall staff complement is made up of 42 per cent women. Our latest statistics are showing a signifi cant increase in the recruitment of women. Almost 80 per cent of our new joiners in recent months are female. This shows a real commitment to driving the agenda on women in tech. It’s a good improvement, but we still have a long way to go. A few years ago, Samsung decided to have a deliberate focus on women through recruitment and development programmes. We also introduced a mentorship programme, which gives our employees access to leaders who can help them with their development.

SUPPLIEDIMAGES: SUSTAINABLE BUSINESSES WILL ENSURE THAT THE FUTURE IS FEMALE, AND THEIR BUSINESSES WILL BENEFIT FROM THESE EFFORTS. THEY WILL UNLOCK NEW INNOVATIONS AND PRODUCTIVITY GAINS BY ENSURING WOMEN ARE SEATED AT THE TABLE, LEADING DECISIONS, CREATING PRODUCTS, AND DESIGNING SOLUTIONS. ➔ Scan this QR code to go directly to the Samsung’s website.

Mentorship is another equally important contributor to success in business. It’s important for young girls to interact and engage with the people they aspire to become one day.

We are also exploring a few women-focused development programmes, the details of which will be shared in due course.

Q: Where do you see the biggest opportunity for more young girls to become successful women in business?

Through education, young girls can take their rightful place in a new workplace, powered by new technological innovation.

Sustainable businesses will ensure that the future is female, and their businesses will beneﬁt from these efforts. They will unlock new innovations and productivity gains by ensuring women are seated at the table, leading decisions, creating products, and designing solutions.

The recent pandemic has also showcased the power of technology to support women who take on multiple roles at work and in the home.

After all, the speed and scope of changes affecting business today are unprecedented. By 2030, businesses will have to completely rewrite their narratives on gender roles and careers, families, and workplaces, as this will be expected from a new generation of employees.

• Don’t be too hard on yourself. Remember how far you’ve come; you are more resilient than you think.

• It’s okay not to be okay sometimes … allow yourself the space to feel vulnerable when you need to, but remember to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, ﬁx your crown and get on with life!

Leading companies today are starting to update their current structures to account for these changes.

For more information: Samsung South Africa Acting Brand and PR Lead Lesedi SamsungMashaleElectronics South Africa 011 549 1646 | 066 315 www.samsung.coml.mashale@samsung.com3706

Samsung has also created a technical programme, which equips students with the necessary engineering skills. Graduates from the programme are given the opportunity to work within Samsung service centres as a launching pad into sustainable employment.

Q: What advice would you offer your 20-year-old self and other young girls about to embark on their corporate journey?

A: Education is one of the most important means of empowering women with the knowledge, skills and self-conﬁdence necessary to participate fully in the development process.

SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS – SHAPING THE FUTURE

Q: What is your experience regarding women empowerment within Samsung?

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