18 minute read
Profi le
BREAKING THE BIAS
RYLAND FISHER talks to ITHUBA CEO Charmaine Mabuza about transforming the gaming sector
ITHUBA is the licensed national lottery operator contracted for a renewable period operator contracted for a renewable period of eight years by the National Lotteries of eight years by the National Lotteries Commission (NLC), the national regulator for Commission (NLC), the national regulator for lotteries and sports pools. ITHUBA has been lotteries and sports pools. ITHUBA has been running the lottery since 2015. running the lottery since 2015.
“That I was the fi rst black woman to own “That I was the fi rst black woman to own or run a lottery is a legacy of our past. What or run a lottery is a legacy of our past. What is important to me is that I should not be the is important to me is that I should not be the last black woman to reach such a position. last black woman to reach such a position. Gender equality in business is not just some Gender equality in business is not just some add-on extra, it is essential. Keeping women add-on extra, it is essential. Keeping women down is bad for the economy and the future down is bad for the economy and the future of our children. This is why I am such a highly of our children. This is why I am such a highly motivated advocate of transformation and motivated advocate of transformation and gender equity. gender equity.
“But everything must start at home “But everything must start at home and you need to lead by example. and you need to lead by example. At Zamani Holdings (ITHUBA’s At Zamani Holdings (ITHUBA’s holding company) and in all holding company) and in all our subsidiaries, we insist our subsidiaries, we insist on implementing women on implementing women empowerment programmes that empowerment programmes that are impactful and measurable. are impactful and measurable. If South Africa is to thrive If South Africa is to thrive economically, deliberate policies economically, deliberate policies need to be put in place to support need to be put in place to support the economic participation of women. the economic participation of women. ITHUBA is leading by example – we ITHUBA is leading by example – we have more than 60 per cent women on have more than 60 per cent women on our executive.” She adds that ITHUBA our executive.” She adds that ITHUBA also has projects that actively work to also has projects that actively work to empower women entrepreneurs. empower women entrepreneurs.
“Progress is being made, but it’s “Progress is being made, but it’s slow. One of the neglected areas lies slow. One of the neglected areas lies in working with boys and young men to in working with boys and young men to get them to understand that oppression of get them to understand that oppression of females is not equal to masculinity. Teenage females is not equal to masculinity. Teenage boys are still forming their identities, so it’s boys are still forming their identities, so it’s
Charmaine Mabuza
a good time to demonstrate to them that oppression of girls does not make them strong men, in fact, the opposite. Because of the way most girls in our society have been groomed, there is still a long way to go to build up confi dence, but they need to see more female role models at every level. At ITHUBA, we have strong female role models within our supplier base and at all levels within the business.”
PRIORITISE TRANSFORMATION AND ACT
Mabuza says that government needs to act tougher against transgressors of its gender equity policies to promote women, especially black women, in corporates.
“The South African government has labour policies that talk to gender equity in the workplace and equal pay for all, but many companies simply ignore these policies. To break the glass ceiling, the government must fi nd the political will to penalise those not making progress in meeting the set targets.
“Having said that, we in the corporate world cannot leave it all up to the government. Companies must believe that they must transform themselves and understand that in the long term this will benefi t their bottom line as well as the whole of society.
“As the fi rst female CEO in Africa’s gaming sector, I made it a priority to transform the gender profi le of the sector. That ITHUBA has a majority of women on its executive speaks for itself. At ITHUBA, we make sure that everyone is heard; by listening to all voices – the soft and the loud ones – you get a balanced perspective. We make a special effort to encourage and support the professional progress of women.”
A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSWOMAN AND STRONG LEADER
Mabuza says her fi rst role model was her mother. “Through sheer hard work and determination, she worked her way up from being an informal trader to becoming a multifaceted entrepreneur who owned a butchery, a supermarket, retail stores and a petrol station. “She taught me very quickly to
ITHUBA Bursary Programme.
multitask, but no matter how much there was to do, she never let her standards slip – everything had to be done with full attention and based on sound accounting practices. It’s hard to describe what you learn by working with a highly motivated person of that level of integrity because most of it lies in their inner certitude and how confidently they do things.
“After working with my mother, I obtained a qualification in administration and business studies. This gave me access to some managerial positions, including a director position at Wiphold (Women Investment Portfolio Holdings).
“My partner, Advocate Eric Mabuza, and I then went on to establish Empilweni Payout Services, a social grant distributor that operated in Mpumalanga from 2002, where I was CEO for some years. Then in 2008, we launched Zamani Holdings, a group of six independent companies, namely Zamani Capital, Zamani Marketing and Management, Zamani Bets, Paytronix and ITHUBA Holdings.
“As a woman in a tough business context I’ve come up against a lot of prejudice, but I have always been sure that I have as much right as any other person, including any man, to fulfil my dreams of success.”
Mabuza says the “many strong women who have made sacrifices to get us where we are in South Africa today” inspire her.
“While I hope one day that it won’t be necessary to single out women as a separate category, we are not there yet. I am grateful for the recognition I’ve had in the past few years for my contribution as a woman leader.”
EDUCATION IS KEY
“For me, education has always been the passport to the future. It is the key that unlocks doors, irrespective of your background. It is rewarding to see our bursary beneficiaries not only getting their academic qualifications and accolades, but also giving back to their communities. The ITHUBA Bursary Programme is comprehensive, covering everything a student needs to reach their potential. Nothing has to be paid back, but we do encourage our graduates to involve themselves in their communities so that others can benefit from their success. The spirit of giving will provide a sustainable livelihood for generations to come.
The ITHUBA Bursary Programme is proud to have funded hundreds of tertiary education
beneficiaries who are supported with tuition fees, accomodation, a student allowance, a laptop, counselling, and networking opportunities. Many of our graduates are now successful professionals within their chosen field. This year we are awarding bursaries to students wanting to follow careers in the commerce and IT arena – skills that are urgently needed in this country.”
As they enter the seventh year of their eight-year contract with the NLC, Mabuza says they intend to take ITHUBA’s expertise beyond South Africa’s borders.
“ITHUBA is by far the best lottery operator in Africa, and we are among the top five globally. In the years of our tenure, we have raised the bar for success and, as the next step, we want to take our expertise beyond the borders of South Africa. We are planning to become a truly pan-African lottery.
“ITHUBA will continue exploring opportunities and playing a significant role in the socioeconomic development of South Africa through education and training.”
Mabuza’s message to young women who look up to her is simple. “I want young women to understand that there is nothing that they cannot achieve if they truly work hard to attain it. They must never forget that they are as capable and talented as their male counterparts.”
Micromatica soars through ITHUBA’s SED Programme.
The South African National Lottery operator, ITHUBA Holdings continues to put its money where its mouth is, championing small businesses through its Supplier and Enterprise Development (SED) Programme.
ITHUBA CEO Charmaine Mabuza has a deep passion for creating a more equal society and has always championed the rights of the economically marginalised. Social and business empowerment is as much a part of the ITHUBA mandate as is, many of the values that the organisation ascribes to.
Through ITHUBA’s Supplier Enterprise Development (SED) Programme, small businesses – SMEs are supported not only through grants and funding but also with practical tools and resources that help to advance their business concepts into sustainable profit-making enterprises. When the Covid-19 pandemic forced the economy into a stand-still, many businesses were negatively impacted and some forced to shut down. Recognising the economic strain that most SMEs were going through in terms of covering over-heads, paying staff salaries and keeping their business operations afloat, ITHUBA embarked on a programme that funded 82 businesses with grants to the value of R15 million.
“These grants have been instrumental in both the recovery and growth phases of the businesses we support,” says Mabuza. “If we are to deliver an equal society we have to support and help develop small businesses through skills, infrastructure, growth opportunities and funding. ITHUBA sees entrepreneurship as critical in driving innovation, training and economic growth,” said Mabuza.
One of the SED programme beneficiaries, Micromatica, which is co-owned by Snegugu Ndabeni, also found itself in deep waters. “Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic when our customer payments were slower than ever before, we became aware of funding opportunities with ITHUBA,” explains Ndabeni.
Established in 2001, the 100% black female-owned, Micromatica provides strategic human resources solutions to various companies. Their services include transformation management, and designing everything associated with HR policies and procedures, such as salary benchmarking, job profiling and career development. The company is also involved in training, developing material, facilitating workshops, conducting surveys and audits, head-hunting and sourcing high-caliber candidates for clients. More recently they have also extended their services to cater for wellness and mental health issues in the work place.
“After a thorough vetting process, we were extremely hopeful that we would qualify for funding. We were ecstatic when we were awarded a grant for two years – 2021 and 2022,” says Ndabeni.
“The ITHUBA funding allowed our business to continue operating during one of the roughest times that we had ever experienced. “We were able to create job opportunities and use other small to medium enterprises to assist us, thus boosting our operations,” added Ndabeni.
She emphasised the fact that while ITHUBA’s support was financial, it was the feeling that there was extended support in terms of skills development for the company, and that gave Micromatica real hope. “Knowing that an entity like ITHUBA is willing to both support small businesses and give us opportunities to meaningfully contribute is extremely important,” Ndabeni said.
“We have been fortunate to receive coaching and guidance from the ITHUBA executive team on how to navigate the business landscape. This has been very useful in equipping us for the challenges that we face,” says Ndabeni.
“During the reviewing and evaluating of companies for our SED programme, we identified a huge need to upskill and equip companies with the relevant business training. Our approach allows for the recipients of our grants to become innovative thinkers and managers of highperforming businesses. This process has seen companies go from strength to strength,” says Mabuza.
Ndabeni also adds that Micromatica has benefited hugely from their engagement with ITHUBA and they are ready for any challenge that may lay ahead.
ITHUBA has always been active in the supplier and enterprise development (SED) space and over the years have launched a number of initiatives making significant contributions to small businesses.
More recently, ITHUBA has partnered with the University of Johannesburg (UJ) to design a course package to assist recipients of the SED programme with the skills and tools needed for conducting business in the 21st century. They are empowered to set up an online store or use an existing platform to trade online; improve communication, presentation and pitching skills; and improve the use of IT tools that are critical to running a business. Furthermore, the programme delivers the ability to present a portfolio of evidence and a business turnaround strategy required for growth.
SED Programme recipients, Snegugu Ndabeni and Sindisiwe Kunene, are directors of Micromatica, a consulting company within the human capital space, expressed their gratitude to ITHUBA saying the lottery operator delivered more than just funding to their business, but brought hope.
WE MUST SHIFT THE GENDER BALANCE
ITHUBA CEO Charmaine Mabuza weighs in on the slow pace of transformation and why women are still not being seen as equals
For decades now, we have seen headlines discussing gender bias in the workplace. Advocacy around the topic has been ongoing; equality laws have been introduced and female CEOs of multinational companies have proven their ability – yet barriers to women persist. Gender bias remains as much of an issue now as it was 50 years ago, and women continue to battle for their rightful position in the economy.
I am often referred to as the “fi rst black woman” running a lottery. However the very phrase “fi rst black woman or fi rst woman” needs to be questioned. We must start normalising the fact that women also do remarkable things and deserve the same accolades as their male counterparts.
Women should be celebrated, not because they are the fi rst, but purely for what they have done well. It doesn’t matter if they are the fi rst to become a doctor or engineer or even to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. When we herald women as “the fi rst” it is almost as if we are saying the impossible has been achieved – by a woman no less.
We need to educate society that women can achieve and do extraordinary things and that this is quite normal. So let us remove the blinkers and change the language that continues to hold women hostage. There is no reason to be shocked or surprised at the accomplishments of women, or to refer to these women as “the fi rst to”.
If we want to see meaningful change, we have to look deeper.
Gender equality in business is essential for South African society to prosper socially and economically. But progress is still too slow as companies and organisations continue to ignore many of the sound labour-related policies that talk about gender equality and equal pay in the workplace.
If a company’s leaders don’t believe that it is imperative to shift the gender balance, then progress will continue to be slow. Companies need to be attuned to the social shifts in our society to move in the right direction for sustained economic success. There is a moral and an economic argument for empowering women in the workplace – equality of opportunity will benefi t the bottom line and lead to a more balanced social ethos.
Charmaine Mabuza
TRANSFORMING UNEQUAL POWER RELATIONS
When ITHUBA became the offi cial operator of the National Lottery, one of my primary goals was to transform the gender profi le of the gaming sector, and we are leading by example – ITHUBA has more than 60 per cent women on its executive board. We encourage and support the professional progress of women and have implemented women empowerment programmes that are continuously monitored and measured.
In South Africa, we must recognise that generations of cultural and political oppression have led to an entrenched gender bias, which has and continues to hold us back. Women have fallen into these generational patterns just as much as their male counterparts have, but we must dismantle typical stereotypes about gender.
To do so requires a deep cultural shift within us all. And a need for education – educating our women to understand and accept that they have the right to equality and empowerment, that they can and must challenge the prevailing notions of masculinity. But, men and boys must be included. Gender equality is about transforming the unequal power relations between men and women, so we will not effect change unless we include men and boys in the conversation.
It’s an ongoing journey. Corporations need to regularly reassess how far they are in bringing more women into the active economy. While we still need policies that make up past defi cits, let us hold up a vision of a society where such policies are no longer required; where men no longer feel any need to exclude or denigrate women; and where women feel welcome to move into whatever position they choose. That is a South Africa in which we can all prosper.
➔ Scan this QR code to go directly to the ITHUBA website.
For more information:
14A Charles Cresent Eastgate Ext.4 Sandton 2148 011 346 6000 info@ithubalottery.co.za www.ithubalottery.co.za
ITHUBA is a subsidiary of Zamani Holdings, it was established in 2013 after Zamani’s leadership identified an opportunity to extend its strong management philosophy to provide a national service.
In 2015, ITHUBA was awarded the licence as South Africa’s third National Lottery operator for a period of eight years. To date, ITHUBA has created many winners and multi-millionaires. It has also made a difference in the lives of many underprivileged communities through high-impact CSI programmes that promote sustainability in education, women, and youth empowerment.
The awarding of the licence for ITHUBA to operate the South African National Lottery presented an opportunity to reinvigorate and implement innovative technologies in the lottery industry by introducing a higher level of service for players. ITHUBA, which means “an opportunity”, has exemplified this by changing the landscape and experience of the National Lottery for the better.
ITHUBA is a wholly-owned and led black company and the proud operator of the National Lottery.
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