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Women in business| With women continuing to break barriers and redefine the industry, South African business sector is going through a unique evolution as it veers away from traditionally being considered as a led industry dominated by men.
From tearing down obstacles to stepping into leadership positions, these trail-blazing women in business represent courage, wisdom, and invention as they prove that their accomplishments are not just transforming the industry but also inspiring a future generation of females to follow in their footsteps.
Here are some of the remarkable women in business who are leaving a mark on South Africa’s business history.
Nompumelelo Zikalala, a renowned mining industry leader, currently serves as the CEO of Kumba Iron Ore Ltd. The first female to lead an iron ore giant.
Her impressive career and unwavering dedication to excellence have solidified her position as a prominent figure in the industry.
Nompumelelo holds a BSc in Chemical Engineering from the University of Witwatersrand and is a graduate of the London Business School Emerging Leaders Programme. She had a De Beers Group bursary and officially joined the company in 2001 as a process engineer at the Cullinan diamond mine.
Nompumelelo, the first female GM within the De Beers Group, was appointed GM at De Beers Kimberley Mines in 2007 and later GM of the Group’s Voorspoed mine in 2010. She later became senior vice-president of De Beers Sightholder Sales South Africa.
She was made deputy CEO of De Beers Consolidated Mines in 2017 before becoming the first head of De Beers Managed Operations in 2019. Her time in this position coincided with the peak of the US$2 billion Venetia Underground Project (VUP), one of the biggest investments ever made by De Beers.
Thabile Makgala, mining executive at Impala Platinum (Implats)
Over two decades, Thabile Makgala became one of the first female mining engineer graduates for Gold Fields, entering the industry at the age of 18.
She now serves as the executive for the Eastern limb at Impala Platinum, including Marula Platinum Mine and Two Rivers Platinum Mine.
Over two decades, she became one of the first female mining engineer graduates for Gold Fields and an established woman in business.
Thabile has made significant strides in promoting equity and inclusion but acknowledges the need for further work in an industry still predominantly dominated by male employees.
In 2018, she was recognised as one of the Top 100 Inspirational Women in Mining, by WimUK, and was the Women in Mining South Africa Chairperson for two years.
Thabile invented and hosted the first Women in Mining Conference for Marula, in collaboration with Marula management, and created a platform where challenges and opportunities could be ventilated for the female employees.
As part of the leadership team of the Minerals Council South Africa, she has played an integral role in setting the strategy for increased female representation by 2025. She is also part of the Woman in Mining task team to make sure that these strategies are effective in enabling women in business.
Dr Thuthula Balfour, Head of Health Minerals Council South Africa
Dr. Thuthula Balfour is a qualified medical doctor and public health medicine specialist with an MBA and Diploma in Occupational Health.
With 30 years of management experience and 17 strategic and 12 mining industry positions, she currently serves as Head of Health at Minerals Council South Africa and was appointed to the Ministerial Advisory Council for Covid-19.
She headed and coordinated the South African mining industry’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
Thuthula has significantly improved the industry’s performance and outcomes through various initiatives, enhancing its image and overall image.
Thuthula was named one of the Top 100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining in 2018.
She is a member of various boards, including the Compensation Board of the Department of Labour, the Mine Health and Safety Committee of the Department of Mineral Resources, and the South African Business Coalition on Health and Aids.
Raksha Naidoo, CEO, The Particle Group and Chairperson the Particle Group & Women in Mining South Africa
Raksha Naidoo is an executive professional who has amassed almost two decades of experience in various analytical, production leadership, and general management disciplines.
Her role as chief executive of The Particle Group enables Raksha to support small businesses and women-owned projects. She is a trusted voice in the mining sector and was selected as a speaker at the Mining Indaba in 2024.
With her knowledge, Raksha promotes gender equality and violence prevention in the mining industry, fostering a new generation of leaders through her charismatic approach to young people.
She was recognised as one of the top 100 inspiring women in business last year. Her passion for mentorship led Raksha to get involved with the Women in Mining South Africa organisation, where she currently holds the position of WiMSA Chairperson. She will be one of the guest speakers at the Mining Indaba 2024.
Dr Leila Fourie, CEO of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange
With over 25 years of international experience in financial services, Leila Fourie has held numerous senior positions in banking, capital markets, and payments – a perfect example for women in business.
Leila was appointed as CEO of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in October 2019. She holds the role of co-chair for the United Nations Global Investors for Sustainable Development, convened by the UN Secretary General.
She was previously the CEO of the Australian Payments Network; she later held various positions, including Executive for Consumer Finance at Australia’s largest bank, NSW Vice President of the Economic Society of Australia, and on Lifeline Australia’s Board Audit Committee.
She has experience in credit analytics, capital, and portfolio management for various countries. She also served as chairman of Diners Club’s board and a board member on Discover’s Chicago-based advisory board and epitomizes what a women in business aspires to be.
As stated in the Business Leadership South Africa website, Leila has a PhD in Economic and Financial Sciences and won the Economic Society South Africa Founders’ Award in 2012 for the best Master of Economics thesis in the country.
She has published several articles in academic journals and actively advocates for policy development in various sectors.
Dr. Pontsho Twala, Wits School of Mining Engineering lecture
Dr. Pontso Twala completed her BSc in Mining Engineering in 2010 and her Master’s in 2014. The Covid-19 lockdown enabled her to focus on her PhD research, despite teaching requirements posing occasional obstacles.
Pontos was born and raised in Hammanskraal, and while she continues to break barriers, she has created employment in her community through her bakery.
When interviewed by University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), she said, “It’s really important for one to believe in themselves and believe in their work.”
“If you see the impact it can make on certain people, continue with your journey.
The Wits alumni’s interest in mining engineering began in high school when she attended a career fair held in a mining town.
“That’s where I got to learn about mining, and that’s where the interest developed,” she added.
Dr Adwoa Issaka, Unit Manager Safety at South Deep Gold Mine
Dr. Adwoa Issaka became the first black South African female engineer to earn a PhD in mining engineering from Wits University in December 2022.
She was born in Venda and raised in the gold mining town of Virginia in the Free State. Adwoa was captivated by the impact of mining activities on her community and its people.
This led her to pursue a BSc in Mining Engineering at Wits University.
After witnessing the safety and socio-economic challenges faced by mining communities, she sought solutions to these issues while increasing the benefits flowing from mining.
During an interview with Wits University, Issaka acknowledged the prevalent challenges women face in the mining industry, but she sees them as opportunities for growth and impact.
She said she credits her success to the empowerment and support she received from her former and current employers, particularly in creating an inclusive work environment.
Adwoa specialised in rock mechanics, mine safety, and sustainable mineral-based economic development.
Julie Courtnage, director of the Mandela Mining Precinct
Ever since she began her career with Anglo-American Research Laboratories in 1991, Julie Courtnage has held numerous positions within the minerals sector for 33 years.
An environmental and sustainability scientist by training, Julie has over three decades of experience in the minerals sector.
Her journey in the minerals sector started in the 1980s as a geology student. Her hands-on operational experience, combined with her advocacy work with the former Chamber of Mines of South Africa, has uniquely equipped her to lead the MMP toward new horizons.
Julie worked for the then Chamber of Mines in the late 1990s, with her last corporate employment being as the Sustainable Development Operations Manager for Anglo American Global.
She spent 16 years as an independent coach, consultant, researcher, facilitator, and lecturer in the fields of risk, sustainability, ethics and governance, leadership, communication, scenario and strategy development, and complex decision-making.
She joined the Mandela Mining Precinct as the Executive Director in September 2023, and she will be one of the speakers at the Mining Indaba 2024.
Daphne Mashile Nkosi, executive chairperson of Kalagadi Manganese
Daphne Mashile-Nkosi, along with a group of black women entrepreneurs, founded Kalagadi Manganese in 2001, which received a permit to explore for manganese in 2005.
The deal was a victory over adversity and helped crown Daphne’s reputation as a dogged, trailblazing entrepreneur, a true standard-bearer for women in mining.
She has been constantly recognised for her leadership, which she describes as “autocratic, with a feminine touch”.
She was unable to complete matric as she participated in the 1976 student uprising, but later obtained a Small Business Management Diploma from Wits Business School.
Daphne is the executive chairperson and founder of Kalahari Resources and giving business leadership at Exxaro, while at Eyesizwe Coal, she is a founding shareholder.
As reported by varies media publications, she played a crucial role in the successful structuring of Cell C, the third mobile network operator in South Africa. She has a background in the banking, politics, and gender issues.
She has a number leadership awards such as the African Mining & Metal Winner -IJ Global Europe and Africa Award,
Recognizing recipient of the 6th African Business Leadership Award and other purposes – Legislation Black Causus Inc. of Georgia General Assembly, International Star for Leadership in Quality Award and African Female Business Leader of the year Award – 6th Africa Business Leadership Forum & Award London, UK.
Deshnee Naidoo commenced her mining career at Anglo American Platinum in 1998; since then, she has made a name for herself in the mining sector.
Her mining experience is diverse, spanning corporate and operational levels across many geographies.
She was appointed CFO of Anglo-American Thermal Coal in 2011, where she managed thermal coal and manganese across three geographies: South Africa, South America, and Australia.
According to S&P Global Commodity Insights, Deshnee was appointed CEO of Vedanta Zinc International in 2014, with responsibility for Vedanta Zinc International operations in Africa and Europe and copper mines in Australia – flying the flag for women in business.
In May 2018, Naidoo was appointed to the board of the Minerals Council South Africa; at that point, she was the only woman in South African mining to fill this position. She has been recognized for her leadership and contributions to the mining sector.
She was then appointed as CEO of Vedanta Resources’ Africa Base Metals in 2021. Prior to joining Vale, Deshnee was the CEO of the Zinc International business at Vedanta Resources.
However, Deshnee will step down from her position as CEO effective March 31.
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