These four South African women have made their mark in entrepreneurship, and we can’t help but feel inspired by their grit, grace and courage
One woman’s success in a male-dominated world is all women’s success. And how incredible is it to be able to celebrate more and more females conquering entrepreneurship – not just globally, but locally too? These four powerhouse women and role models are among the other 21.9% of female entrepreneurs in South Africa (according to the 2021 Women Business Owner benchmark) who played a role in breaking boundaries in the business world.
Sibongile Sambo
Sibongile did not allow setbacks to stand in the way of following her dreams. Instead, she shaped her own future, and she paved the way
for other women by doing so. Her journey was not a linear one. Unsure of where her true passion lies, she filled job positions at City Power, Telkom and De Beers before she applied to venture into a career as a flight attendant. Since Sibongile didn’t meet the height requirement, her application had to be rejected. But success was to follow shortly after, when she decided to start her very own aviation company, SRS Aviation, making her the first black female to own an aviation company in our country. Today, she has various awards behind her name, such as the Top Emerging Gender Empowered Company award and the Black Women in Business award.
Arlene Mulder
While having a successful career was a dream come true, Arlene wanted to make a difference. This led her to resign from her job as an investment banker to start her own company, WeThinkCode. The non-profit organisation is aimed at developing and nurturing the coding and tech talent of the youth in South Africa – something the education system in the country were not focused on. Arlene also co-founded Toybox, which is a tool that helps people turn their groundbreaking ideas into a reality. Her entrepreneurial ventures don’t stop there, though. She also founded Africa’s first library app that is completely audio-based, called BiB .Her amazing work as an entrepreneur in the technology field has earned her the Forbes Woman Africa Technology and Innovation Award.
Allegro Dinkwanyane
Allegro always had one goal in mind: to work for herself and be independent when it comes to her career. After completing her degree in journalism in her early 20s she worked towards making that dream a reality.She entered the career world as an entertainment blogger who also did public relations campaigns and social media marketing. Fast-forward a few years, and she is the women behind her own company, Orgella, which grew tremendously from its genesis. Her company now encompasses a charity, online magazine and more. It’s no surprise that Allegro featured on the Forbes 30 under 30 list in 2017. Sticking to her gut and pursuing her goals has brought her great success.
Words by Bianca Muller
Photography: gallo/gettyimages, pexels, courtesy images
