Page 47 - KZN Top Business Woman 2025 - eBook

Mandisa Mazibuko

Managing Director of Envelop Empowerment honours in finance, and recently earned an MBA with GIBS, Externally, she acknowledges the barriers that
Group and director of Gilnokie Socks through TWIMS (Toyota Wessels Institute for Manufacturing come with working in a male-dominated industry.
Studies), specialising in manufacturing. “Manufacturing is still very much a male space. It
sometimes feels like women have to speak louder, be
andisa Mazibuko is the managing “Those two years were incredible, filled with knowledge, more convincing, and work twice as hard to be taken
M director of Envelop Empowerment innovation, and discovery. I learned to apply models that seriously. These systemic barriers are real, but they will

Group and director of Gilnokie Socks. improved my decision-making and taught me to trust my
“Envelop Empowerment Group is built on principles to inner voice. Sometimes you do not have all the answers, not change unless we keep showing up and proving
that we belong here.”
develop, support, and empower, particularly women but you still have to make the decision. That is what
entrepreneurs,” she explains. “We equip them with practical leadership is,” she explained. Despite these challenges, her outlook remains grounded in
skills and tools that allow them to succeed in business.” optimism and persistence. “The more we open ourselves to
For Mandisa, success is not only measured by profits or learning, the more doors open for us. Growth is constant,
Through Envelop Empowerment Group, Mandisa growth but also by the ripple effect of empowerment. and the impact evolves as you evolve.”
has created a company that is as values-driven as it is One of her proudest initiatives is a partnership with a
commercially successful. As a distributor of high-quality school in Pinetown, designed to support learners from an THE POWER OF CLARITY
personal protective equipment, her focus on women-led early age by providing resources, mentorship, and access Mandisa’s advice to young people, especially aspiring
SMMEs is both strategic and deeply personal. “We believe to opportunities. “We want to give learners a chance, just women leaders, is simple but profound. “Be exceptionally
that SMMEs are the lifeline of the economy. When you the basics that will allow them to stand a chance when clear on what it is that you want. Clarity breeds confidence,
equip a woman with the right skills to lead and to nurture, they leave school. Education allows you to think differently, and without it, you invite confusion and self-doubt.” Her
she gives back, she builds communities, she creates jobs, to see differently, to dream differently.” second piece of advice is about resilience. “Things do not
and she uplifts others.”
Her motivation for this work is deeply personal. “I was raised always go your way. You will fall, but it is not about the fall,
Her second venture, Gilnokie Socks, reflects the same by an uneducated man who achieved a lot. But education it is about bouncing back, bouncing forward, and keeping
commitment. “We partnered with a well-established gives you tools and perspectives that open doors. If we your momentum.”
entrepreneur who shared our desire to grow. Our can change that for even one child, that child will one day Her third principle is adaptability. “Circumstances change. It
partnership was based on opening access to funding, to change it for another, and that is how we build meaningful is no use holding on to old ideas to solve today’s problems.
markets, and to strategic positioning.” contributions.” You have to be agile enough to reinvent yourself, to pivot
Together, she says, these two businesses are: “My babies, This initiative reflects her belief that true empowerment when needed, and to reimagine your path. That is how
true demonstrations of what healthy transformation looks begins with access, whether that is access to knowledge, you stay relevant and strong.”
like when vision meets the right support.” to resources, or to opportunity. “It is a humbling journey Mandisa’s success comes with multiple roles as a mother,
because you realise how much is needed, but also how wife, and business leader, and she acknowledges that
ROOTED IN RESILIENCE much support is available if you ask and collaborate. That balance is something she works on every day. “I try to
is what transformation looks like, people coming together
Mandisa’s journey began long before she entered the for a shared goal.” be present with my kids, with my husband, and with
world of business. Raised by her grandparents, she my team. I do not always get it right, but I give as much
credits her grandfather as the earliest and most influential SHAPING CHARACTER as I can, when I can. These roles are all fulfilling, all
example of leadership she ever saw. challenging, and they make life worthwhile. The key is to
Mandisa is open and reflective about the challenges she be clear on what matters most and to show up where
“He was a man who, although with no formal education, has faced along the way. She divides them into two types: you are needed.”
had a clear picture of what it looked like to lead and to internal and external.
be reliable. I watched how he interacted with people, Mandisa’s message to women everywhere is: The
how he could start with just an idea and build something “Internally, I have had to deal with self-doubt, with not qualities of courage, strength, and risk-taking have long
meaningful. That taught me that vision, commitment, and believing in myself enough, and with seeking outside been associated with men − but women embody these
integrity can create something spectacular.” validation. Those are barriers that many women face, traits every day. We must recognise, own, and embrace
because they are ingrained by culture and by society. I that strength within ourselves.” She concludes, “Let us not
This foundation shaped her path. After completing matric, have learned to recognise them, to work on them, and to be intimidated by risk or by change. Right at that peak lies
she pursued studies in finance, went on to complete an give myself permission to lead boldly.” a better business, a better family, and a better you.”

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