Page 20 - NHBRC

19.04.2015 City Press Careers / Rapport Loopbane |17
opportunity index

From the previous page In the past
She has worked in various public and private entities
over the years, and has extensive knowledge of, and
expertise in, transformation, particularly in broad-based
black economic empowerment (BBBEE). financial year:
She is in the process of aligning the property sector
with the BBBEE Codes of Good Practice.
Ntebo Ngozwana, manager of construction industry
performance for the Construction Industry Development
Board (cidb), explains it was important for the NHBRC 2 629
selection panel to ascertain that Gibs delegates had a
controlling management share in their companies, “and
were not just silent partners”. HOME BUILDERS
“The programme’s aim was to empower women to be
better at what they were already doing.” TRAINED
She has a natural talent for this, as she is currently
employed by the cidb as a manager in the construction
improvement programme, where she manages its skills
development portfolio. 1 184
Ngozwana feels “women often outperform men in
worker motivation due to their softer, nurturing side”.
“Since most of the female entrepreneurs are YOUTH TRAINED
nontechnical, they have to trust their workforce implicitly
on technical issues. This results in reciprocal work teams (INCLUDING
built on trust and mutual respect and, therefore, higher
WOMEN, MILITARY
productivity.”
Mentorship training VETERANS AND PEOPLE
Zoleka Mnanzana, transformation manager at WBHO
Construction, adds: “The women we selected for this WITH DISABILITIES)
NHBRC programme have been introduced to world-class
education and mentorship training.
“They have studied fundamental business topics, which
has resulted in their ability to write comprehensive
business plans. These can be used to help them obtain 51 149
funding as well as develop a benchmark for growth
and direction.”
Mnanzana, who has a background as a verification NONSUBSIDISED
analyst in the BBBEE Codes of Good Practice, was
baseline project manager for the Construction Sector (PRIVATE HOMEOWNER)
Charter Council before taking up her current position last
year. She is passionate about entrepreneurship, and the ENROLMENTS
creation of an environment that supports and fuels the
growth of small, black-owned businesses.
Yet when asked to describe a defining moment in her
career, she says: “Funnily enough, I would say it was the 304 261
failure of a business venture and the events that followed
it that resulted in my returning to formal employment.”
Mnanzana has never stopped studying and was NONSUBSIDISED
awarded her BCom in financial accounting in December
2007. (PRIVATE HOMEOWNER)
Itumeleng Dlamini became the first woman and first
black person to hold the position of executive director at INSPECTIONS
Master Builders SA in 2012.
Dlamini, who is a lawyer by training and profession
(she was admitted to the Bar in 1998), also holds a
bachelor in social sciences from the University of Cape
Town (UCT). She’s a board member of Business Unity SA 167 635
and chairs the Cida Empowerment Fund.
Marketing SUBSIDISED
Her multifaceted background gave her added insight
when it came to selecting delegates for the NHBRC (GOVERNMENT)
programme; she was interested in learning from some of
the delegates “that marketing had, until now, taken a HOME ENROLMENTS
back seat in their businesses”.
“They have also gained tremendously from networking
and the camaraderie of their group of NHBRC delegates
in the male-dominated world of construction,” adds
Dlamini. 223 176
She believes the programme has helped the women to
realise the stereotypical view that holds that “women are
not physically strong enough to work in this world” is no SUBSIDISED
longer true.
“Rapid technological advances have changed that and (GOVERNMENT)
everyone today is expected to operate on a brain, not CLIMBING THE LADDER On May 4 last year, City Press featured Gugu Matsotso, the first of the 100 women the National Home
brawn, level.” Builders’ Registration Council put through the business management course. The project that began as a celebration of 20 years of INSPECTIONS
Dlamini’s defining career moment was when she democracy and part of a desire to expand transformation in a predominately male-dominated industry, has taken 100 female
became the first black woman to operate “in a entrepreneurs up the next rung of the competitive ladder in their field PHOTO: ELIZABETH SEJAKE
predominantly male industry”.
Dlamini is, however, not content to rest on her laurels, practitioner and then joined the Western Cape Investment creating sustainable human settlements”. During her time, she has worked as a provincial
as she is heading back to the classroom. She is going to and Trade Promotion Agency. Her passion within the Rammutla is responsible for managing the department’s manager at the department of human settlements, and as
study towards a master’s in public administration at agency was in economic development, and she still serves sector transformation programme. a part-time lecturer and academic course moderator for
Harvard. on various boards focusing on it. This includes gender mainstreaming and the the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University’s quantity
“There’s a lot to be done in South Africa and we need She works closely with the department of trade and empowerment of women, youth development support, a surveying department.
everyone who can to help,” she says. investment on empowerment issues, and has been military veterans’ support programme, social facilitation “Women’s attention to detail, and their caring and
Xoliswa Daku, CEO of DCI Holdings, a company developing policies and systems for various departments and disability programmes. nurturing nature, enable them to produce quality work,
focusing on property development, management and on procurement, contract management, and the She looked for women who said “yes, count us in with which results in enormous savings for the employer or
leasing, speaks with passion about the success stories that monitoring and evaluation of infrastructure development regard to your agenda of radical social and economic client.”
are already emerging from the NHBRC empowerment projects. It was her passion for infrastructure transformation”. The special skills women bring to the Nzo is studying towards her master’s in the built
programme. development that inspired her to open DCI, a property field of construction “are a sharp eye for detail and environment, majoring in property economics and
“The most important development is the business development company based on the needs of investors quality management”. valuation.
opportunities and markets this course helps our delegates and opportunities in that sector. What makes Rammutla rejoice is seeing women Nqobile Ndimande, group CEO of EET Devine ConeXion
gain access to,” she explains. “One of them felt so She believes women have “an edge in human resource TALK TO US building houses, climbing scaffolding, mixing mortar, Engineering, brings vital skills to her top position. Not
empowered by our training, she felt able to pitch for a management. So furthering their skills in this sector is Do you have a question for laying bricks and, finally, handing over keys to the elderly, only is she skilled in general building, but she has done
business opportunity in the region of R13 million.” important.” these phenomenal women, or “who will own their houses for the first time. Homes built courses in bricklaying, plumbing, civils, road works,
Daku recently completed an executive MBA from UCT’s She also thinks women are, generally speaking, “all- about the project? Ask it. by women,” she concludes with satisfaction. bitumen, draft foundation, roofing, plastering and glazing.
Graduate School of Business. She is a qualified legal rounders in their approach to life and business, and that SMS 35697 with BRICKS as the Busisiwe Nzo, a professional quantity surveyor with the SA “I do all of the above with passion and pride,” declares
practitioner with extensive experience in law, business makes us better at operating businesses”. keyword. SMSes cost R1.50 each Council for the Quantity Surveying Profession, is a partner the woman who describes herself as having been “an
administration and project management. Daku’s defining moment in her career “has been doing at Lakhanya Quantity Surveyors. She’s also a professional entrepreneur from childhood”.
She holds a BProc degree from the University of the executive MBA at UCT. It has enabled me to assess member of the Association of SA Quantity Surveyors. She completed project management courses at Wits
Transkei, a diploma in legal practice from UCT, a master my own business – and I’ve become my own business She gains great pleasure from being an NHBRC council University and worked for blue chip companies for 17
of laws from the University of the Western Cape, a consultant.” member “because I am able to contribute with advice, years at project manager and director level.
diploma in human resource management from Varsity Seitisho Rammutla is the director of sector especially on technical matters”. She has also owned a florist shop, which gives her
College and a management development diploma from transformation at the department of human settlements. “It has provided me with an opportunity, as a quantity insight into what it takes to be an entrepreneur.
the University of Stellenbosch. She was impressed by delegates who wanted to work surveyor, to operate beyond what have been the normal As far as she’s concerned, women outperform men
This powerhouse started her career as a legal with government “in accelerating housing delivery and activities in my career.” when it comes to job creation.