Page 6 - SA is open for business

6 SOUTH AFRICA INVESTMENT CONFERENCE

25-27 OCTOBER 2018

aphne Mashile-Nkosi (pictured),
the chairperson of Kalagadi
Manganese, is succeeding in an
industry that is facing
transformation challenges.
D As one of a handful of women
who are breaking the barriers to entry in this
male-dominated industry, Mashile-Nkosi is
indeed an embodiment of economic
empowerment for women.
Her background as an activist and the
formative years spent in her fight against
apartheid certainly played a role in honing
her bare-knuckled approach to getting things
done.
She was active in the formation of Transvaal
Rural Action Committee, an NGO fighting
against forced removals and incorporation into
the Bantu homelands systems.
This experience led to an active rural
development career with a special focus on
empowering women in rural South Africa.
She later studied development economics in
Nagoya, Japan. In 2001, together with her late
husband Stanley Nqobizizwe Nkosi and other
strategic partners, she ventured into mining and
founded Kalagadi Manganese – a R7 billion
mining project in the Northern Cape. This
venture consists of an ore preparation and sinter
plant in Hotazel, which is a small town in an
arid region that is bereft of critical mining
infrastructure.
Despite its location, this mine, in which the
Industrial Development Corporation is an equity
partner, boasts one of the most ecofriendly
mines on the planet. It is also said to contain
the largest manganese ore deposit in the world.
Since the launch of this project, Hotazel has
experienced a surge in investment activity with
huge mining contractors moving into the town in
search of supply networks and other
opportunities. A TRAILBLAZER IN
Currently employing an about 3 000 people,
the final phase in the full development of this
MINING
the respect of her peers in the industry. MINING
mine will lead to the construction of a
multibillion-rand smelter plant in the Coega
industrial development zone in Port Elizabeth,
where the product will be further beneficiated to
78% high carbon ferromanganese.
Mashile-Nkosi’s perseverance in getting this
project off the ground has certainly earned her

She currently serves as a non-executive
director on the boards of various companies, Temoso Holdings, the Women’s Development international awards, including the 2015 Africa Legislative Black Caucus, as well as the 2014
including Eyesizwe Mining, Exxaro, FirstRand Bank Trust and Women’s Development Bank Female Business Leader of the Year Award and CEO of the Year Award at the Africa CEO
Empowerment Trust, Interfile, Kalahari Investment Holdings. a special commendation award by Pan-African Forum in Switzerland, an honour that identifies
Resources, Metmar Trading, Pinnacle Holdings, Her success and business acumen has been flagship publication African Leadership Magazine companies and individuals whose strategies
the South African National Roads Agency, recognised worldwide through various local and and US-based legislative body Georgia contribute to Africa’s economic ascendance.

Fast-tracking black industrialists The land of milk and opportunity

“Starting a business is taking a risk because you rent or mortgages would be invested directly into Nyeleti Rikhotso (pictured), the managing The Eastern Cape, like most of the other
don’t know if it will work. It is a gamble. You just the business. Their company, situated in director of Middledrift Dairy, says her business regions in South Africa, has been experiencing a
make that difficult call. But a businessperson has Sandton, is called Pele – a Sesotho word has the potential to shine. severe drought for the past two years.
to have a genuine passion that needs to be meaning forward. Pele is an independent power Despite the challenges of limited space and a Out of her team of 17 workers, there are three
backed by hard work. You need to have a lot of producer (IPP) that develops, owns and operates prolonged severe drought, 30-year-old Rikhotso women working at Middledrift Dairy.
tenacity and perseverance. You can’t give up,” renewable power plants. In simpler terms, they does not intend to give up on her dream of Rikhotso says there used to be more women
says Fumani Mthembi (pictured). put together propositions for power plants that seeing it succeed. working on the farm, but they have left.
Five years ago, five young professionals left produce electricity using alternative energy. “I am looking forward to us being named one of “Somehow, it seems they lose interest in this
their jobs in the corporate banking sector to IPPs are important in terms of the the top 10 farmers in South Africa within the next kind of work. Maybe they do not see it working for
follow a dream. Unsure about where this dream government’s energy mix. two years,” says Rikhotso. them. But work continues and we look forward to
would take them, they mostly decided to give up “We literally put everything on the line and “Our biggest challenge lies in growing pastures having more women playing a role in the dairy
their homes and move back in with their parents. made a lot of sacrifices with no guarantee about for cow feed, given that the land has been dry for because there are few women in farming in South
The money they would save by not paying for what would happen next,” says Mthembi. the past 18 months,” she says. Africa, so there are opportunities here.”