10 women leaders over 50 shaping business in South Africa

Phuthi Mahanyele-Dabengwa is the CEO of Naspers South Africa. At the time of her appointment in 2019, she became the first black woman executive at the head of Naspers and was one of only two black women to head up a Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed company. Ms Mahanyele-Dabengwa represents the segment of women who continue to grow the tech industry.

Nolitha Fakude (55)

Nolitha Fakude has been the Chairperson of Anglo-American’s management board in South Africa since 2017, as well as a Group Director of Anglo-American plc. In 2021, she was elected President of the Minerals Council South Africa, the first woman in its 130-year history to achieve this. She is also a non-executive director of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, a patron of the Guild Cottage home for girls, and the Vice President of the International Women’s Fund (IWF). 

Wendy Appelbaum (62)

Wendy Appelbaum is the founder of De Morgenzon Wine Estate. She purchased the 224-acre wine farm in Stellenbosch in 2003 after holding a number of executive positions throughout her career. Among her roles was director of Liberty Investors. She was also the first woman to control a company to list on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. 

Irene Charnley (62)

Irene Charnley is the chairperson of Gibela Rail Transport Consortium. She started as a trade unionist in the National Union of Mineworkers, after which she became an Executive Director for Johnnic Industrial Corporate. Ms Charnley helped MTN become one of the biggest telecoms operators in the Middle East and Africa before founding Smile Telecoms. 

Nonkululeko Gobodo (62)

Nonkululeko Gobodo became the first black female chartered accountant in South Africa in 1987. She went on to help build one of the country’s biggest accounting firms, SizweNtsalubaGobodo, now SNG Grant Thornton. Nonkululeko credits her success to her willingness to partner with other people and resolve conflict. She is also the founder of AWAKENED, a movement that addresses the scourge of racism and prejudice against women.

Nonkululeko Nyembezi-Heita (62)

Nonkululeko Nyembezi-Heita is the Chair of the Standard Bank Group and Standard Bank of South Africa. She has occupied multiple executive positions throughout her career, including Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Ichor Coal NV and CEO at ArcelorMittal South. She was also previously the independent non-executive chairman of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange Limited and the non-executive chairman of Alexander Forbes Group.

Judy Dlamini (63)

Nobuhle Judith Dlamini was the first black woman Chancellor of the University of the Witwatersrand, appointed in 2018, and has held various board positions such as Chairperson of Aspen Pharmacare, Anglo American plc, Discovery Holdings and Woolworths Holdings. She is the Founder and Chairperson of the occupational health consulting company Mbekani Group, 

Wendy Luhabe (65)

Wendy Luhabe is a social entrepreneur who founded Bridging the Gap, an HR consulting firm to prepare young black South Africans to enter the world of work, and Women Investment Holdings. She launched a R120-million private equity fund for women-owned enterprises and founded the International Marketing Council of South Africa. Wendy was the first woman to serve as chairperson at Vodacom. 

Louisa Mojela (60+)

Louisa Mojela is the founder and Group Chief Executive of black women-owned investment company WIPHOLD (Women Investment Portfolio Holdings). WIPHOLD has been able to build a storage facility of 15,000 tons for maize in Centane in the Eastern Cape – the first commercially run silo of its kind built in the area. She was the Chairperson of Bophelo Bioscience and Wellness, a cannabis company in Lesotho.

Magda Wierzycka (54)

Magda Wierzycka is the founder and executive chairperson of Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed asset management company Sygnia. Her career began as a product development and investments actuary, and she was later appointed as CEO of African Harvest. After negotiating the sale of African Harvest Fund Managers to Cadiz Financial Services in 2006, she led the management buy-out of the remainder of the African Harvest group, which resulted in the formation of Sygnia, which has a market capitalisation of   R2.78-billion ($162-million). Ms Wierzycka is also known for her fight against corruption.

Read the Women's Month edition of Public Sector Leaders