47 year old South African Phuti Mahanyele was recently profiled by Forbes Africa as a ceiling crasher bringing about disruptions to business in the African economic space and this has raised a lot of brows (in a very good way) in the African Business Community.
What many may not know is that Phuti has been on the corporate scene for well over 15 years and during that period, has used her knowledge to impact the corporate world significantly.
She delved into the business world as an entrepreneur in 2016, flagging her own investment company ‘Sigma Capital’ having served for over 10 years with Shanduka Energy, first as a managing director and next as the chief executive officer. Having lost her mom at 17 and her dad in 2012, Phuti understands the value of time and emphasizes that time in itself is meaningless, what you do with time is what truly counts.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, an MBA from De Montfort University and completed Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government executive education program ‘Global Leadership and Public Policy for the 21st Century’ in 2008.
She was selected as a world global young leader in 2007, profiled in Wall Streets Journal list of ‘Top 50 Women in the World to Watch’ in 2008, awarded most influential woman in Government and Business in 2009, Leading African Woman in Business by Africa Investors in 2012, Forbes Africa Business Woman of the year in 2014 and very recently made cover for Forbes Africa August 2018 issue for her contributions to challenging the status quo of business practices in Africa.
Phuti is very passionate about women and uses her platform to affirm, mentor young women seeking to grow on their corporate journey as well as those that have launched out in business.
“My biggest strength is that I do not fear strength in others, I celebrate it.”
She encourages women to lean in, speak up in the work place and sit at the table. According to Phuti, “there is an economic and business imperative to use talents of women to solve the problems that the world faces”.
