2017 winner is breaking down barriers
DR THANDI Ndlovu was named the 2017 Woman of Substance recipient as the African Women Chartered Accountants Forum (AWCA) celebrated its 15th annual awards.
More than 300 invited guests gathered in Sun City on August 6 to celebrate an individual who has actively eroded stereotypes and broken down barriers to broaden the possibility of opportunities for black women in strategic areas of business, according to AWCA president Lesego Sennelo.
Ndlovu dedicated her award to Zanele Mbeki, because of what she stood for during the Struggle. The women were both in exile together and Mbeki encouraged her to strive to make her dreams come true.
A doctor by profession, Ndlovu has been a part of building communities after she started a private medical practice in Orange Farm, south of Joburg in the 1990s.
Ndlovu told The Star that she has a number of hobbies, one of which includes climbing mountains like Mount Kilimanjaro. She added that the feeling she experienced while climbing the mountain was one of anxiety and she felt the exact same way before winning the Woman of Substance Award.
“I was surprised and I said to the organisers ‘nothing scares me, I just go head first into anything I want to do’. I love challenges, but this award makes me feel a little bit scared about how I am going to carry this. It’s such a huge responsibility because of the women who have come before me,” said Ndlovu. She is the founder of Motheo Construction Group, one of South Africa’s biggest black female-owned construction enterprises.
“The main reason I accepted the nomination is because of the work this organisation is doing in a sector where we had a deficiency of strong leadership. They are nurturing women to take on strong leadership roles through mentorship and upskilling,” she said. When she was nominated, Ndlovu said she felt honoured and privileged to be among a list of amazing women who have had an impact on society.
Previous winners include Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Advocate Thuli Madonsela and Dr Wendy Luhabe.
Last year’s recipient of the award was former African Union (AU) Commission chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, who said it was important to make the agenda of the AU a reality.
Other winners on the night were Nana Madikane for Audit Partner of the year; Private Chief Executive of the year was Zyda Rylands; and Public Sector Chief Financial Officer of the year went to Nonkululeko Dlamini.
Minister of Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa, was among the distinguished delegates to honour phenomenal women in the field of chartered accountants and entrepreneurship.
Woman of Substance is an event that honours and recognises South Africa’s most exceptional women achievers.
The awards event was held in Bryanston last weekend, and is an annual flagship event, launched in 2005, where a carefully chosen woman is honoured and presented with the award of “AWCA Woman of Substance”.