South Africa’s top 3 businesswomen in 2021

You don’t have to look very hard to find a plethora of incredible businesswomen in South Africa today. Some of the biggest brands and companies across an array of industries are being steered by powerful women from a range of backgrounds. Not only that, many have forged their own path in the SME arena to make successful empires on the backs of their hard work, dedication and ability. In light of these incredible individuals and the celebration of all women in August, we’ve taken a snapshot look at three who we are completely enamoured with.  

Dineo Lioma

A scientist, engineer, biotech pioneer, and of course, an astute businesswoman, Dineo Lioma is barely 30 and has already co-founded 3 thriving businesses. Incitech, CapeBio Technologies and Deep Medical Therapeutics are focused on the scientific exploration and biotechnology sphere with Deep Medical Therapeutics working alongside IBM on artificially intelligent systems to help doctors treat drug-resistant diseases, and Incitech developing a way to diagnose HIV faster. 

Driven, dedicated and highly-capable, Lioma is committed to her aim of “creating meaningful solutions that will impact the status of healthcare in Africa.”

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dineo-lioma-1389b433/

Ntsiki Biyela  

Growing up in a rural village in Kwazulu-Natal, Ntsiki Biyela knew little to nothing about the arduous job of making wine, but that wouldn’t stop her from becoming South Africa’s first black female winemaker. 

However, running things at Stellakaya Wines was not to be the end of her journey, as in 2016 she founded Aslina Wines – named after her grandmother – and now Ntsiki’s premium wines are distributed to all corners of the world. 

Working her way up from a humble domestic worker with only a matric certificate behind her, Biyela always believed that “you don’t have to be perfect – be yourself.”

Arlene Mulder   

Whether you are in the tech space or not, you have more than likely heard her name, and that’s because Arlene Mulder changed not only her life, but the lives of many, when she quit her job to start her NPO focused on developing coding and tech talent in South Africa, WeThinkCode_. 

Now, while being a co-founder of Toybox, a platform to help people with great ideas bring them to life, Arlene also launched “Africa’s audio library” BiB, and serves as MD of Dire Wolf – a financial services company exclusively for healthcare professionals. 

If you’re thinking of doing something different, something brave and are looking for an example of success, then look no further. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/arlene-mulder/

To all of the brave, confident and inspiring women of South Africa, thank you and happy Women’s Day.

At Bridgement, we endeavour to make the running of a business, your business, possible. 

We’re here to help you make a success of your business by providing insight and understanding to a complex landscape and offering much-needed funding to make that success a possibility.  

Bridgement Business Funding

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