COUNTRY: SOUTH AFRICA
This South African entrepreneur, youth leader, and the speaker has been involved in business for almost 10 years. She is currently the Managing Director of Ntsika Uhuru; a business-to-business distribution services firm focusing on the selling, repairs, and maintenance of specialised pumps, valves, motors, actuators, and instrumentation equipment. Ntsika Uhuru services the mining and power generation industry.
Mandisa is a serial entrepreneur, having started her first business – an Internet café – at age 19, all the while studying towards a Bachelor of Laws with the University of the Witwatersrand. She dropped out of law school after her second year; and enrolled with the Raymond Ackerman Academy for Entrepreneurial Development. She graduated from the Academy at the top on her class and with seed capital for her next business venture, Vanity Space – an online store of second-hand branded apparel. This would be her second and most significant business failure. Not being one to give up she went into uncharted territory as a Safety, Health, Environmental, and Quality consultant and would obtain her SHEQ qualification with distinction. She stepped down from the helm of Maanda Africa Group in 2017 – and had been one of its founding members.
She was inducted as a World Economic Forum Global Shaper in the Soweto Hub in 2017, and was elected as its Curator for the 2018/2019 term. She also hosted a discussion at the Pan-African Parliament on Accelerated Solutions to Youth And Gender Empowerment at the African Youth Development Summit, alongside the Global Citizen Festival in 2018.
Her passion and enthusiasm for entrepreneurship has seen her being invited to speak about her business journey, the lessons along the way, and the failures that have laid the foundation for a strong future in business. She is also a seasoned event programme director, facilitator, and discussion moderator; and has hosted the likes of Dr. Judy Dlamini, Ipeleng Mkahri, Farah Fortune, and Basetsana Kumalo’ alongside She Boss Conversations.
Mandisa is committed to work that harnesses and leverages the continents’ youth to unlock wealth, further entrepreneurship, and create social value.
The Fellowship has been such a gift. A gift of sisterhood,
healing, and a reclaiming of my voice and choices. I am eternally grateful.