Born and raised in Empangeni in KwaZulu-Natal by her single mother, Mabuza helped to care for her younger siblings after matriculating from Stanger High School, ensuring that there was money for their education. It is this necessity to provide for her family that has driven Mabuza to achieve throughout her career; she attributes much of her success to these foundations. She managed multiple retail stores, including a butchery, a petrol station and a local supermarket. Mabuza grew up watching her mother face the daily challenges of being a black woman in business.
“My mother inspired me. Even at a young age, I believed in the power of women, that is why I am so passionate about gender parity,” she says.
Mabuza rose to the top, juggling being an entrepreneur, a wife and a mother of three. But before building her own personal empire, she had established a name for herself as a director of Wiphold, an R1.2-billion organization that was the first women-owned company to list on the JSE in 1999.
After resigning from Wiphold to focus on her family businesses, Mabuza and her husband, Advocate Eric Mabuza, launched Zamani Holdings in 2008. In 2013, ITHUBA was launched. The company aimed to provide a national service by operating the South African National Lottery. While a booming business might cause some to forget where they’ve come from, success has had the opposite effect on Mabuza.
“ I BELIEVE IT IS NEVER TOO LATE FOR ANYONE TO PURSUE THEIR DREAMS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO EDUCATION. THAT IS WHY THE ERIC AND CHARMAINE MABUZA SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION IS SO CLOSE TO MY HEART”
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courtesy of Top Women
