+IMPACT MAGAZINE ISSUE 18

WOMEN
WOMEN
KEDIBONE TSILOANE
Founder, Ramtsilo Manufacturing
and Construction
THULI ZULU
INC SOLUTIONS
AFRICA LEAD
BSC Property Studies (Hons)
MELINDA ISAACS
Development Executive
BSc (Hons) (QS)
PrQS (SACQS)
MRICS (RICS)
Green Star SA AP (GBCSA)
MIHLAYENKOSI MATHIBE
Candidate Quantity Surveyor (CanQS)
BSc. Hons Quantity Surveying (Wits),
BTech Quantity Surveying (UJ)
Making South Africa sustainable –
one brick at a time
Thirty-two-year-old Kedibone Tsiloane is the founder of Ramtsilo
Manufacturing and Construction – a proudly South African, 100%
black female owned sustainable manufacturing and construction
company. Ramtsilo’s mission is to do everything possible to
provide innovative and sustainable solutions to the global plastic
pollution pandemic.
The company has created a circular green economy in the plastic
recycling and building material industry. They provide waste
management and recycling services for plastic waste pollution,
which is used in the manufacturing of strong, durable and fireretardant
bricks.
Tsiloane shares that she was inspired to begin Ramtsilo
due to her growing up in a construction household, where her
dad frequently took her on site. Ramtsilo started in 2013 as a
construction business, however, because they had been spending
so much money on building materials, specifically bricks, they
made the decision to manually manufacture their own bricks at
home. “We are from the township and upon discussion with one
of the waste collectors we learnt that plastic waste collection in
conjunction with the recycling of plastic has created a source of
revenue for the unemployed. We began prototyping the use of
plastic in brick making since 2016 and in 2017 we had a product
that we were comfortable with, which we took for testing. The
results were much better than we expected, and we formally went
into the market in 2019.”
When asked what motivates her as an innovator and drives her
innovations, Tsiloane says, “Wanting to make a lasting difference,
creating lasting solutions to everyday problems.” Being a firm
believer in good old persistence, Tsiloane says what separates her
from other innovators is that she always sees things through, no
matter how difficult things get. “It should be a subject at school,
without us thinking in a sustainable manner there will be no
‘future’ for us or the next generation,” she adds.
Looking to her future, Tsiloane shares that she aspires to create
more innovative solutions that change how we live our lives
on a daily basis. She further goes on to share her hopes for the
manufacturing and construction industry, “I hope the industry will
be more receptive to change and innovation. While the traditional
ways have worked, we need to get to a point where the industry
is open to new ways of doing things.”
As a woman working in a largely male-dominated industry, she
credits her parents for instilling values in her that have allowed her
to navigate this somewhat intimidating environment, “One thing
my parents made sure we knew growing up is that there isn’t a
man’s role and a woman’s role. So, when we encounter challenges
based on gender, we face them head on and we remind ourselves
that we are not here by chance. We put in the work thus we have
created a space for ourselves in this industry through hard work
and persistence.”
Meet Thuli Zulu, industry leader in the
Interior Design sector
Thuli Zulu is the African Lead of an International Interior
Company, INC Group. Launched in 2008 in the UAE, INC Group
has been delivering excellence for over 12 years, with Africa being
the newest arm of the business. With foundations grounded firmly
in the ethos of structure, transparency and confidence, INC Group
is able to deliver full turnkey interior solutions. Being driven by
the aspiration to deliver tailor-made projects, INC’s inspiring and
creative female-led workforce proudly specialises in premium
services such as design, interior construction, furniture supply
and IT solutions.
Thuli holds a BSC in Property Studies (Hons) degree, which she
obtained at the Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg, South
Africa. She has since completed several courses and industryrelated
qualifications through UCT Graduate School and Gibs
Business School. Throughout her career, Thuli has served on
various committees, including the Women’s Property Network
Gauteng Chapter as well as the Alumni for The Graça Machel
Women Creating Wealth Programme.
With over 13 years’ experience in commercial property, Thuli’s
background spans across various sectors in the industry, from
commercial property broking, leasing consultancy and trading and
acquisitions, to commercial property development and interior
design and build. Her fundamental strengths include deal making
and account management as well as coordinating, managing and
leading design and build teams. Thuli has been instrumental in the
successful delivery of various projects from her blue-chip client
base and in successfully forming and managing relationships
with diverse clients.
4 Sandown Valley Crescent, Sandton.
africainfo@inc-solutions.com
“Being a leader is about serving the people
you lead” – Melinda Isaacs, development
executive, Liberty Two Degrees
Passionate about real estate and influencing project execution,
Melinda Isaacs is a seasoned Development Manager and a Member
of the Royal Institute for Chartered Surveyors, a registered member of
the South African Council for the Quantity Surveying Profession and
an accredited professional with the Green Building Council of South
Africa. With extensive experience in retail and hospitality projects,
and as a Development Executive at Liberty Two Degrees (L2D), a
leading precinct-focused, retail-centered REIT, Melinda has a proven
track record spanning 15 years in development initiatives, in some
of South Africa’s leading shopping centres, including Sandton City.
With environmental risks remaining at the forefront of global risks,
Melinda leads the implementation of L2D’s various development
initiatives in the company’s journey to deliver its Net Zero
commitments. Some notable initiatives include the installation of 1
MW solar photovoltaic (PV) roof panels at Eastgate Shopping Centre
and Liberty Midlands Mall, as well as the solar trees at Eastgate, which
have been nominated for the Steel Awards. She is also leading the
team on the installation of an additional 4MW solar PV roof panel at
Liberty Midlands Mall, which is due to be commissioned in April 2023.
Melinda believes in the role that real estate plays in creating
future environments for communities to thrive in, and she enjoys
providing strategic direction that drives projects and processes
more effectively, with a focus on delivering excellence.
Melinda has also spearheaded and made significant contributions
to various projects in property development, including the
repositioning of Sandton City with the addition of the Southeast
Extension and refurbishment of the mall, the reconfiguration of the
Stuttafords space within the L2D portfolio, the mall reconfiguration
and introduction of the Diamond Walk, the refurbishment of Mount
Grace Hotel and Spa, and Rosebank Hotel among others.
As a registered professional, Melinda is passionate about contributing
to the industry as a mentor and has trained numerous other women,
some of whom have also grown to various senior management roles
in the industry. Seeing women grow and having contributed to their
development is inspiring for her and she believes being a leader is
about serving the people you lead, and giving back to the industry and
the people you work with, which also allows you to grow.
011 358 9145
info@liberty2degrees.co.za
www.liberty2degrees.co.za
‘Every project is a new adventure’ –
Mihlayenkosi Mathibe describes her
quantity surveying journey
I completed my undergraduate studies in 2015, the same year I
started working as a graduate at MMQSMace. Currently I am an
intermediate candidate quantity surveyor on a journey to become
a registered professional quantity surveyor.
As an intermediate quantity surveyor, I am responsible for
all cost consulting and managing duties throughout the various
construction stages from project inception to completion.
The lessons I have learnt so far in the industry is that although
the construction process may seem monotonous in its operation,
no project is the same as another, which prompts professionals,
particularly quantity surveyors, to be more adaptable to changes
in operation while still maintaining standards and not deviating
in construction principles.
Construction also needs a creative/open mind - most of the
time you deal will paper/drawings and plans which you should be
able to visualise, measure and bring to life. Furthermore, because
construction is mostly collaborative work, there are attributes
required to excel, which include interpersonal skills (ability to
learn from your peers), leadership skills, communication skills and
an ability to work in a team. Personal attributes may also include
being an analytic thinker, being detail-oriented and pro-active.
My experience over the past five years as a young professional,
particularly a black woman in an industry previously dominated
by men, is that there have been reasonable strides towards making
the industry more inclusive of women. The government’s initiative
to have local participation in every project procurement has been
a step in the right direction in uplifting communities, as business
owners - particularly female-owned businesses - are given an
opportunity to provide services. It also gives local labourers an
opportunity to develop skills, and students a chance to be involved
in construction projects, which is beneficial to their curriculum.
However, there is still a long way to go in the industry in terms
of unconscious gender bias and the gender pay gap.
What I enjoy most about construction is that every new project
is a new adventure, and an opportunity to contribute to the
development of a community. It is also a chance to build new
relationships and grow with new professionals and clients.
15 Forest Road, 2nd Floor - Building 1 Waverley Office Park,
Waverley, Johannesburg, 2199 | 011 430 2880
noxolo.msibi@mmqsmace.com / mandla.mlangeni@mmqsmace.com
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