Journal of African Business Issue 6

BIOGRAPHY
Nthakoana Maema has a strong commitment to creating financially thriving
and inclusive economies in South Africa. She leverages her extensive
experience as a development strategist spanning over 17 years. Passionate
about sustainable cities, social entrepreneurship and promoting youth and
gender inclusion, Nthakoana approaches complex challenges through the lens
of equity and systems thinking. Her diverse educational background includes
studies in Business Science with a focus on Finance, Design Thinking and
NPO/SE Management. Recently, she furthered her expertise by completing a
Postgraduate Diploma in Sustainable Development at Stellenbosch University.
Nthakoana is the founder of FutureProof Consultancy, where she empowers
leaders and teams to build resilience and cultivate a culture of innovation.
The girls on this page, and in the main image on the first page of this article, were
attending a #GirlsinBusiness Innovation Bootcamp run by Oribi in Cape Town.
THE GENDER PAY GAP IS STILL AN UNCOMFORTABLE REALITY
There’s much to be positive about, Maema says, but still a lot more to be done. The
gender pay gap remains a global issue that’s of particular concern in South Africa.
What’s more, unemployment figures are high among women. As President Cyril
Ramaphosa noted at the Second Women Economic Assembly in 2022, 47% of
South African women aged between 15 and 64 are deemed “economically inactive”.
“Again, it’s a question of opportunity and ensuring all genders have equal access and
shorter pathways to the heart of the value chain,” Maema says. Ultimately, despite
these challenges, this is one of the few countries in the world where the number of
women starting their own business is actually growing, something that Maema says
can only be a net positive. “More female business owners means a bigger economy
with a greater number of opportunities for everyone.” And these businesses
often benefit wider society as a whole. Look no further than Sibongile Mongadi’s
Uku’hamba project, which is building prosthetic limbs from affordable materials or
the SME-funding firm Akiba, co-founded by Tebogo Mokwena. “Going forward,”
Maema says, “the key is to incubate and support budding entrepreneurs while
ensuring marginalised groups are equipped to navigate South Africa’s corporate
machinery.” Fostering talent this way is the Oribi vision through and through.
Discover more about Oribi and its incubator model at https://www.oribi.org.za/
ABOUT ORIBI
Oribi is a non-profit incubator dedicated to catalysing high-impact
entrepreneurship with, from and for marginalised people and places
and fostering sustainable development in South Africa. We collaborate
with many stakeholders to unlock individual and collective action and
address social, economic and environmental challenges. Through a
systems approach, we enable people to identify needs, prioritise solutions
and implement impactful social enterprises. Our focus areas include
community enablement, food systems, entrepreneurial support, inclusivefinancing
support, access to networks and policy engagement. Thanks
to technical support from Value for Women, we apply a gender lens in
our actions. Join us in creating positive change for a brighter future.
Visit www.oribi.org.za to learn more.
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