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Fabgalz and Fabulous Woman magazine founder Pontsho Manzi is all about empowering South Africa’s women – and is one of Brand South Africa’s Play Your Part Ambassadors.  Claire Roadley interviews her on behalf of Brand south africa's Global South Africans to find out what inspires her.  

Where are you from in SA and where did you grow up and go to school?

I come from Soshanguve in Pretoria. I started my schooling in Baleseng Primary and completed my Matric at Holy Trinity Convent School.

Tell us more about your career path and how you came to start up Fabgalz and Fabulous Woman Magazine?

I have always been passionate about improving the lives of women and girls. Fabgalz started as a conscious effort on my part when I started my business in 2004 to sow into the lives of girls with profits from my business. Fabulous Woman Magazine is one of BoAm Investment Group’s companies aimed at empowering women through the medium of magazine. There is Bonisa Media, FabImage, Recrutrain and more recently herb and flower farming and agro processing/manufacturing business that we are incubating as a family. The aim is to employ more than 90% women in all my businesses.

Tell us a bit about how you got your motivational courses and workshops on dressing for success and how to ace job interviews for young women who want to succeed.

As an HR professional who started in recruitment services for blue chip companies, I often counselled women on character building and interview tips. This is when I realised that I need to give my candidates an edge over similarly qualified candidates vying for the same positions. Armed with an Image Consulting qualification, there was a unique fit and compelling value proposition that only I could offer under one roof so I went for it. The women I have placed in companies have gone on to rapidly climb the corporate ladder and they are eternally grateful for the image management tips that have set them apart from colleagues. Dressing for success is essential for everyone who has the ambition and drive to scale the corporate or business ladder.  

Tell us one of your greatest success stories?

There have been many where women and girls I have interacted with have gone on to start successful businesses and some are completing their degrees in Universities. The one I am most proud off is one of my FabGalz who will graduate as a chartered accountant soon whom I have mentored over the years. She is just brilliant and an example of what will go right with women if we nurture them, especially amongst ourselves as women!  

What are you busy with at the moment and what are your plans/dreams going forwards?

I want to be a successful industrialist hence my recent foray into agriculture, agro processing and manufacturing. Unlike service industries, people need to eat and look good no matter the economic circumstances. I will continue with my women empowerment work as this gives me joy unimaginable! I have written a book titled “Sisterhood Charter” which tackles negative behavioural patterns amongst women that hampers their progress in the business and the corporate world. To expand on the discussions in the book, I run Sisterhood Charter Dialogues throughout the country to further discuss and find solutions to women’s issues that affect progress in their careers. I want the Sisterhood Charter Dialogues to evolve into a movement that will sweep the country by storm and correct self-defeating behaviours that women engage in. Tall order but it can be done!

I also plan to shake up the publishing and media space in the coming years to open doors for young women and inspiring them to dream big. My ultimate aim is to break into industries where women are non-existent or underrepresented and keep the door open for other women to get in and successfully carve a substantial stake. The oligopolistic nature of all SA industries deeply disturbs me and keeps me awake at night.

Who is your hero/inspiration?

Besides my mother who is my rock and has instilled resilience in me from birth and modelled in front of me, I also stand on the shoulders of many people from whose characters I have fashioned my own brand and the imprint I want to leave as a legacy in this world. And it is often the unknown unsung heroines that inspire me to wake up every day with a distinct purpose to change my world.

What is the one element about being South African or about South Africa that has shaped who you are today?

While deprivation of apartheid has robbed many of their dignity and forced many to restrict their dreams to small venture, the same spirit has caused some of us to want to achieve much more than our parents to leave a worthwhile legacy for future generations. You can only learn that through adversity. As a South African in a land of opportunity that freedom opened up for us, this is one character that will move our country forward. We are after all naturally optimistic people as a nation and are seasoned improvisers from Apartheid days. We dance through almost anything that may destroy other nationalities and that is our strength and competitive advantage. We are generally happy people.

What message do you have for South Africans around the world?

Build a career, make money and show your mettle, and then come back to SA to improve lives of those you left behind with the skills acquired around the world. Just bring back only that which is good and leave the negativity at country of origin. No need to badmouth the country while overseas. No matter how bad things may get, most of us still live here and are determined to make the best of it. One bad word about SA has the potential of worsening unemployment and driving away foreign direct investment. Your loyalty is towards SA citizens left behind and not government, so take care with expressed negative sentiments no matter how heartfelt.

Parting thought

As we see an increase in reporting of violence meted out against women and young girls in SA, the stage is ripe for the Fabulous Woman Awards and the Fabulous Girls Foundation to establish a firm footing in communities where we do schools outreaches for girls. In their 5th year in 2017, the Fabulous Woman Awards were founded in 2013 with a deliberate mission to foster a spirit of sisterhood amongst women from all walks of life and bridge the intergenerational gap amongst women. For girls in schools we conduct confidence boosting workshops, maths and science camps and career guidance while finding bursaries and mentors for school leavers. It is about creating independent, intelligent and confident young women who will be able to look after themselves and their families. For young girls not in the education system, we run entrepreneurship workshops to give them skills to successfully start and run their own businesses with mentorship from other successful entrepreneurs. Excellent achievement is recognised at the Fabulous Woman Awards in August every year. The biggest challenge is getting companies and public/government institutions to sponsor our projects in kind or financially. The task is too great to tackle using profits from my businesses as this limits our reach. I am feverishly working on getting corporates to open their financial and human resources in growing a crop of women that SA would like to have by investing in their empowerment and upliftment. It is a well-known fact that empowering a woman uplifts families and communities. The Radisson Blu has sponsored the venue for the 5th Annual Fabulous Woman Awards 2017, thereby throwing the gauntlet for other corporates to do the same in sponsoring schools and communities outreach work and sponsoring the awards in August. Getting involved in the work of non-profit organisations like The Fabulous Girls Foundation is a necessity for corporates and individuals who want to make a lasting tangible impact and legacy in the lives of SA women. That is the message that needs to go out to women and men in South Africa and those abroad  with access to resources, imploring them to direct the resources they control to such projects for the betterment of South Africa’s women and consequently its people.

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