BREAKING
THE BIAS RYLAND FISHER talks to ITHUBA CEO Charmaine Mabuza about transforming the gaming sector
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THUBA is the licensed national lottery operator contracted for a renewable period of eight years by the National Lotteries Commission (NLC), the national regulator for lotteries and sports pools. ITHUBA has been running the lottery since 2015. “That I was the first black woman to own or run a lottery is a legacy of our past. What is important to me is that I should not be the last black woman to reach such a position. Gender equality in business is not just some add-on extra, it is essential. Keeping women down is bad for the economy and the future of our children. This is why I am such a highly motivated advocate of transformation and gender equity. “But everything must start at home and you need to lead by example. At Zamani Holdings (ITHUBA’s holding company) and in all our subsidiaries, we insist on implementing women empowerment programmes that are impactful and measurable. If South Africa is to thrive economically, deliberate policies need to be put in place to support the economic participation of women. ITHUBA is leading by example – we have more than 60 per cent women on our executive.” She adds that ITHUBA also has projects that actively work to empower women entrepreneurs. “Progress is being made, but it’s slow. One of the neglected areas lies in working with boys and young men to get them to understand that oppression of females is not equal to masculinity. Teenage boys are still forming their identities, so it’s
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a good time to demonstrate to them that oppression of girls does not make them strong men, in fact, the opposite. Because of the way most girls in our society have been groomed, there is still a long way to go to build up confi dence, but they need to see more female role models at every level. At ITHUBA, we have strong female role models within our supplier base and at all levels within the business.”
PRIORITISE TRANSFORMATION AND ACT Mabuza says that government needs to act tougher against transgressors of its gender equity policies to promote women, especially black women, in corporates. “The South African government has labour policies that talk to gender equity in the workplace and equal pay for all, but many companies simply ignore these policies. To break the glass ceiling, the government must fi nd the political will to penalise those not making progress in meeting the set targets.
“I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SURE THAT I HAVE AS MUCH RIGHT AS ANY OTHER PERSON, INCLUDING ANY MAN, TO FULFIL MY DREAMS OF SUCCESS.”
Charmaine Mabuza
“Having said that, we in the corporate world cannot leave it all up to the government. Companies must believe that they must transform themselves and understand that in the long term this will benefi t their bottom line as well as the whole of society. “As the first female CEO in Africa’s gaming sector, I made it a priority to transform the gender profile of the sector. That ITHUBA has a majority of women on its executive speaks for itself. At ITHUBA, we make sure that everyone is heard; by listening to all voices – the soft and the loud ones – you get a balanced perspective. We make a special effort to encourage and support the professional progress of women.”
A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSWOMAN AND STRONG LEADER Mabuza says her first role model was her mother. “Through sheer hard work and determination, she worked her way up from being an informal trader to becoming a multifaceted entrepreneur who owned a butchery, a supermarket, retail stores and a petrol station. “She taught me very quickly to
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2022/02/28 3:25 PM
