Page 53 - Forbes - Africa (March 2020)

MAGDA WIERZYCKA, SOUTH AFRICA

FOUNDER, SYGNIA
Magda Wierzycka is a self-made business executive. Born in Poland, Wierzyc-
ka arrived in South Africa when she was 13, after spending a year in a refugee
via camp in Austria.
BOSCH/AFP tiple financial services companies, including Alexander Forbes. Today, she is
Not being defined by her beginnings, Wierzycka built a career spanning mul-

CEO of a Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed asset management company,
Sygnia, with a market cap of R1.53 billion ($103 million). “It does not matter
RODGER what background you come from. If you do not have to rely on others to take
care of you, you are unstoppable,” Wierzycka says.

by Wierzycka is well known in South Africa for her anti-corruption stance, both
in government and in the private sector. She is very vocal around issues con-
Photo cerning ‘state capture’ and restoring faith in government. “Given the impact
corruption has had on the lives of average South Africans, and the fact that it
africa; has robbed all of us of a prosperous future, it is a fight worth having,” she says.
In 2017, Sygnia launched two new unit classes of the Sygnia Money Market
southern Unit Trust whereby all management fees are donated to non-partisan civil so-
ciety organizations fighting corruption. These organizations include OUTA,
the Black Sash, amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism, Corrup-
tasteof tion Watch, the Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation and the Ahmed Kathrada
Foundation.
from She also serves in the Africa Advisory Board of the Center for African Studies
at Harvard University.

sourced

Photos

lionessofafrica.com; Getty Images; Christinne Muschi/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Photo by Philipp Schmidli/Getty Images; Photo by Aron Simeneh; Photo by LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images

from

sourced TARA FELA-DUROTOYE, their problems like family disputes

Photos NIGERIA THERESA and abolish bad cultures harmful to
KACHINDAMOTO,
FOUNDER, HOUSE OF TARA INTERNATIONAL
little girls and boys.
MALAWI
Tara Fela-Durotoye is a lawyer-turned-makeup art-
Monnakgotla; ist and beauty entrepreneur. She established her in- CHIEF OF DEDZA DISTRICT, MALAWI What are some of the challenges you
digenous beauty company House of Tara Inter-
have faced?
national, at the age of 20 in 1998, when makeup
In my culture, a woman cannot be a
heresa Kachindamoto is the
products for African women were few.
chief and people challenged me espe-
fearless chief, spearheading
Motlabana Today, her company has a ground-breaking net- T es and banning the sexual ini- cially when I began to terminate child
the abolition of child marriag-
work of over 10,000 representatives and 27 branch-
marriages.
es spread across the country. She has since found-
I had to dismiss 54 traditional lead-
tiations of young girls in Malawi. She is
ed the country’s first bridal directory, makeup studio
after they followed my laws to end
by and beauty academy. the youngest of 12 siblings and is today ers who did not obey my bylaws. Only
the traditional leader of Dedza district
In 2015, Tara Beauty partnered with L’Oréal to be
Photos its Nigerian strategic distributor for the internation- in central Malawi and her rule spans a child marriage did I reinstate them as
chiefs.
population just shy of a million people.
al cosmetics brand Maybelline. Through the Tara
Kachindamoto has annulled 2,549 child
supplied; Beauty Entrepreneur initiative, she has mentored marriages. She tells us more: What is fulfilling about your work?
and empowered thousands of beauty enthusiasts.
I am happy when chiefs from different
Durotoye has won several awards throughout her
regions come to my area to learn what
What inspires your efforts every day?
Photos entrepreneurial journey, including the 2018 Lead- Without [my people] I can't be a chief. [I I am doing and invite me to go to their
ership Award for Entrepreneurship by the Harvard
district to teach them.
am inspired] to help my people solve
Business School Association of Nigeria.
FORBESAFRICA.COM MARCH 2020 FORBES AFRICA | 49