Wendy Luhabe
Wendy Yvonne Nomathemba Luhabe LVO (born 29 May 1957) is a South African entrepreneur. After working for 10 years for corporations internationally she decided to dedicate her life to empower African women in business.
Luhabe was born in Daveyton, Gauteng, South Africa, and grew up in the old Benoni location.[1] She graduated in Arts from the University of Fort Hare (1977) and in Commerce from the University of Lesotho (1981). After 10 years of national and international corporate experience with f.e. BMW [2] she founded "Bridging the Gap" in 1991, a consulting firm working on both sides corporate equation: On the one hand to prepare young black South Africans to enter the world of work, on the other hand to support South African companies how to integrate them into their corporate business.[3] Most Wendy is known for her vision in founding the Women Investment Holdings Holdings in 1993: initiating the participation of women in the economic landscape of South Africa.[4] She launched the first fund to provide capital to women-owned business in South Africa with an R120 million private equite fund.
She was awarded as one of the 50 Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World and Global Leader of Tomorrow of the World Economics Forum inaugurated as a Chancellor of the University of Johannesburg in 2006.
Luhabe was appointed Honorary Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO) in the 2014 New Year Honours for her services as a trustee of the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Foundation.[5]
She is married to the former premier of Gauteng, Mbhazima Shilowa, they have 2 sons and a grandson.
Literature
- Wendy Luhabe: Defining moments. University of Kwazulu Natal Press, 2002, ISBN 978-1-86914-020-5
References
- ↑ Life and Soul: portraits of women who move South Africa.
- ↑ "Who is who in South Africa http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/wendy-luhabe-3164".
- ↑ "What's black and white and working? http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/01/luhabe.html".
- ↑ "African Success http://www.africansuccess.org/visuFiche.php?id=397&lang=en".
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 60728. p. 4. 31 December 2013.