Published on Dec 9, 2013
In a private moment in their home, Wendy and Raymond Ackerman reflect on their encounters with Nelson Mandela.
Source: Expresso Partners
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“Don’t introduce me as the chairman’s wife. I have had to work very hard. I want to be recognised as a person in my own right.”
- Wendy Ackerman is one of the founders and an Executive Director of Pick n Pay Stores. Together with husband Raymond Ackerman she helped build up one of South Africa’s pre-eminent FMCG retailers, consisting of over 450 stores including 121 supermarkets and 14 hypermarkets. Operations are in food, clothing, and general merchandise sectors as well as financial services. The company operates throughout South Africa, southern Africa and Australia and employs around 49,000 people. Today, much of Wendy's boundless energy is devoted to her family's philanthropic endeavours and her personal work for the underprivileged.
Read moreEntrepreneur Advice from Wendy Ackerman: It takes hard work to get ahead
You'll need to push yourself to get ahead....
“I don’t tolerate fools, I’m afraid, or laziness. I have never been lazy and I have always pushed myself. I don’t know where the stamina comes from”
- Wendy Ackerman is one of the founders and an Executive Director of Pick n Pay Stores. Together with husband Raymond Ackerman she helped build up one of South Africa’s pre-eminent FMCG retailers, consisting of over 450 stores including 121 supermarkets and 14 hypermarkets. Operations are in food, clothing, and general merchandise sectors as well as financial services. The company operates throughout South Africa, southern Africa and Australia and employs around 49,000 people. Today, much of Wendy's boundless energy is devoted to her family's philanthropic endeavours and her personal work for the underprivileged.
Read moreVideo: Wendy Ackerman behind the scenes cover shoot for Forbes Africa
Behind the scenes with Wendy Ackerman as she participates in a photo shoot for the making of the Forbes Africa August 2013 edition cover.
Video published on July 30, 2013 Source: Forbes Africa
FORBES AFRICA August 2013: Behind the scenes with Wendy Ackerman and Rapelang Rabana. Two women, worlds apart, agree: business is not for dreamers, but for those with the guts to stick it out. Wendy Ackerman has made a fortune from supermarkets over the last half century; Rapelang Rabana is at the other end of her entrepreneurial career—in the dynamic world of technology and communications. They prove that when it comes to making your fortune there is more than one way to skin a cat.
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“My heart goes out to people who don’t share the kind of love that I receive from my family. I believe very strongly in giving to people who unfortunately aren’t able to receive the warmth and love that I receive. I do love helping people who live in difficult situations.”
- Wendy Ackerman is one of the founders and an Executive Director of Pick n Pay Stores. Together with husband Raymond Ackerman she helped build up one of South Africa’s pre-eminent FMCG retailers, consisting of over 450 stores including 121 supermarkets and 14 hypermarkets. Operations are in food, clothing, and general merchandise sectors as well as financial services. The company operates throughout South Africa, southern Africa and Australia and employs around 49,000 people. Today, much of Wendy's boundless energy is devoted to her family's philanthropic endeavours and her personal work for the underprivileged.
Read morePam Golding featured as Inspiring Woman of the Month
InspiringWomen.co.za features Pam Golding as its Inspiring Woman of the Month.
Read morePam Golding: 'I have never felt that I wasn't one of the boys'
Source: The Independent UK | published December 9, 2009
Peter Bills interviews South Africa's doyen of the property business, Pam Golding, founder of Pam Golding Property Group.
Read moreWits Business School Journal features Pam Golding as one of South Africa's 30 Wonder Women
The Wits Business School Journal features Pam Golding in its article 'South Africa's 30 Wonder Women'.
WBS Journal celebrates 30 of South Africa’s most powerful and influential women. Whether in media or mining, banking or politics, these women are forces to be reckoned with, and role models to many women.
Read moreDr. Ola Orekunrin: Africa Must Leapfrog its Way to the Future
Dr. Ola Orekunrin, founder of Flying Doctors Nigeria
Source: Think Africa Press | by Dr. Ola Orekunrin | August 13, 2014
Fascinating though piece by Dr. Ola Orekunrin: "The term "hacking” means modifying the features of a system to achieve a new goal. In development, it can describe rapid changes made by a society to advance without going through the intermediate stages. Rather than following developed nations’ roadmap to progress, Africa can leapfrog by experimenting with emerging tools, models and ideas. Foreign investors looking at Africa often say that while the prospects are exciting, the infrastructure is lagging. I believe that existing infrastructure can be hacked – which in itself is a huge opportunity"....
Read the full article here.
Read moreEntrepreneur Advice from Pam Golding: Don't be put off by the state of the economy - start your business anyway
Don't let state of the economy put you off starting your business....
“I started the company when South Africa was going through a recession, and people said I was crazy to go on my own. But I rarely take notice of things such as recessions! I was determined to succeed and that is half the battle already won.”
- Pam Golding is one of Africa's most successful women entrepreneurs and an icon of the real estate industry. She founded Pam Golding Properties in South Africa in 1976 with no start-up capital and just a single sales assistant. The company now has over 300 offices in Africa as well as international offices in the UK, Germany, France and Mauritius. It is one of South Africa’s largest independent property trading companies with 2010 turnover of US$1.7 billion. Pam is now retired from active management, but remains the Life President of the company she founded.
Read moreEntrepreneur Advice from Pam Golding: Trust your instincts
You should always trust your instincts...
“I also believe you should trust your instincts. I did when I started Pam Golding Properties over 30 years ago.”
- Pam Golding is one of Africa's most successful women entrepreneurs and an icon of the real estate industry. She founded Pam Golding Properties in South Africa in 1976 with no start-up capital and just a single sales assistant. The company now has over 300 offices in Africa as well as international offices in the UK, Germany, France and Mauritius. It is one of South Africa’s largest independent property trading companies with 2010 turnover of US$1.7 billion. Pam is now retired from active management, but remains the Life President of the company she founded.
Read moreQuote of the Day
“We have a saying in our family: 'Press on regardless'. And, we did.”
- Pam Golding is one of Africa's most successful women entrepreneurs and an icon of the real estate industry. She founded Pam Golding Properties in South Africa in 1976 with no start-up capital and just a single sales assistant. The company now has over 300 offices in Africa as well as international offices in the UK, Germany, France and Mauritius. It is one of South Africa’s largest independent property trading companies with 2010 turnover of US$1.7 billion. Pam is now retired from active management, but remains the Life President of the company she founded.
Read moreIt's not a man's world: The African women breaking down tech barriers
Ethel Cofie, founder of EDEL Technology Consulting (Ghana)
Source: CNN African Voices | 12 August 2014 | by Ethel Cofie
(CNN) -- When I was doing my degree in computer science in Ghana's Valley View University 10 years ago, there just were seven girls in the class. After four years, only four graduated and out of that number, just two of us have stayed in technical roles. Today, my little sister's computer science class has at least 30% females and a smaller drop-off rate. All across Africa, the number of women entering the tech industry is improving thanks to the several nonprofit groups teaching girls how to code and the bigger availability of funds.
Read moreEssential Read: Women Entrepreneur Revolution: Ready! Set! Launch! - by Jenn Aubert
100+ Successful Women Entrepreneurs Share Their Best Tips on What Works, What Doesn’t (and Why) When You’re Launching a Business and Designing a Life You Love.
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"When you’re looking for support or inspiration look to the iconic figures for inspiration, but don’t forget the women just a few steps ahead of you on this journey. They have so much to offer. Also look to different people for different needs. It’s nearly impossible to learn everything from just one or two people."
- Jenn Aubert is author of the book 'Women Entrepreneur Revolution: Ready! Set! Launch!' She is a licensed acupuncturist with a thriving practice in San Francisco. She lives with her two favourite guys, her husband and son. Always in search of her next challenge, she is launching a company focused on educating, empowering, inspiring and connecting women entrepreneurs so they can thrive in business and in life.
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"As women in Africa we have so many industries we can get involved in, embrace them, however, we must not forget our responsibilities at home."
- Sibongile Sambo is a pioneering woman of South African aviation. She is founder and Chief Executive Officer of SRS Aviation Ltd., the first 100 percent black, female-owned aviation services company in South Africa. Launched in 2004, SRS is an integrated provider of private aviation services offering South African and international clients professional and personalized flight options including VIP Charter, tourist charter and helicopter services, to destinations around the world. Today, the company also provides maintenance, sales and fleet management services to private jet owners.
Read moreQ&A: ‘Michelle Obama Made Me Cry’ A Young African Leader Says
Ethel Cofie, founder of Edel Technology Consulting (Ghana)
Source: AFK Insider | by Veronica Pamoukaghlian | 7 August 2014
U.S. President Barack Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative brought 500 African business leaders under the age of 35 to top U.S. universities to network and develop business and leadership skills.
Ghanaian-born Ethel Cofie was one of them. Selected from a pool of 50,000 applicants, Cofie and her colleagues got to meet Obama and many key industry players in the U.S.
Read moreVideo: Susan Mashibe interviewed on Bloomberg
Source: Bloomberg Philanthropies | Published on August 6, 2014
Two African entrepreneurs and a U.S. investor in African companies join the U.S.-Africa Business Forum Google Hangout to talk about the investing climate in Africa for startup companies and what is necessary to get up and running : do your homework and be persistent. With Susan Mashibe, CEO of VIA Aviation in Tanzania, Bobby Pittman, CEO of Kupanda Capital in Washington D.C., and Anthony Nwachukwu, CEO of SW Global, a software company in Ghana.
Read moreEntrepreneur Advice from Kofo Akinkugbe: Trust that the funds will always come
Trust that the funds will always come....
"Once you have a good plan and a good concept and you work through it, the funds will always come."
- Kofo Akinkugbe is founder & CEO of SecureID Nigeria Ltd. She is a highly respected African business leader who has become a market leader in smart card technology and digital security. SecureID is world-class manufacturing company with the only smart card production plant in West Africa and one of only six on the continent. Her company serves 16 countries across Africa and is fully certified by VISA, Verve and MasterCard. In 2012, Kofo won the Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship Mature Business Award.
Read moreVideo: Dorcas Muthoni's 2014 Internet Hall of Fame Acceptance Speech
Published by the Internet Hall of Fame on Apr 12, 2014
Irine Misoi, representative for Dorcas Muthoni, gives an acceptance speech at the Internet Society's Internet Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony April 8, 2014.
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