Perspectives: Women in Leadership – From Meaningful Change to Making an Impact

Based in Johannesburg, Dr Rufaro Nyakatawa’s primary focus is developing the strategy for Jersey Finance’s engagement in the South African market. She also plays a vital role in supporting the organisation’s wider activity across the continent.

A Chartered Accountant, Sindi is the founder of The African Women Chartered Accountants. She later led the formation of the commercial arm, AWCA Investment Holdings (AIH) which she currently chairs.

She is the Managing Partner of AIH Capital the Private Equity firm of AIH.

AIH has built a portfolio of solid investments which include Bidvest Protea Coin, Global Credit Agency, and Futuregrowth Asset Managers.

She has extensive experience In the Public Sector where she served on a number of State-Owned Companies as Executive and Non-Executive Director including SANRAL, Transnet, SAA, Eskom, and PIC. Sindi has also served on listed and international entities where she chairs Audit & Risk Committees, Social & Ethics Committees, and Remuneration Committees including MTN Group, Bidvest Group, and Sun International Limited. She is a Fellow of the Aspen Global Leadership Network, and member of the international women’s forum.

Moushmi Patel is Executive Director and Partner at Sanari Capital. Prior to joining Sanari, Moushmi worked in investment banking at Rand Merchant Bank. She has over 13 years of Private Equity and investment banking experience, together with this has 15 years of financial services experience in local and international markets.

She gained exposure to private equity leverage buyout and growth equity deals, asset finance, and debt restructuring. Moushmi has extensive knowledge and experience in the Technology, Media, Telecommunication, Education, and Diversified Holding Companies sectors.

Moushmi is a qualified Chartered Accountant (SA), where she completed her articles at PwC. She has a Bachelor of Accounting from the University of the Witwatersrand, holds an MBA from the Gordon Institute of Business Science, University of Pretoria, and is an Alumnus of Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University.

Tshepiso hails from a financial services background, having served as an investment professional with the Development Bank of Southern Africa and as a property finance manager with Standard Bank Corporate and Investment Banking.

Through her involvement in both the public and private sectors, she has gained unique skills in senior management roles, representing various players along the property value chain and structuring partnership agreements. Her recent position was as the Senior Programme Manager for Catalytic Projects at the eThekwini Municipality in KwaZulu Natal, as well as Chairperson of SAIBPP KZN. She has also served on the boards of the South African Institute of Black Property Practitioners and the National Housing Finance Corporation, in addition to previous roles representing Business in the KZN and eThekwini Economic Councils. She holds a BSc (Honours) Degree in Property Studies from the University of Cape Town and a Certificate in Company Direction (IoD UK).

Simone Cooper is an accomplished leader and a well-rounded executive with experience in leading teams across complex and diverse landscapes including Business Lending, Enterprise Development, Transactional Products and Credit. She is passionate about helping African businesses to grow in challenging environments and enjoys solving for these complex matters, especially in her most recent role as Head of Business and Commercial Banking South Africa. Simone has been involved in various initiatives promoting the development of SMEs, she was awarded SME Banker of the Year by Qorus (formerly Efma) in recognition of her leadership and contribution to SME Banking. When she’s not leading her teams to greatness, she’s spending time with her family, reading novels and trying to get in an occasional game of golf.