Interviews

In this interview, Savannah Maziya, the executive chairperson of Bunengi Holdings and the chief executive officer of the Bunengi Group, discusses how the end of Apartheid in South Africa has enabled great business opportunities for those who had been previously excluded. She begins by explaining her decision to continue her education through an MBA program in Britain after obtaining her undergraduate degree and working in the United States. “I wanted to… have a more European exposure to business,” she recalls, “because I was clear that South Africa worked more on a European than North American system… I somehow knew that I would return to South Africa.” Following her return, she was appointed chief executive officer of the African Broadcast Network, a Christian satellite television station based in Nigeria and broadcasting from London. Between 2001 and 2004, Maziya expanded its streaming services to 26 countries. Her experience delivering prime-time television to a pan-African audience helped her understand the major differences between the laws and business cultures of different countries in the region. She goes on to describe how her network managed to close profitable deals with advertisers even in countries in which radio was previously dominant.

Maziya then elaborates on her transition from media and broadcasting into mining. She notes how the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act of 2002 removed barriers of entry into the industry and allowed new entrants. The Bunengi Group, which was founded in 2004, is dedicated to advancing Africa’s socioeconomic long-term growth by developing projects to the stage that they are economically sustainable and attractive to investors, a process Maziya terms “de-risking”. She explains how the success of their first mine—a five-year project—created new opportunities for the Bunengi Group and for others. Taking on a large roster of mining projects motivated Maziya to become involved in agriculture to feed their workers and families. She stresses the importance of post-1994 government policies encouraging gender and racial inclusion for her own career advancement.

Delving deeper into the challenges and strengths of her work, Maziya identifies characteristics that make her group appealing to foreign investors, including long-term stability, good management and returns, and conservative spending. She goes on to exemplify this through the soccer stadiums Bunengi built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup—and delivered 3 months early. Considering the elevated cost of construction materials, she shares the difficulties of pricing her services effectively. Maziya concludes by discussing her optimism for the future of construction and investment in Africa: “The smartest people in the world are [those] who are going to be looking to invest in Africa.” She highlights the continent’s increasing consumer population and GDP, its welcoming environment for investors, and its many sectors with room for development.

Maziya also discusses the hurdles women face doing business, recognizing the same issues of non-recognition for equal talent and contributions come up everywhere—Africa and the United States alike. She commends the South African government for financially penalizing companies that exclude women from boards and emphasizes the importance of mentorship and role models in showing that women belong in science and engineering, as well as industries like agriculture, infrastructure, and mining. “I think it starts from the women understanding what they can do and what the opportunities are, so that you don’t ask for permission. You just go and do it.”

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