South African Council for Business Women makes city proud again
The branch produced a national winner and two runners up.
MBOMBELA – The local branch of the South African Council for Business Women (SACBW) has produced yet another national winner.
On Saturday September 17, Ms Lizelle Grobler, managing director and forensic analyst at Iqiniso Forensic Investigations (Pty) Ltd, was named the emerging entrepreneur for 2016 at the SACBW Business Woman of the Year Awards.
The gala event was held at the Southern Sun Hotel in Pretoria.
After winning the branch of the year award for five years in a row, Mbombela’s SACBW did not enter as a branch this year. However, in addition to Grobler’s win, it also produced two individual runners-up.
Ms Nonhlanhla Mtsweni from White Hills Trading was named the runner-up in the emerging entrepreneur category and
Ms Lourese Gouws from Steval Engineering in the corporate category.
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A total of 24 women from across the country were finalists this year.
Ms Lasea Swift, chairman of the local branch, said they were very proud of the achievements.
“It was the biggest competition yet, with the most finalists. It is really something to be proud of,” she said.
Grobler started Iqiniso Forensic Investigations three years ago, while working as the human resources manager for Kishugu Group. The company grew fast, and over a year ago, she became the sole owner.
Iqiniso does forensic investigations, polygraph testing and corporate profiles, among others. Yet, Grobler, a neurolinguistic practitioner, recently shifted her focus more to therapy.
She prefers working in the field rather than in a corporate environment.
“We work with sexually abused woman and children,” she told Lowvelder. “And in many situations the mothers have nowhere else to go, so they tolerate the situation.
“It is my dream to establish a haven for these families where they can live in a safe environment, receive trauma counselling and support for learning disabilities.
“We want to assist the mothers to get a qualification and help her find a job. This will have to be a community project as it is just too big for one person to take on.”
She added that entering the competition potentially opened many doors for her, through the people she has met. “I’m new in the non-profit area, and the people I have met can be important mentors to me.”
“I have since learned that the word ‘unreachable’ just means ‘work harder at it’. Nothing in life comes easy, but almost everything is possible if you want it bad enough.
“Through faith and prayer, nothing is impossible,” Grobler concluded.
