Vryheid’s Queen of Diamonds

SHE IS a proud graduate from what she describes as “three wonderful schools: Bhekuzulu LP School, Amakhwatha HP School and Inkamana High School”. And although Vryheid will always hold a special place in her heart, her career has taken her to places that few small-town girls could dream of.

She is Mpumi Zikalala, who has been appointed to the board of De Beers Consolidated Mines.

But becoming a chemical engineer was not part of her original dream. It was only when De Beers came to Vryheid to offer bursaries to study mining engineering that she jumped at the opportunity.

After completing her studies, she worked in a number of junior and senior roles in mining and diamond trading at De Beers, paving the way for women as she progressed up the corporate ladder. When she left the head office, where she was technical assistant to the chief operating officer, Mpumi ensured that another woman was groomed to take her place.

In 2007, Mpumi made history when she was appointed as the first female general manager of Kimberly mine, a major diamond mine. She moved to the Voorspoed mine in 2010 where she was also general manager. In May 2013, she was appointed senior vice-president of De Beers Sightholder Sales South Africa, the company’s rough diamond trading division.

She might now work among diamonds, but she still has a place for coal-mining Vryheid in her heart. She says, “I still look forward to celebrating New Year at home with my family. My late father, Mr JL Zikalala and my mother, Mrs ZLM Zikalala raised my siblings and I in a principled home and sacrificed a lot to give us the best education

“When I was growing up, Vryheid was a safe, close-knit community where my siblings and I couldn’t go to town without our parents being informed by one of the community members. People would simply greet us on Church Street by saying ‘Ngane kaMam’ or ‘Ngane kaMhloli’, essentially demonstrating that ‘communities raise children’.

“Our community had great youth activities that kept us away from mischief – a bicycle club led by Brother Michael from Inkamana Abbey, a huge trampoline at the States (now called Vryheid Comprehensive School), Holy Angels Church activities, Madigras, etc.

“I also have a lot of fond memories from my time at Inkamana High School – the school still remains one of the best schools in South Africa.”

Asked if she had a special message for the youth of Vryheid, Mpumi said, “Our town, province, country, continent and planet needs future leaders, entrepreneurs, teachers, doctors, artisans, engineers, accountants, etc.

“You have the ability to become one of these and it is possible if you believe in yourself, continuously strive for excellence and look out for opportunities. All of us have 24 hours per day, equating to 86,400 seconds per day – use this time wisely.

“Let us all work together to build our town remembering the Chinese proverb: ‘The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.'”

Mpumi Zikalala’s success illustrates that today the mining industry in South Africa has become a viable choice for women who want to work in the technical and mechanical sphere. Compared to twenty years ago, when society couldn’t fathom the prospect of a woman working underground in a mine, great strides have been made in skills and capacity development and women can now be found in all ranks within the mining sector.

Mining and engineering has until recently been a male-dominated sector, but women such as Mpumi make a significant difference by opening up opportunities within the industry for women.