Zikhona Madubela has a passion for entrepreneurship.
Business woman Zikhona Madubela has been appointed as the leader of Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry Khayelitsha chapter for the next two years.
The 37-year-old Khayelitsha resident is the founder and director of In2Change Learning, a company which provides soft skills, job readiness, basic financial literacy, enterprise development and facilitation and moderation services.
In an interview with Vukani, Ms Madubela said she was not expecting the appointment at this stage of her career. However, she is more than ready for the voluntary role.
She has been tasked with creating and unlocking business opportunities for Khayelitsha’s entrepreneurs.
She said the appointment serves as an inspiration and motivation for those business people who are frustrated and are on the verge of giving up.
“We are ready for investment and financial support as Khayelitsha business people. The appointment means recognition and it's a new dawn for Khayelitsha businesses. In Khayelitsha we have anything and everything that you can think about; we have great concepts and an amazing footprint in tourism but we just lack access to bigger markets.”
Ms Madubela said she is looking forward to leading and serving the members and associates of the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry with honour and integrity.
She plans to bring various skills to her position, including good communication, a compelling strategic vision and ability to inspire others to achieve objectives.
She said she also has experience in fostering partnerships across organisational, cultural and global boundaries, and negotiating to gain support for business initiatives.
Ms Madubela said this appointment comes after she has just stepped down from being the president of the Rotary Club of Cape Town Noon Gun where she was at the helm for two years.
She said being the president of Rotary provided her with an opportunity to take part in conversations of inclusion and have a voice and seat at the table.
Ms Madubela’s grandfather was a cattle farmer and working on his farm while she was growing up sparked an interest in business and the spirit of entrepreneurship.
After completing matric, she enrolled for IT studies but she could not cope and dropped.
She decided to follow her passion for entrepreneurship.
To young girls in Khayelitsha, she said when they see her they must know that their dreams are valid and very much possible.
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